By Binta Jaiteh
National Assembly member are currently undergoing a three-day induction training course at house chamber in Banjul.
The training courses aimed at building the capacity of the member s and keep them informed to execute their parliamentary duties.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta, urged the MPs to take the training seriously, follow the program attentively with the procedures of the assembly to avoid having issues or committee oversight activities.
“You will also have much more idea about our powers and privileges as National Assembly Members, more importantly, we want all of you to play active role as representatives of our people and this programme will provide you with necessary insight,” he said.
According to him, training members of the Parliament is of course an ongoing process and this, he said, is the beginning of many more trainings to come in the near future. Adding that, National Assembly is designed to effectively do the oversight, monitoring and evaluation of government departments.
“I want to remind members that there is a lot of works ahead in this Sixth Legislature. Our immediate focus is to set the Committees in motion and all other institutional arrangements,” he added.
“Like all of you, I look forward to serving in a National Assembly where inputs of Members can be expressed constructively and freely, without fear or favour. I hope that the debates we will have will be well informed, meaningful, and respectful. We also need to give serious attention to the ways in which Members interact with the public and we must rededicate ourselves to the true meaning of keeping the doors of the Assembly open,” he said.
With few remarks, he officially declared the induction program for the Members of the Sixth Legislature open and wish them all a successful week.
Momodou A Sise, Clerk of the National Assembly also thanked the donors for the continuity in strengthening the activities of the legislature and as they look forward to further push the relationship forward especially that the training is customary as start up for every new lawmaker.