𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞: 𝐑𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬

............𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒕 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒚, 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆

On Monday, May 27th, all eyes were on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, as he delivered the opening address on behalf of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Ph.D., at the National Discourse on Nigeria's Security Challenges and Good Governance at the Local Government Level in Abuja.

The discourse shed light on the pressing issues faced by local governments in the country and highlighted the efforts of the 10th House of Representatives in addressing them.

One of the primary concerns discussed at the discourse was the usurpation of local government functions by state governments.

This has been a long-standing issue, hindering the effective governance of local communities.

The State Joint Local Government Account has also been identified as a major obstacle in achieving financial autonomy for local governments, as it limits their access to funds and resources needed for development.

In addition to these challenges, the discourse also brought attention to the political instability caused by tenure irregularities in local governments.

This has led to a lack of continuity in governance and has hindered progress in addressing the needs of the people.

In line with its legislative agenda, the 10th House of Representatives has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering local governments.

One of the key strategies identified to achieve this is by identifying and addressing bottlenecks hindering effective governance.

This includes assessing the link between weak governance and insecurity, as well as implementing reforms for improved service delivery.

As the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution Review, Rt hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu stated, "we will work to resolve the controversy surrounding the status of local governments by establishing a constitutional framework for their optimal operation."

This is a significant step towards ensuring that local governments have the necessary legal backing and support to carry out their functions effectively.

The National Discourse on Nigeria's Security Challenges and Good Governance at the Local Government Level in Abuja was a platform for all stakeholders to come together and build consensus on strategies to strengthen local governance.

This is a crucial aspect in achieving sustainable development and addressing the pressing security challenges in the country.

The discourse also highlighted the need for collaborative efforts between all levels of government to achieve meaningful progress. It is not enough for the federal government to make policies and laws; effective implementation at the local level is essential for tangible results.

Let me conclude by saying that the National Discourse on Nigeria's Security Challenges and Good Governance at the Local Government Level in Abuja was a step towards addressing the longstanding issues faced by local governments.

The 10th House of Representatives has shown its unwavering commitment to empowering local communities and building a stronger and more secure nation.

With the implementation of the strategies discussed at the discourse, we can hope for a brighter future for local governments in Nigeria.

𝓘𝔂𝓴𝓮 𝓜𝓫𝓪

𝙎.𝙇.𝘼 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙃.𝙊.𝙍

Posts

𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐃𝐂 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐄-𝐏, 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐮

May 23, 2024

..........𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, received Directors of the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies (IPSDC) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, led by their Co-Chairman, Chief Chikwe Udensi, on a courtesy visit to his office. The meeting was primarily focused on discussing strategies for revitalizing the South East Region, with a special emphasis on the collaboration between the Institute and the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P). The Deputy Speaker, who is a strong advocate for the development of the South East region, commended the Directors for their commitment and interest in collaborating with the PISE-P. He acknowledged their role as key stakeholders in achieving the common goal of rebuilding and revitalizing the South

𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬: 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐮 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐭 𝟐 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

May 20, 2024

.........𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚 Identity-based conflicts have been a major hindrance to achieving sustainable peace in many countries around the world. These conflicts arise from differences in religious, ethnic, cultural, or political identities, and often result in violence, discrimination, and human rights abuses. In Nigeria, these conflicts have been particularly prevalent, leading to loss of lives and property, and hindering the country's efforts towards development and unity. Recognizing the urgency of addressing these conflicts, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, recently addressed a 2-day national engagement focused on "Mapping Actors to Reduce Identity Conflict". The event, organized by the International Republican Institutions (IRI) and Na