Speaker Calls for Lawmakers’ Inclusion in NIPSS Training Programs

Jumoke Olasunkanmi

In a recent meeting with the management of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) on Tuesday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen called for the inclusion of members of the National Assembly in the institute’s training program citing the need to expand the scope of NIPSS’s offerings beyond just officials in the Executive arm of the government.

“I want to request the DG to look at the National Assembly in your subsequent admissions because, with the kind of things that I saw for myself when I went to the (Presidential) Villa, I am sure that the National Assembly can also benefit a lot from NIPSS,” Speaker Abbas stated during the meeting.

He further added, “Experiences are not limited to the Executive; even the Legislature has a lot to share. By the time you blend the two – what the people from the Executive know and what the Legislators also know – I am sure that your subsequent programmes will be enriched.”

In a press statement signed by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker commended NIPSS for its contributions to governance and expressed his willingness to support the institute in addressing issues affecting it.

“I want to also commend you and the Institute for all the good jobs you have been doing. We are indeed very proud of you,” he said. “It is truly an institution that is giving a lot of inspiration and guidance to the government of this country.”

On his part, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo highlighted the institute’s efforts to enhance security by acquiring adjacent lands to its premises in Kuru, Jos. He also raised concerns about the poor remuneration of staff and called on the House to revisit a bill seeking to amend the NIPSS Act.

Speaker Abbas assured the management of the House’s commitment to addressing these issues and pledged support for the proposed amendments to the NIPSS Act.