Gov. Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has called for application of technology in government and legislative administration, to encourage good governance and growth of democratic culture in the country.
He made the call on Thursday in Dutse at the inauguration of a three-day retreat on e-legislation for lawmakers and legislative staff of Gombe State House of Assembly.
The governor underscored the importance of technology in government and legislative processes, adding Jigawa was a pioneer state that introduced modern technology in governance since 1999.
“Galaxy Backbone was established by the first civilian governor of the state, Sen. Saminu Turaki, before the company was leased to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The Informatic Institute Kazaure was also established by the same governor, which made the state the first in the country in modern technology,” he said.
Namadi said that his administration also established an Institute of Technology, and elevated the status of the Informatic Institute Kazaure, to a polytechnic.
According to Namadi, the state government will soon introduce the use of technology in all the government ministries and agencies including, agriculture and finance, among others.
He urged the participants to prioritise ICT and digital literacy to enhance thier duties, adding that, “this retreat will prepare your minds as lawmakers and equip you to effectively utilise technology for enhanced e-lagislation and governance”.
Mr Abubakar Luggerewo, the Speaker, Gombe House of Assembly, said the retreat was designed to equip the participants with modern skills in legislative processes through application of technology for improved lawmaking and governance.
The theme of the retreat is: “E-legislation in a Democracy for Enhancing Perceived Ease of Use of and Usefulness in Lawmaking”.
Also, Haruna Aliyu-Dangyatum, Speaker, Jigawa House of Assembly, said the retreat marked a significant step towards enhancing legislative processes and governance.
Haruna said that it was time for the lawmakers to demonstrate their commitment towards embracing technology for improved service delivery to the constituents.
“By leveraging technology, state houses of assemblies will promote and enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in legislation”.
