Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Power, K.G. Kenye under Rule-55 on the Sixth Session of the 14th Assembly on 8th March 2025 at the NLA Secretariat, Kohima, stated that the Legislature is the Temple of Democracy and it is an institute where policies are conceived and these policies are transformed into laws through enactment by the Legislature to govern the State and its citizens, and that the role of the assembly committees is to co-ordinate with the working systems of the two Secretariats to ensure the implementation of developmental programmes.
These Committees also play dual roles in that, they submit their reports on which the popular government rectify or streamline their future plans and programmes.
Therefore, the evidences both written and oral established by the committees have far reaching impacts and consequences. In all, the very essence of a people's government will be missing if the roles and purpose of the Committees are compromised in many manners. He remarked that in his observation and submission, Assembly Committee members are not able to shoulder and discharge their assigned responsibilities owing to their absence repeatedly, to relinquish their position as a member of the committee with prior information to the Speaker so as to facilitate another member for the smooth conduct of such Committees.
Secondly and more importantly, in many cases the Administrative Heads of Department (AHoDs) and Heads of Department (HoDs) are not attending to their responsibilities with regard to Assembly matters, he said.
He further observed that in many instances where meetings are not being attended leading to repeated rescheduling of the meetings causing serious inconveniences. Non-attendance in these meetings and the tendency to depute Junior Officers to represent AHoD/HoD is highly inappropriate and must be scrupulously avoided.
Kenye stated, all recommendations made by the Committees must be treated with due importance, and the mechanism should be in place for their timely implementation.
All AHoDs/HoDs must ensure their presence at the Oral Evidence Meetings and Assembly Sessions.
Kenye emphasized that the Assembly is the highest democratic institution of governance, and all its matters must be treated with utmost seriousness and priority. Government officials, especially those in leadership role, have a duty to respect the Legislative process and ensure that the concerns and recommendations of this House are addressed with sincerity and diligence, he added.
(Thungbeni Humtsoe APRO, Esuihangle IA, Siizo Kikhi IA)