Posted By Trace Reporter on August 9, 2016
The
lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, Senator Shehu
Sani, has launched street parliament in the seven local government areas
under the district, where he held open street meetings with hundreds of
residents in Nassarawa community and Argungu/Abeokuta streets.
He
told members of his constituents at the meeting that he would intervene
in their cases by ensuring that their grievances are redressed.
Sani stated that if true democracy is to thrive
in the country, governance must be brought down to the people through
streets parliament, noting that the town hall meetings organised by some
governors and public office holders have not been able to produce any
tangible result as they were “stage-managed”.
He enjoined
public office holders both in the state and the country at large to
bring governance closer to Nigerians in order to feel their plights
following the socio-economic crisis in Nigeria with a view to addressing
them.
According to the lawmaker, “Street Parliament is a new
concept directed to develop an open interaction between the governed and
the government. What some people call town hall meeting is deceptive
and a stage managed forum where they listen to what they want to hear.
“What
they call town hall involves inviting people to a hall. But this
strategy of street parliament is bringing the government to your door
step, streets and possibly to your houses. By these ideas, it means
listening to your complaints, your views, ideas and suggestions on
governance. And it also involves carrying you along in the process of
law making.
“That is what street parliament is all about. It is a
new concept of developing a continuous relationship between the
electorate and people who are elected into public offices. By
interacting with you, I will listen to you all; I will carry your ideas
along to the Senate. And also, I will listen to complaints and
grievances.
“In a town hall meeting, you can only go there if
you are invited and there are questions you cannot ask and there are
questions that are stage managed and circulated to cronies to ask. But,
in street parliament, it means coming to you directly and hearing from
you, unlike in the past when you see government at a distance point.”
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