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Tag: Kwara Assembly

  • Kwara moves to sack unqualified teachers

    Plans are underway to sack unqualified teachers in the Kwara State Teaching Service by December.

    Mr Olumide Awolola, Deputy Chairman, Kwara House of Assembly Committee on Education and Human Capital Development, said this on Friday in Ilorin.

    He spoke when the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All (CSACEFA) paid an advocacy visit to the Assembly.

    Awolola explained that the step was aimed at reforming the state’s education sector.

    According to him, a circular has already been issued to that effect as the state government is committed to providing qualitative education.

    Read Also: AbdulRazaq launches Malaria-Free-Kwara campaign

    He said the sack of teachers without professional qualifications would be carried out alongside other initiatives to restore the lost glory of the education sector.

    Earlier, the State Coordinator of CSACEFA, Hajia Nimat Labaika, urged the government to urgently address the rot in the education sector of the state.

    The rot, she said, was inimical to education and human capital development in the state.

  • Kwara Assembly passes 42 bills, 120 motions

    Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad said the Eighth Assembly under his leadership has passed 42 bills and 120 motions in the last four years

    He added that the house also passed 299 resolutions on various issues of public concerns during the period under review.

    He gave the figures barely four weeks to the expiration of the tenure of the Eighth Legislature.

    Giving the breakdown, Ahmad said the House passed six bills in the first legislative session, nine in the second, 18 in the third and nine in the outgoing fourth session.

    On the motions, 44 sailed through in the first session, 32 in the second session, 33 for the third session and 11 in the current session.

    The breakdown also showed that 96 resolutions were passed in the first legislative session, 76 in the second, 107 in the third and 20 in the outgoing session.

    The Speaker said members of the current the legislature were able to sponsor a number of private bills, which he described as unprecedented in the history of the House.

    Ahmad, who sponsored the 480- page Administration of  Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) in the House of Representatives expressed satisfaction with the performance of the outgoing House of Assembly.

    He said one of the legacies his leadership would be remembered for was the repeal of the pension law for former governors and deputy governors.

    Ahmad said people were in doubt about the sincerity of the House to amend the law, but it later turned out to be true.

    The Speaker stated further that the outgoing legislature enjoyed full autonomy and resisted being a rubber stamp in the hands of the executive despite being of the same ruling party.

    “Yes, we are satisfied. We did so many things since the creation of Kwara State. We were able to introduce a legislative bill, not from the executive. This is the first time we would be having private member bills. Before now, you will wait for the executive to bring bills. If they don’t bring it, that is the end of the day. But that has changed. I’m sure the Ninth Assembly will do the same thing.

    “So, those initiatives are there. We have passed about five or six landmark bills. We made the bill on health insurance. Today, the health insurance caters for people, who are downtrodden. We have about N1billion for them in this year’s budget. Why you have not seen the effect is that I think the banks are not sure whether the incoming administration will support it.

    “Now the Health Insurance management are about to start the registration from all the wards. They will go to each ward and see those vulnerable people, who are not able to pay their hospital bills. So, this is one of the bills, which is the initiative of the House.

    “We also have the bill on Urban and Regional Development. Before now, you see Petrol Stations and others like that. We have a law for those dealing in human body parts and another law further extending the places where you cannot consume alcohol In Kwara State.

    “Finally, one of the bills that we are proud of, is the one that restricts pension of governors in the state. That is what people think we cannot touch, but we did it. The implication is that if you are drawing salary in another office after your tenure, we will have to stop your pension or you choose between the two,” Ahmed said.

  • Kwara Assembly stops new govt. from dissolving LG councils

    The Kwara House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill to restrain incoming government from dissolving the existing 16 local government councils of the state before the expiration of their three-year tenure.

    The bill, which is an amendment, is sponsored by Mr Kamal Fagbemi (PDP-Okeogun) and passed after the members expressed satisfaction with all clauses contained in the document.

    The motion for the third reading and passage of the bill was moved by the House Majority Leader, Mr Hassan Oyeleke.

    Before the passage of the bill, the lawmakers in their contributions, described as unconstitutional the dissolution of democratically elected local councils.

    The Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare, who presided over the plenary, directed the Clerk of the House, Hajiya Halimat  Kperogi, to prepare a clean copy of the bill for the governor’s assent.

    Read Also: Man in court for allegedly running an illegal institution

    Okedare said that the third tier of government was strategic to accelerated socio-economic transformation at the grassroots.

    The last local government elections were held in the state on Nov. 17, 2017 where all the 16 councils and the then All Progressives Congress won all the seats (APC).

    The members of the councils are expected to spend three years in office.

    They, however, defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly before the 2019 general elections.(NAN)

     

  • Kwara Assembly passes N157.8b 2019 budget into law

    The Kwara State House of Assembly has passed next year’s N157.8 billion budget into law.

    The budget is 0.19 per cent higher than N157.5 billion presented by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to the Assembly on December 6.

    The capital expenditure of the 2019 budget is N79.6 billion, against N79. 8 billion proposed by the governor; representing 50.44 per cent of the total budget.

