CREAP Africa Initiative has raised critical concerns over what it describes as the ineffective and unproductive oversight function of Nigeria’s National Assembly on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Speaking in response to growing public dissatisfaction with the legislature’s numerous yet inconclusive probes, Sylvanus Udoenoh, Executive Director of CREAP Africa Initiative, noted that while the National Assembly has the constitutional mandate to ensure accountability and transparency in governance, its track record reveals a pattern of uncompleted investigations, unreleased reports, and lack of enforcement of recommendations.
“Oversight is not a box-ticking exercise. It is a vital pillar of democratic governance. The current situation, where legislative probes are launched with fanfare but end in silence, fuels a dangerous culture of impunity and public distrust,” Udoenoh stated.
The Initiative emphasized that the failure to effectively oversee public institutions emboldens corruption, mismanagement, and inefficiency, especially in critical sectors like health, education, power, and infrastructure.
CREAP Africa Initiative suggested ways the National Assembly keep MDAs in checks to deliver effective services.
According to the group, Nigeria cannot afford to normalize legislative inaction in the face of deepening governance challenges.
“Our lawmakers must rise above partisanship and perform their constitutional duty with integrity, courage, and urgency,” the statement concluded.
https://leadership.ng/nass-oversight-of-mdas-ineffective-csos-others