The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday declared open the National Assembly Open Week at the House of Representatives Chamber in Abuja.
The Open Week event serves as a platform to demonstrate the legislature’s commitment to transparency, strengthen public trust and engage stakeholders in the 10th Assembly’s legislative journey.
In his keynote address delivered to declare the weeklong event open Akpabio underscored the essence of the Open Week: “We are assembled today for something far greater than either Chamber. Parliament belongs not to those elected to sit within it, but to the millions whose hopes and votes brought it into existence.
“Parliament was never built to keep the people out. It was built to bring them in, for democracy flourishes only in the confidence of an informed and engaged citizenry.
“This Open Week invites Nigerians to look beyond the headlines and the soundbites, to see Parliament as the meeting point between the aspirations of the people and the responsibilities of government.
“For this is not merely a matter of public education; it is a matter of democratic necessity. History teaches us that great nations are sustained not merely by strong executives or independent judiciaries, but by Parliaments where differing opinions are heard, competing interests are reconciled, and every citizen ultimately finds constitutional expression.
“Openness therefore means more than allowing citizens to observe proceedings. It means assuring every Nigerian that no community is too remote, no voice too quiet, and no corner of this Republic too insignificant to deserve representation,” he said.
Akpabio invited Nigerians to engage the Parliament to make the institution stronger. “That is why this Open Week is so important. We invite Nigerians not merely to observe us, but to engage with us; not merely to applaud where they agree, but to challenge us where they believe we can do better. A Parliament that listens becomes wiser. A democracy that listens becomes stronger.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas said the Open Week Initiative is built on the conviction that an open, listening parliament is essential for earning public trust and strengthening public institutions.
The three-day event will feature several high-level, people-centered engagements designed to bridge the gap between citizens, the private sector, and policy makers.
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