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NASS To Translate Laws Into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba

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The National Assembly will soon deepen the digitisation of parliamentary records by translating Nigerian laws into Igbo Hausa, Yoruba and other local languages to expand public access to legislative information.

 

Mr Henry Nwawuba, the Executive Secretary, National Assembly Library Trust Fund disclosed this while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Library Week on Monday in Abuja.

The event was themed, “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”

Nwawuba said the three-day programme was designed as an annual platform to promote legislative research, access to information and effective utilisation of the resources of the National Assembly Library.

He described the library as more than a collection of books, saying “it serves as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of parliamentary records.”

He said the library was working to ensure that lawmakers, legislative aides, researchers and other stakeholders have access to authoritative parliamentary records, including Order Papers, Votes and Proceedings, Committee reports and Acts passed by the National Assembly.

Nwawuba said the Trust Fund was investing in electronic repositories and upgrading of its E-Library, while developing a National Assembly Library mobile application to make legislative information more accessible to lawmakers, staff members, researchers and members of the public.

He also announced plans for a Bills Tracker, which would enable users to follow bills and monitor their progress through the legislative process.

According to him, the library is developing infographics, audiovisual materials and video explainers to simplify Bills, Acts and legislative procedures for Nigerians.

He said the planned translation of laws into local languages would broaden access to legislative information and enable more citizens to understand laws that affect their daily lives.

Nwawuba said the library would also organise public policy dialogues to deepen citizens’ participation in public hearings and create more opportunities for interaction among legislators, citizens, researchers and other stakeholders.

He added that the initiatives were aimed at addressing inconsistencies in official parliamentary documents and the circulation of fake or unauthorised copies of National Assembly records.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged lawmakers to make greater use of the library, particularly in an era of increasing misinformation, disinformation and the rapid development of artificial intelligence.

Akpabio, represented by Sen. Osita Ngwu, described the library as a critical link between evidence, knowledge and legislative decision-making and called for continued support for its development.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, said legislative records were essential to understanding Nigeria’s legislative history and strengthening democratic governance.

Tajudeen said the strength of a legislature should be measured not only by the laws it enacted, but also on how effectively it documented its activities, preserved institutional knowledge and made such information available to future generations.

He said technology and artificial intelligence could improve legislative research, records preservation and access to information, but cautioned that their adoption must be guided by accuracy, security, professional judgment.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the National Assembly could not be truly independent if it lacked the capacity to generate, preserve, retrieve and authenticate its institutional knowledge and records.

Ogunlana said the library had an important role as a bridge between parliamentary records, legislation and the people, stressing that Parliament could not be fully transparent if its records could not be found, understood and trusted.

He identified the Order Paper, Votes and Proceedings and Hansard as key components of Nigeria’s democratic memory, explaining that the Order Paper provides the agenda for legislative business.

The Clerk warned against the circulation of incomplete, outdated, altered or unauthorised Bills, Acts and other parliamentary documents, saying digital technology had made it possible for documents to be manipulated and circulated.

He stressed that the integrity of an Act depended not merely on the existence of a document, but on the ability to establish which version was authentic, which was authoritative and the legal process through which it emerged.

He noted that the continued widespread use of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, LFN 2004, highlighted the challenges of maintaining a current and authoritative consolidated body of federal legislation.

He explained that the LFN 2004 reflected the laws covered by that revision exercise and was not automatically updated whenever a new Act was enacted.

Ogunlana said the National Assembly must also strengthen cybersecurity, digital preservation, secure authentication, access controls, backup systems and staff members’ training as parliamentary records become increasingly digitised.

He warned that while digitisation would make parliamentary information easier to access, search and disseminate, it could also expose records to cyberattacks, manipulation and impersonation of official sources.

The Clerk said digital platforms must therefore be accessible and secure, while electronic records must be available, authentic and traceable.

He said the National Assembly Library should evolve beyond being a repository where documents are kept to becoming an institution where parliamentary knowledge is preserved, authenticated and made accessible to lawmakers, researchers, journalists, civil society organisations, students and the wider public.

The President of the Nigerian Library Association, Dr Lawal Umar, called for sustained investment in libraries and modern information technology to improve access to legislative information, while urging stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.

The Secretary-General, Conference of Speakers of African Legislatures, Amb. Debo Oyewale, said African legislatures had much to learn from one another in building institutions capable of preserving legislative memory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(NAN)

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2027: No Notice, No Rally – Lagos Police Warn Parties

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The Lagos State Police Command has warned political parties to give timely notification of all rallies, campaigns, processions and other political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

The position was conveyed in a Sunday statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, SP Abimbola Adebisi.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, was quoted as saying timely notification is essential to enable the command to conduct proper security assessments, deploy adequate personnel and make necessary operational arrangements to ensure the safety of participants, members of the public and the general environment.

He warned that parties that fail to comply and cause a breach of peace will face the law.

Fatai said, “The command reiterates its commitment to providing adequate security for all political parties, their candidates, supporters and participants during rallies, campaigns and other political activities, without discrimination or preference.

