The lawmaker representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Anamero Dekeri, has said effective legislative work should extend beyond debates and activities within the National Assembly to direct engagement with constituents.
He spoke over the weekend during an interaction with journalists in Abuja.
According to him, representation involves maintaining close contact with the electorate and addressing issues affecting communities at the grassroots.
“Legislating is a serious business that is not confined to the walls of the National Assembly. It entails purposeful constituency engagements, taking governance to the grassroots, touching lives, empowering communities, and creating opportunities where none previously existed,” Dekeri said, according to a statement issued on Sunday, March 15, by his special assistant media and publicity, Benjamin Atu.
The lawmaker added that legislators who remain distant from their constituents risk weakening their political support base.
He said, “When legislators approach their responsibilities with sincerity of purpose, governance becomes meaningful, and democracy will deliver real dividends to the masses. A performing grassroots legislator can deliver victory for a vulnerable president or party, and that is the power in taking legislation beyond the walls of the chamber.
“If a Legislator is far removed from his people by confining himself to the walls of the National Assembly without visible impact, such a legislator is a political risk to his party during an election.”
Dekeri also pointed to employment and youth empowerment as issues he considers important in constituency representation.
“I have identified employment as a catalyst that helps in making dignity tangible. It is the pathway through which youth move from dependency to resourcefulness, and communities shift from subsistence to productivity. Securing employment for our people will continue to be my highest inspiration as I will continue to serve their interests,” he said.
The lawmaker further emphasised the importance of education in national development.
“I am one Legislator in Nigeria that is known for prioritising education and this is because education is the surest ladder out of poverty and the most durable foundation of national progress,” he said.
He added that financial barriers often prevent some students from sitting key examinations.
“In communities where finances determine whether a child sits for a crucial examination, my educational scholarship and intervention of free WAEC registration have made it possible for bright disadvantaged children to become graduates,” he said.