    The recurrent expenditure is N71.1 billion, as against N70.7 billion; representing 49.56 per cent of the total budget.

    The house, allocated N1.2 billion as one percent of the state Consolidated Revenue Fund, for the State Health Insurance Agency.

    The aim, the governor said, is to ensure accessible qualitative healthcare delivery to the people of the state.

    After the passage of the budget, Speaker Ali Ahmad directed the Clerk of the Assembly, Hajia Halimat Jumai Kperogi, to prepare a clean copy for the governor’s assent.

    Read also: Court reverses APC’s substitution of Reps candidate in Cross River

    He praised members and workers for providing the platform to move the state forward.

    Dr. Ahmad noted that with the passage of the budget, the Assembly had demonstrated its commitment and a high sense of patriotism.

    He expressed displeasure over non-funding of the Audit Unit by the state government.

     

     

  • Court stops Kwara Assembly from suspending lawmaker

    A Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has restrained the House of Assembly and its agents from investigating and suspending the Saheed Popoola (Balogun/Ojomu).

    Popoola is the only member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) left in the House after most of his colleagues defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The House launched a probe into the alleged falsification of certificate and issuance of dud cheque against Popoola, who approached the court to challenge the decision of the House.

    His lawyer Salman Jawondo filed a-32 paragraph affidavit, praying the court to stop the Speaker and other lawmakers from suspending him.

    According to him, the defendants have no power to suspend the claimant, truncate and/or interfere with the claimant’s tenure and performance based on criminal allegations of forgery of educational qualifications submitted by the claimant.

    Justice T.S Umar after hearing the motion, said “the defendants/respondents and or any person or group of persons acting on their behalf are hereby restrained from investigating, inquiring into, determining and or taking any step as legislative house on criminal allegations of forgery of educational qualification(s) submitted by the claimant for election and issuance of dud/bounced cheques made against the claimant.

    “The defendants/respondents are hereby restrained from suspending the claimant/applicant and or truncating and or any way interfering with claimant/applicant’s tenure and performance, and enjoyment of his legislative functions and duties pertaining to his office.”

    He thereafter adjourned the case till August 17.

    Bauchi, Katsina senators-elect get Certificates of Return  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued Certificates of Return to senators-elect Ahmad Kaita, (APC – Katsina North) and Lawal Yahaya Gumau (APC, Bauchi South), following their success in last Saturday’s by-elections.

    A statement yesterday by INEC’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, said both men won in their respective constituencies.

    Kaita, who lauded INEC for conducting a credible election, said: “Even as I experienced some difficulties at getting the impressions of my PVC picked by the Card Reader, yet I believe INEC has done well.”

    Gumau described the election as equal to none in terms of level of preparations and conduct of INEC officials.

    He urged the people to continue to support INEC to conduct credible elections.

    The by-elections were conducted to fill the vacancies created by the deaths of the former occupants of the seats.

  • 23 Kwara Assembly members defect to PDP

    Twenty three members of the Kwara state House of Assembly on Wenesday defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The defectors were led by Speaker of the House, Dr. Ali Ahmad.

    Former chairman of Offa local government area of the state on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Prince Saheed Popoola did not quit APC.

    Dr Ali announced the defectors decision at the floor of the house

    The defection of the lawmakers came less than 24 hours after Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Governor AbdulFattah Ahmed had announced their respective defection from the ruling party. Ali said the decision was permitted by Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution and that it was reached after wide consultations with their constituents who have become disillusioned within the APC.

    In the 10-paragraph statement, Ali said the defection brought to him a sigh of relief, having been ‘terribly sad’ about the decision to dump the PDP in 2014. “Today I am the happiest leaving the APC for good; I wish I was never a member of the party”, Ali said.

    He noted that since the APC came into power in 2015, keen watchers of political events in the country had concluded that it was not a party that could lead Nigeria out of the woods. “Unarguably, the intrigues and power play that birthed the long drawn legal battle with key members of the party over phantom allegations coupled with the arbitrary use of government institutions such as the police and anti-corruption agencies for harassment and intimidation of perceived opponents in power since APC assumed power has dealt a heavy blow to governance”, he said.

    Read Also: Tambuwal dumps APC for PDP

    The Speaker said such act of illegality has turned Nigeria into an object of ridicule among the comity of nations, adding that “with the current unprecedented spate of disobedience to court rulings, the present administration at the national level has redefined government as government of the cabal by the cabal and for the cabal thereby throwing the rule of law, the bedrock of democracy, to the dogs”.

    He noted that while his group in the APC had been treading the path of honour and spreading the olive branch and offering the necessary guidance since the crisis within the party started, and in spite of their display of humility ‘some players have refused to be placated and are therefore heel bent on continuing to fan the ember of discord and disunity in the party’ which was built by joint efforts of labour and resources.

    He concluded: “Today, as I and other members of the Kwara state House of Assembly dump the APC for good, I heaved a sigh of relief. In 2014, I was terribly sad leaving the PDP reluctantly with 36 other members of the House of Representatives. Today, I am the happiest leaving the APC fort good. I wish I was never a member of the party.“

  • Kwara Assembly probes member accused of fraud

    The Kwara State House of Assembly will probe fraud allegations levelled against a member, Prince Saheed Popoola (Ojomu/Balogun).

