The National Assembly in Banjul has commenced an induction training for Members of the Sixth Legislature, with the Clerk of the House, Mr. Momodou A. Sise, remarking: “The training is therefore very vital, and I will encourage all Hon. Members to take it seriously. It is obvious that Parliamentarians preside over the making of laws for the good of society and serve as the epic oversight institution of the Republic.”
The objective of the Induction training, as explained, is to build the capacity of the NAMs in the execution of their legislative, oversight and representative functions.
The House Clerk pointed out to them that Parliamentary careers are among the most complex and challenging (ones) on earth; that competing demands–from the House to the Party, to the Constituency–make the NAM’s “life a challenging act to balance”. Legislators are always on the job, whether walking the halls of parliament, interviewing an expert witness regarding a proposed legislative amendment, or traveling abroad, Sise held.
He explained, “It is for this reason, that the Office of the Clerk designed such induction trainings to provide you with knowledge and opportunities for discussion that should help you optimize your performance as a National Assembly Member.” The training, the Clerk continued, is customary at the start of every new legislature, and it’s aimed at providing an opportunity for Members to gain a greater understanding of the work of the Legislature and how they could engage and establish links with the community, thus contributing to strengthening the role of Parliament as a whole. He believes it’s therefore important that the capacity of incoming lawmakers be built along technical and professional legal lines.
Considering the complex nature of parliamentary terminologies and techniques and the significant percentage of new Members, his office has decided to conduct this induction training in phases, according to Clerk Sise. He told the lawmakers that the first phase would accord them the opportunity to understand the international workings of the National Assembly.
“The three broad Divisions under my Office, notably Legal and Procedural Matters, Administration and Finance and Legislative Business and Program will offer hands-on information to Hon. Members to prepare them for their work in the National Assembly”, he disclosed.
Sise expressed hope that at the close of that engagement, the lawmakers would gain greater appreciation and understanding of the value of parliamentary work, while urging them to feel free to ask questions or make comments as they go along, reasoning because their facilitators would like the training to be as interactive as possible. Stressing that sharing of ideas and opinions is very much encouraged, the Clerk of the House expressed delight with the positive response from the NAMs in attending the training. He also commended their development partners for the tremendous effort to strengthening the capacity of the National Assembly.
He acknowledged that they had come a long way and much of it would not have been possible without “the support, assistance, and continuous encouragement of development partners like IRI [International Republican Institute in Gambia], WFD [Westminster Foundation for Democracy], International IDEA, and of course, the UNDP who have, as always, partner with the National Assembly to build capacity of both staff and National Assembly Members”.
Sise put on record that they have also over the years, received tremendous support from the diplomatic community most especially, the Chinese Embassy, the British High Commission, Turkish Embassy, United States Embassy just to name a few.
“We are indeed very grateful and appreciative, and we look forward to strengthening the close cooperation,” he echoed.
