Kano State Reps Caucus Calls for Judicial Collaboration in Lawmaking

Members of the Kano State Caucus in the House of Representatives says they need the professional advice of Judiciary in lawmaking.

The Caucus stated this at a meeting with members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Kano State Chapter, in Abuja.

Addressing the female lawyers, the leader of the Kano and Northern Caucus in the House, Mr. Alhassan Ado Doguwa said that, despite their experience as members of the National Assembly whose primary responsibility is making laws, there is a gap which only a close working relationship with lawyers can fill to make their work more easier.

“Those of us that are here, we are called lawmakers. But while we are making laws, definitely we will expect fine and brilliant brains like you to be helping us with some impudence. That is all.

“At all levels of legislation, we have a very critical point or window that we call public hearing. Apart from public hearing, members of the House also do have their constituency offices in their respective local governments.

“There are several other windows through which you can reach out to your representatives as professionals, especially legal professionals, and you will have a lot to contribute to our performance here as members representing the greater and the larger canon that we are representing in the House of Representatives.

“Today, you have come at a very coincidental period, a very incidental period, when the constitutional review process in the National Assembly is ongoing. So, we will expect you to start to use the opportunity from there.

“I do this with all sense of humility and respect for the profession, but I charge you people to also promptly interface and continue to collaborate with this caucus by way of giving us some of your insight, how you look at some of the legislations. The PIB, for instance, which has now been passed into law in 2021, is now subject of a lot of contemplations and controversy. Look at the PIA.

“Where do you think we have gaps? Where do you think we’ll have to come and make contributions? Virtually all that you have in the body of the laws of the Federation, they are viewable. They are not cast on stones. So it is only on the basis of some of this kind of contribution that you give to us that we can be able to also make a contribution” Mr. Doguwa said.

Free advocacy and legal services

Earlier, the Chairperson, FIDA, Kano State Chapter, Bilkisu Suleman informed the lawmakers that, FIDA is an international body of professional lawyers and legal professionals who offer free legal services to less privileged, other support services and advocacy.

“All of us that are in FIDA have our primary responsibilities, but we allocate some time within a week, within a month that we dedicate our services for the promotion of the rights of women and children. So I want everybody to understand that we are not charging for whatever services we are doing.

“We are paying advocacy visits to ensure that legal issues or access to justice is promoted in our society. We are following up on cases of maybe interpretation of laws or application of laws that will promote and preserve the right of women and children. We are rendering legal services that is in the courts or mediation or even sensitization throughout in our constituents” Barr Suleman said.

She added that the voice of FIDA cannot be undermined.

She also commended the caucus for their efforts targeted at improving Kano State.

Emmanuel Ukoh