HISTORY

Establishment

The Conference was established with the return of democratic governance in the year 1999 in Nigeria. It was founded by the group of the pioneer Hon. Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly in the fourth republic. 

Besides ensuring a strong and cohesive voice in the country, the Conference was established to guarantee the promotion of inter-parliamentary solidarity and legislative best practices. The Conference is a bipartisan organization whose commitment is to serve the nation and the member states irrespective of the party affiliation of the members. 


METHODOLOGY

GENERAL MEETING

For effective and efficient accomplishment of the Conference goals and objectives, the Conference had adopted the periodic meetings during which topical issues and matters of common interest to all the states of the federation would be addressed. Initially, between the year 1999 and 2003, there was no National Secretariat for the Conference owning to its lean financial capacity coupled with the high rent in Abuja. The meetings of the Conference then were held based on the willingness of any interested member state to host the Conference. Basically the meetings were being moved from one state to another. However, in the year 2003, under the chairmanship of Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the Conference acquired its National Secretariat (leased premises) in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and the activities of the Conference have since been coordinated from its Secretariat. The constitution of the Conference provides that a general meeting shall hold once in every two months, but may be postponed to a later period if there is a good reason for so doing.

ELECTION INTO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Prior to the year 2003, the Chairmen of the Conference were not elected; they would rather emerge by signifying interest to host the Conference. In that arrangement, the host Hon Speaker would emerge the Chairman. Election was first conducted in the year 2003 and subsequently heralded the then executive committee led by Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State House of Assembly. 

The Conference is guided by its constitution. The constitution has been amended to redefine the tenure of the Conference Executive Committee and to also allow the rotation of the chairmanship of the Conference between the North and the South. As amended, the Conference constitution ensures a non-renewable tenure of two years for the Chairmanship of the Conference. Consequently, the Chairmanship would simply alternate between the two regions in an assembly of four years. 

HISTORY

ACHIEVEMENT

The following are among the modest achievements the Conference has been able to record: 

Organizing workshops to enhance the lawmaking capacity of the lawmakers. The Conference has been able to achieve in this regards through the unalloyed support of development partners such as State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI); Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS).

Consistent engagement with the National Assembly and the relevant civil organizations.

Unity among the State Houses of Assembly which was engendered by the periodic hosting of the State Legislators by State Assemblies outside Abuja and other Conference activities.

Several Retreats and Capacity Development Programmes for Hon. Speakers and Hon. Members of the State Assemblies.

Conference Secretariat: It ensures proper coordination of the Conference activities.

The Conference has made several comments on the topical issues and thereby influences the public policy direction for the good of the citizenry.

Coordination of the state assemblies on the constitution amendments.

CONSTRAINTS/ CHALLENGES

The Conference, like any organization, has not been without some challenges which have been bedeviling it and hindering it from reaching the set goals. The following are few of them: 

Inadequate Funding

Lack of financial autonomy for the State Legislature

Interference by the Executive

Incessant impeachments of the leadership of the State Assemblies

High Electoral turnover rate in the parliamentary elections


CONTACT INFO

Phone

 +234 805 883 5511 

Mail

info@cssln.org.ng