The Department for International Development (DFID), Nigeria, today urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure prompt fulfillment of the promises he made to Nigerians during his electioneering campaigns. DFID is a department of the government of the United Kingdom that is responsible for administering overseas aid.
According to the agency, Nigerians expect too much from the new administration.
Speaking at a pre-inaugural retreat for newly elected members of the National Assembly, which was organised by Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, in conjunction with Senators Forum, Tuesday, head of DFID in Nigeria, Mr. Ben Mellor, insisted that the eyes of the world are currently focused on Nigeria.
“Getting more women into politics should also be a priority for Nigeria. The cameras of the world are on Nigeria at this critical time,” Mellor said, noting that while there are 29 percent of women currently in the UK parliament, only four percent of the new members of the House of Representatives in Nigeria are women, with seven percent of them in the Senate.
DFID urged the new lawmakers to champion the struggle for a more responsive and accountable government in the country.
The federal lawmakers were further charged to play individual and collective roles towards putting the administration of President Buhari on check at all times.
Mellor praised the outgoing lawmakers for their successful passage of key legislations like the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill and the Pension Reform Bill, which he said would greatly improve the welfare of Nigerians. However, he maintained that there were still many areas yearning for legislative attention.
“It is very disappointing that there are still hundreds of Bills awaiting second reading at both the Senate and the House, that is an area of improvement for the country to move forward,” Mellor said.