“However, the command will not tolerate any act capable of disrupting public peace, threatening public safety or resulting in a breakdown of law and order.

“Any political party that fails to provide timely notification or disregards established security arrangements, thereby contributing to a breach of peace, will be held accountable in accordance with the law.”

According to the statement, the position was also emphasised during the recent 2027 General Elections Stakeholders’ Security Engagement, held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, where political parties and other relevant stakeholders were reminded of the need for cooperation, timely communication and strict adherence to security guidelines throughout the electoral process.

The command reaffirmed its readiness to provide adequate security coverage for all political parties, ensuring a safe and conducive environment for their lawful political activities.

The commissioner therefore urged all political parties to demonstrate responsibility, cooperate with security agencies and ensure that their rallies, campaigns and other political activities are conducted peacefully and in strict compliance with the law.

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Tunde Bakare: Tinubu Has Tried His Best — But It May Not Be Enough For Nigeria

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Tunde Bakare, founder of Citadel Global Community Church, says President Bola Tinubu has done his best for Nigeria, adding that it is up to the electorate to decide if he should be handed another term.

 

Bakare, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary against Tinubu and other aspirants in June 2022, said some of Tinubu’s reforms were imperative.

Speaking at Envoy Nation in Leicester on Sunday, the cleric said: “Nigerians have the right to change their leaders. They also have the right to affirm their leaders.

“It is up to them to decide what they want. As you lay your bed, so you will lie on it. Sometimes, the devil you know is better than the angel that is not tested yet. But I leave it to every man to do what he pleases.”

Bakare, however, questioned whether Tinubu’s experience and that of other politicians has been enough to address Nigeria’s perennial challenges.

He said the country needs leaders with the capacity to get things right from the outset.

Asked whether Nigeria would have been better off had he become the APC presidential candidate and won the 2023 election, Bakare said he would be cautious about making such a claim.

“I would be very careful with my words. I do not think Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is an uninitiated politician. He has been tried and tested. He is a man of experience,” he said.

“The difference that I emphasised in that campaign, especially at the Eagle Square primary of the APC is that we do not need men of experience anymore. Their experience has brought us into the disaster that we have found ourselves.

“You need geniuses who will do the first thing the first time and they will get it correct. For example, in the Bible, Joshua was fighting a battle and there was no precedent for what he said that day. He said ‘let this sun stand still and the moon stand still’. And the Bible says God answered his voice.”

Bakare urged the president to surround himself with people who would tell him the truth.

The cleric cautioned against dismissing all the policies introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the devaluation of the naira.

He said the president had to take some tough decisions, although his efforts may not have met the expectations of Nigerians.

“So, I won’t say if I had been the president it would not be like this because you don’t even know what awaits you until you get there,” he said.

“For me, Tinubu has tried his best. His best may not be good enough for Nigeria but that does not give right to any person to just rubbish what he did like the subsidy removal, naira devaluation and other reforms. There are some things he did alright and I hope he learns. If God feels his time is up, He will bring other people to power.”

Bakare also said he played a role in the political consultations that preceded the formation of the APC.

He recalled facilitating a meeting involving Tinubu, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the late Awujale of Ijebuland; Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos; and Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun State.

The cleric said he later stepped away from active politics to concentrate on building Citadel Global Community Church, adding that he remains a card-carrying member of the APC.

He said he had told Tinubu that he is willing to contribute to national development through private consultations.

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TY Danjuma Backs Tinubu’s Re-Election Bid, Says President Has Been Fair To Christians

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Teophilus Danjuma, former Minister of Defence, has endorsed the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu, saying his administration has been fair to Christians in appointments.

 

Danjuma spoke during the weekend at the 20th anniversary and fundraising ceremony of the Adamawa state government house chapel held in Yola.

He said electing Tinubu for another four years would give the administration ample time to complete what he described as meaningful projects.

Represented by Ishaya Bamaiyi, former chief of army staff, Danjuma said since the inception of his administration, Tinubu has exhibited fairness and tolerance by appointing several Christians to government positions.

He called on Nigerians, especially those in the middle belt, to support the president’s second term quest.

He maintained that the prospect of another northerner becoming president could unsettle the current geopolitical arrangement.

The retired general implored the movement to expand the Adamawa government house chapel, urging faithful to have the fear of God in their individual and collective undertakings to attract His guidance and blessings.

He pledged N250 million towards the fundraising ceremony to support the expansion of the chapel and ensure it stands the test of time.

The development follows a visit by the former minister and some leaders from the north-west and north-central to President Tinubu at the State House on Thursday, where they declared their support for his administration and readiness to strengthen his political base across their communities.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the visit, Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives, said the delegation was particularly encouraged by what he described as remarkable improvements in the country’s security situation.

He said the gains recorded under Tinubu have provided further justification for rallying support for his re-election.

The delegation included Caleb Mutfwang, governor of Plateau; Agbu Kefas, governor of Taraba; Chris Musa, minister of defence; and Nentawe Yilwatda, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), among others.

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