CHRAN URGES AKHA MEMBERS TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR STEWARDSHIP
The CHRAN has called on members of the 8th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to give account of their stewardship to their respective state constituents and also make public their performance scorecards for members of the public to assess them after two years in office.
The Center’s Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong made the call while speaking on a live-phone-in radio program on Passion 94.5 FM, Uyo, on Wednesday, 23 July, 2025. The Center decried the poor state of performance of the 26 state lawmakers and urged them to rise to their constitutional responsibilities of lawmaking, oversight and representation. Noted with dismay, the Center called on the state government to carry out renovation of the dilapidated and decrepit Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly complex and other infrastructure within the Assembly premises.
Speaking on the beauty of separation of powers, the CHRAN charged the state lawmakers to invoke Section 100(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 (as amended) to override the Governor’s veto on Bills that had been passed and forwarded to the governor for assent but the governor has withheld his assent after 30 days. The Center emphasized the importance of oversight functions of the legislature and called on the state legislators to live up to their responsibilities, urging them to have constituency offices; hold constituency briefings; and exercise the quasi-judicial power of the parliament over the executive arm of the state government in order to ensure effective checks and balances in the governance process of the state.