The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Akin Rotimi, has reiterated the Green Chamber’s resolute to deepen grassroots engagements.
Rotimi, a member representing Ekiti North 1 (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency, said the House of Representatives was interested in giving meaning to the people’s mandate to members by ensuring inclusive representation.
The lawmaker spoke at Ikole Ekiti on Saturday during a one-day retreat with the theme “Building a team that leaves no one behind” where he presented appointment letters to 85 legislative aides and assistants which included 26 persons with disabilities.
Rotimi said, “The 26 PWDs would serve as contact persons for the PWDs and play a crucial role in advocating for the rights and needs of the disabled within the federal constituency.”
He said appointments of the legislative aides and assistants “is to enhance legislative representation in Ekiti North 1 Federal Constituency through making people participate in governance. The aides will serve as a channel for feedback mechanism from their constituents at the grassroots level.
“The 10th House of Representatives has it as an agenda to deepen grassroots engagements and constituency outreach. What you are seeing here is the demonstration of our resolve not to be far from Nigerians, to give meaning to their mandate, to give meaning to representation.
“We have 85 people we have engaged at the grassroots level. We have legislative advisers, legislative assistants, PWDs, and contact focal persons at the grassroots in every single ward.
“So, what we have done here today is representation. It is a fact that we believe in representative democracy. We believe in the fact that there should be participatory governance. We had this session to build the capacity of grassroots stakeholders appointed to participate in what we are doing in the House of Representatives.”
