National Assembly launches image laundering campaign; quiet on scheme’s budget

NO longer comfortable with its growing negative public perception, the leadership of the National Assembly, NASS, has begun measures to launder its image.


Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North) said the strategic plan for the image laundering was perception change ahead of the third anniversary of the eight Assembly on June 9, adding that the measures were being packaged by the leadership of NASS in collaboration with the management of the National Institute for Legislative Studies, NILS.

According to him, this will be carried out through a programme tagged Open Week by the committee already set up for that purpose.

The Senate Leader said: “The planned open week is a welcome development which will serve as a platform for the public to interact with federal legislators at close range towards understanding the constitutional functions of the National Assembly, particularly as regards constituency projects.

“The open week will bring to the fore required knowledge about the workings of the National Assembly, which are, fundamentally, lawmaking, representation and oversight functions on the workings of all Federal Government agencies.

“As lawmakers, we no doubt feel bad about the negative perception of the National Assembly and we must change it in the interest of democracy which to us cannot be development driven going by the way the institution is misunderstood by Nigerians.”

Also speaking on the planned image laundering, Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Shehu Shagari, described the one week event as a welcome development since NASS has been the most misunderstood arm of government since 1999.

The amount voted for the planned event was, however, not disclosed before the committee members who included the DG NILS, Professor Ladi Hamalai.