By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Aliyu Wadada, on Thursday pledged to lead the committee with humility, inclusiveness and a firm commitment to strengthening legislative collaboration within Nigeria and across the world.
Speaking at the committee’s inaugural meeting at the National Assembly, the senator described his appointment as both an honour and a significant responsibility, noting that the committee occupies a strategic position in advancing parliamentary diplomacy and promoting legislative best practices.
Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District, said the Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs remains one of the most important committees in any parliament because of its role in fostering cooperation among legislatures and enhancing democratic governance.”I have been entrusted with the responsibility of chairing this committee, and I consider it not only a great honour but also a significant responsibility,” he said.
The lawmaker assured members that he would discharge his responsibilities with a deep sense of duty while carrying every member along in the committee’s activities. He urged members to leverage their collective experience and continue learning in order to better serve the interests of Nigerians.
As part of efforts to ensure a smooth take-off, Wadada directed that the committee’s existing work plan and calendar be presented for review, saying members needed to assess pending activities and commence work without delay.
The committee chairman identified stronger engagement with state Houses of Assembly as one of his major priorities, observing that interactions between sub-national legislatures and the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs had remained limited.
According to him, building closer ties with state legislatures would encourage collaboration, facilitate knowledge sharing and improve the quality of lawmaking across the country.
Wadada also expressed appreciation to his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him, admitting that leading a committee made up of experienced lawmakers was both humbling and demanding.
Addressing journalists after a closed-door session, the senator said the committee would focus on delivering its statutory mandate of strengthening legislative cooperation between Nigeria’s National Assembly and parliamentary institutions around the world.
He disclosed that the committee would deepen Nigeria’s engagement with international parliamentary organisations, including the ECOWAS Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and other global legislative bodies.
“The direction is basically around and about the responsibilities of the committee, which is, of course, to promote and deepen legislative relationships within Nigeria and other legislative bodies around the world, like the ECOWAS Parliament, African Parliament, I mean, IPU, and the rest of them. That’s it,” Wadada said.
