A member may, with the Speaker’s prior permission, call the attention of a specific Minister to any matter of urgent public importance. The Minister may either make a brief statement immediately or ask for time to respond later. There is no debate. Not more than two matters may be raised at the same sitting, and all unraised notices lapse at the end of the sitting.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
Calling Attention is a precision accountability tool, limited to a specific matter, producing a ministerial statement without debate. It is faster than an adjournment motion and less structured than a parliamentary question. Its primary value is the formal, on-the-record reply it compels from the Minister.
What is in it for citizens?
For citizens following the response of specific ministries to emerging issues, the Calling Attention mechanism produces a formal ministerial statement that becomes part of the parliamentary record. Even if the Minister asks for time, they have committed to providing that statement — and non-fulfilment can itself be raised subsequently in the Assembly.
Source: Rules 88–89, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
