Ihedioha Urges Professionals To Engage Representatives

HON.
EMEKA IHEDIOHA BEVERLY HILLS, March 12, (THEWILL) - Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon.

Emeka Ihedioha has urged members of the professions and business class to engage with legislators in the National Assembly so as to make informed inputs into the legislative process in the overall interest of the country.

The deputy speaker gave the charge when a delegation of the South-east/South-south Professionals paid a courtesy visit to the House of Representatives Wednesday.

He enjoined the visitors not to engage in uninformed criticisms of the legislature because as members of the professions and business, they have access to members of the National Assembly with whom they can engage and 'make informed inputs into the policy process in the legislature.

' According to Hon.
Ihedioha, the House of Representatives has put in place mechanisms for engaging with members of the public including public hearings and the standing committee on public petitions and are always ready to make interface with the people of Nigeria.

He cited the constitution amendment process of the House which was in the history of the country, taken to the entire grassroots to allow all Nigerians to participate in the amendment of the grundnum of the country.

He noted that the House also adopted zonal public hearings on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) given the critical nature of the proposed legislation, charging members of the group to ensure that they make their impact felt in lawmaking at the federal level.

'We urge you to utilize mechanisms of the House and engage with the parliament which is an open House and a House of the people at all times,' Hon.

Ihedioha said.
Speaking earlier, president of the South-east/South-south Professionals, Mr.

Emeka Ugwu-Oju, informed the deputy speaker and other members of the House from the South-east and South-south geo-political zones who had gathered in their numbers, that the delegation was in the House to confer with lawmakers on a vision to improve the economic ties and benefits of the two zones of the country.