Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese has disclosed that parliaments in the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union have indicated readiness to send members to Nigeria to understudy the open model established by the 10th National Assembly.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the conclusion of the second edition of the National Assembly Open Week on Thursday, he commended Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen for the initiative, which he described as a transformative milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Tagging the programmes “a revolutionary blueprint for global legislative engagement,” Agbese who represents the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State said the event has not only positioned Nigeria as a continental leader in legislative transparency but is now earning international recognition.
“It is so beautiful that my friends from America, the UK, and other parts of the world have informed me that the US Congress, the British House of Commons, and other internationally respected parliaments are now sending their representatives to Nigeria to study how the House of Representatives is doing it,” he said.
He described the Open Week as “a masterstroke of democratic innovation,” crediting Speaker Tajudeen for conceptualising and institutionalising what he called “a gold standard in legislative-citizen engagement.”
He said “Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has not only raised the bar, he has redefined what legislative leadership should look like in the 21st century,” Agbese said. This Open Week initiative is a stroke of political genius. It is bold, people-centred, and historically significant.”