    Three petitions, bordering on certificate forgery, dud cheque presentation and others, were levelled against the lawmaker at yesterday’s plenary.

    In one of the petitions, titled Save Our Soul (SOS), Popoola allegedly issued a bounced cheque to Dr Abdullahi Ahmed.

    Mohammed Adebayo (Ipaye/Malete/Oloru) presented the petitions to the House.

    Speaker Ali Ahmad referred the petitions to the Joint Committees on Public Petition and Justice for investigation.

    Ahmad said though the constituents demanded Popoola’s suspension, the House could act like a military regime.

    Popoola said the allegations were not unexpected in this period of politicking, and hailed the speaker for his maturity in handling the allegations.

  • Kwara Assembly, group differ on invasion of Saraki’s, deputy’s residences

    THE Kwara State House of Assembly and a group, Kwara Strategic Alliance (KSA) in the Peoples

    Democratic Party (PDP),  yesterday differed on defection and alleged invasion of private residences of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu.

    House seeks protection  of democracy

     

    The House called on Nigerians, civil society organisations and the  international community to rise in unison for the protection of Nigeria’s democracy.

    This followed a motion of urgent public Importance, by the House Leader Hassan Oyeleke.

    The motion was entitled “unsuccessful terrorising of the National Assembly by the nation’s security agencies.

    The Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, while reading the resolutions of the House on the Motion, expressed displeasure that with the invasion, the nation’s hard won democracy was being threatened.

    Kwara youths blame PDP for undermining constitution

     

    But KSA blamed the PDP national leadership for undermining the party’s constitution in its bid to welcome defectors to the party.

    The youths also berated PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, for wooing all manners of politicians to the party without recourse to the Central Working Committee (CWC) in Kwara State.

    Prince Secondus was in Ilorin on Wednesday to hold meeting with Saraki and some serving governors without the knowledge of the PDP Chair Iyiola Oyedepo.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, Coordinator of KSA Ibrahim Sheriff said: “Instead of Prince Uche Secondus-led administration of the party to bring back political morality and social sanity to the PDP to knock out its challenges, the Chairman is unfortunately wooing virtually all political figures in Nigeria with the highest corruption perception index.”

  • Kwara Assembly invasion of NASS, Saraki’s home

    The Kwara State House of Assembly has condemned the invasion of the National Assembly and private residences of Senate President Bukola Saraki and others.

    It called on Nigerians, civil society organisations and the international community to rise for the protection of Nigeria’s democracy.

    This followed a motion of urgent public importance by the House Leader, Hassan Oyeleke.

    The motion was titled: “Unsuccessful Terrorising of the National Assembly by the country’s Security Agencies.”

    The Speaker, Ali Ahmad, while reading the resolutions of the House on the motion, was displeased that with the invasion, saying the country’s democracy was being threatened.

    He noted that it was disheartening that the police was being misused for personal aggrandisement by the powers that be.

    Ahmad reiterated that democracy is not just for election, but for freedom of speech and association.

  • Kwara Assembly passes 34 bills in three years

    •Niger Assembly passes 20 bills

    The Kwara State House of Assembly passed 34 bills in three years, Speaker Ali Ahmad has said.

    He said the House rejected two bills in the years under review while some others are at various stages of legislative process.

    The Speaker, who addressed lawmakers yesterday, welcomed them to the beginning of the final lap of the eighth legislature.

    He said the House received seven private member bills, the highest since the inception of the House in 1979, stressing that 103 motions were also moved and resolutions adopted on them.

    Ahmad explained that the legislatives bills, several motions, matters of urgent and general public importance, public hearings involving experts and professionals, have led to prompt intellectual and robust debates on the floor, noting that Kwarans home and in the Diaspora had participated in lawmaking and governance.

    The Speaker recalled how the legislature’s intervention led to the timely rehabilitation of the Ilorin-Mokwa road, doused tension occasioned by unpaid teachers’ and local government workers’ salaries, and a reduction in fees at the state-owned polytechnic.

    He promised that the legislature would demonstrate more zeal and dedication to further uplift the people.

    The Niger State House of Assembly passed 20 bills into law in three years, with 15 bills already assented to by Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello.

    The lawmakers, who are happy with the feat, described it as a novel achievement which would give room for greater improvement in the assent of bills by the governor.

    Last year, the lawmakers complained that of the 12 bills passed by the House of Assembly, the governor only gave assent to two.

    The Speaker, Marafa Ahmed, urged his colleagues to sponsor more bills and scale up their oversight function.

    This, he said, would ensure the electorates get value for government activities, even as he urged MDAs not to misconstrue oversight function as a witch hunt.

    He said: “We have a mandate as elective representatives to enhance the economic growth of our state, and this can only be achieved through effective oversight. Oversight functions should not be misconstrued as a witch hunt, but rather a legislative tool that could correct wrongs in the system. I, hereby, direct all committees to ensure oversight is carried out on all the activities of MDAs.”