By Elizabeth ADENUGA
The Japan-Nigeria Parliamentary League has been inaugurated at the First Members Hall of the Lower House in the Japanese Parliamentary Building, Tokyo.
The Minister in the Nigerian Embassy in Tokyo Japan, Dr Tiwatope Elias-Fatile, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja
Elias-Fatile reported the Ambassador of Nigeria in Japan, Prof. Mohammed Yisa, as saying at the inaugural ceremony that the event was long overdue.
According to him, the long-awaited inauguration of the Friendship League, which is a platform for legislative collaboration between both countries, has initiated a new era in Nigerian-Japan “cherished relations.”
He highlighted the crucial roles of the legislative arm of any government and emphasised the need to share parliamentary experiences across borders for mutual benefits.
Yisa added that this informed the formation of the Parliamentary League, to focus on legislative partnership between Japan and Nigeria.
The envoy expressed the belief that since both countries shared common values and aspirations, the League would strengthen direct engagement, cooperation and exchanges between parliamentarians of both countries.
He said this should impact on the quality of legislation for the Peoples of Nigeria and Japan.
He expressed optimism that the platform would play a key role in strengthening the relations between the parliaments of both countries and will strengthen the excellent ties between Nigeria and Japan since the 1960s.
The ambassador congratulated Kazunori Tanaka, a Member of the Japanese House of the Representatives and Sen. Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, the co-chair from the Nigerian side.
The duo will serve as pioneer leaders of this collaborative League, which has become another platform to deepen ties and mutual understanding between both countries.
Japanese parliamentarians, who attended the event, included Kiyoshi Ejima, a Member of Upper House, Kazunori Tanaka, a Member of Lower House and Hiroyuki Miyazawa, a Member of Lower House.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tokyo who graced the occasion included Amb Shigeru Ushio, Director-General of African Affairs Department and Amb Kaname Araki, Director of First Africa Division of the African Affairs Department.
Some Nigerians residing in Japan who were present at the inauguration ceremony were Prof. Emenike Ejiogu, President of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in Asia, Mr Henry Smith Igwe and Prince Elochukwu Adibo.
The government of Japan is a Constitutional Monarchy headed by the Emperor who is defined by the Constitution as “the Symbol of the State and of the Unity of the People.”
The Japanese legislature is called the Diet; it consists of two houses: The House of Councilors being the Upper House and the House of Representatives, being the Lower House.
The elections for the House of Representatives are conducted every four years, half of the House of Councilors is elected every three years.
The Diet elects the Prime Minister and he is appointed to office by the Emperor to head the Executive Arm of Government.
The Prime Minister in-turn appoints Cabinet Ministers, who are usually members of the Diet. The highest court in the country is the Supreme Court.
Other courts are district courts, high courts, family courts and summary courts.
The judges are appointed by the cabinet.
