PRESS RELEASE
15th September, 2025.
ABIA REPS ON THE SCALE: A LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) has carefully reviewed the recently released legislative performance index for the first legislative year of the 10th National Assembly. Of particular note is the record posted by the Abia State caucus in the House of Representatives, which collectively sponsored 104 bills between June 2023 and May 2024.
We find it commendable that Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the Deputy Speaker and Member representing Bende Federal Constituency, alone accounted for 85 of those bills. This achievement is not merely statistical; it embodies the constitutional duty imposed on legislators under Section 4(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which vests the National Assembly with the power to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of the Federation.
Hon. Kalu’s diligence sets a high watermark for legislative productivity and affirms the expectations of constituents under Section 14(2)(b) of the same Constitution, which proclaims that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. Sponsoring bills is not an abstract exercise; it is a means of translating the aspirations of the electorate into binding instruments of law capable of shaping governance and securing rights.
While CEHRAWS applauds this sterling record, we must also stress that the remaining members of the Abia caucus, who collectively sponsored less than twenty bills in the same period, must rise to the occasion. The principle of representative democracy requires more than mere attendance in plenary; it requires active engagement with the legislative process, as underscored by Section 24(d) of the Constitution, which imposes on every citizen (including elected officials) the duty to “make positive and useful contributions to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community.”
Legislative productivity cannot be reduced to a numbers game alone. Quality, content, and people-centeredness of bills remain the ultimate yardstick. CEHRAWS therefore urges Abia’s lawmakers to adopt a rights-based approach in their legislative interventions; prioritizing bills that address poverty alleviation, gender justice, environmental sustainability, protection of the vulnerable community, etc.
In the same spirit of accountability, CEHRAWS affirms that our next demand will go beyond the legislative scorecard to scrutinise the utilisation of constituency allowances and other benefits accruing to Representatives. Citizens have a right to know whether such funds are deployed in line with their statutory purpose under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
To this end, CEHRAWS shall, in due course:
✓ Invoke the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 to demand public disclosure of projects tied to constituency allowances, including contractors, sums disbursed, and level of execution.
✓ Submit formal petitions to the National Assembly Service Commission and the Appropriation Committees of both Chambers, urging closer oversight of constituency project funds.
✓ Mobilise citizens to track constituency projects at community level, ensuring that the funds are not lost to opacity or corruption.
✓ Where necessary, institute public interest litigation under Section 6(6)(b) of the Constitution, which vests judicial powers in the courts to determine questions as to civil rights and obligations of citizens.
As a civil rights organisation, CEHRAWS will continue to place legislators on the scale of accountability, celebrating excellence where due, and demanding more where output falls short of constitutional expectations. Abia citizens deserve nothing less than a robust, transparent, and people-first legislative agenda.
Signed:
Okoye, Chuka Peter
Executive Director, CEHRAWS
cehraws@gmail.com | +234(0)803-552-9865.
