What Kwarans Expect as Ahmad Leads Eighth State Assembly

Democracy has been described as the government of the people by the people and for the people. The electorate in Kwara State elected a new House of Assembly on April 11, during the general election, with members from the 24 state constituencies. The people wanted an Assembly that will make laws for the overall development of the State of Harmony.

APC Assembly

The ruling All Progressives Congress in the state won all the 24 seats of the House of Assembly. A single party has always won virtual control of the state's executive and legislative structures since the past four decades under the political control of? the former senate leader and strongman of Kwara politics, late Senator Olusola Saraki.

With the demise of Olusola Saraki, his son, a two-term governor of the state, two-term member of the senate, and new senate president of the eight legislative senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, took over the mantle of leadership of the state where his father left it. He ensured that all the candidates of APC in House of Assembly, National Assembly, and governorship, as well as the presidential elections recorded electoral victory during the last general election in all the 196 wards of the state.

Even during his days in the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Saraki won the majority seats for the PDP, except two seats in Offa. But now the people of Offa have joined the political terrain of the Saraki political dynasty. They delivered their votes for the APC during the just concluded elections and thereby leaving no opposition to the political control of the Saraki political dynasty in the state.

The political homogeneity at the executive and legislative levels has seemed to guarantee unity of purpose in the administration of the state. The Assembly has made laws for the good government of the state, while the executive has implemented the laws and undertaken its activities in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony.

New Chapter

A new chapter in this State of Harmony was opened recently when the newly elected 24 lawmakers of the state assembly bowed before the people of the state at their inauguration ceremony that was well attended by people from all walks of life, from within and outside the state. As early as 8am on that historic day, people of the state from the 24 constituencies converged on the assembly complex located along Asa Dam road, Ilorin, to be part of the event.

APC leaders, supporters, members of the previous House of Assembly, royal fathers, clerics, top government functionaries, among others, were all present to add colour to the event. Also, visitors of the 24 members of the Assembly came from United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, etc., to be part of the inauguration of the 8th House of Assembly.

At the floor of the house on that day, the Clerk of the house read a proclamation from the state governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, for the inauguration of the eighth Assembly. After that, the 24 members of the Assembly unanimous elected former chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Hon. Ali Ahmad, as the eighth speaker of the state House of Assembly?.

Ahmad, representing Ilorin East/Ilorin South state constituency of the state, succeeds former speaker Razak Atunwa, who has been elected as a member of the House of Representatives for Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency of the state. The house also elected Hon. Mathew Okedare, representing? Ipaye/Ejidogari/Lawa constituency of Moro local government council of the state, deputy speaker.

Hon. Hassan Oyeleke (Ojomu/Shao state constituency) emerged as the Majority Leader of the house. The new speaker, Ahmad, was nominated by Hon. Hasan Oyeleke, representing Ojomu/Shao constituency of Offa local government council, and seconded by Hon. Adamu Usman (Okuta/Yashikira constituency of Baruten local government council) and was unanimously elected by other members of the house.

Inaugural Speech

In his acceptance speech, the new speaker expressed gratitude to God for his election, saying he considers it a great honour to be chosen by his colleagues to lead the Eighth House of Assembly.

"On behalf of the Deputy Speaker, I hereby thank my honourable colleagues for reposing this confidence in us. I also congratulate you, my colleagues, for coming out successfully at the last general elections." He acknowledged that "the task ahead is daunting. The economic outlook of our country is frightening and youth unemployment has risen to an unprecedented level."

Ahmad said, "As representatives of the people who share their aspirations and pains, we must be creative in finding short-term panacea and long-term solutions. We shall work with the executive arm in ensuring protection of life and property of all Kwarans and ensure advancement of their welfare and economic wellbeing.

"This Eighth Assembly is unique in more than one way. But the one that is worth mentioning here is that it is a House without a single member of the opposition, thanks to our party leaders and teeming supporters. "While this is good, it presents its own challenge of complacency, apathetic toleration, and laidback attitude. We must avoid negative drawback of consensuses. Our own version of consensus must mean that we are united in ensuring transparency, that there is no dissent in achieving the goal of accountability and good governance.

"We must make this place a true House of people of all shades and orientation. We must ensure robust public hearings on all issues where stakeholders will have meaningful input in how government should function. Our duty is to provide governance the way our people want, not the way we want. And there is no better avenue to gauge that wish than this House...

"Therefore, I will encourage my Honourable colleagues to immediately establish constituency offices in their respective areas to maintain close touch with our people. It is only in doing the above that our dear party can repeat this unusual feat of 100 per cent success in future elections and complete annihilation of the opposition.

The speaker assured, "We will carry out our legislative assignments, including oversight functions, with all thoroughness and dedication so our people who painstakingly ensured our victory at the polls will be proud of us throughout our tenure. "Our legislative intervention must stimulate economic growth and development. We will work with the Kwara State Governor, His Excellency Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, to quickly enact laws that will further rid the state of miscreants, drug addicts and cultists."

Ahmad promised that the legislature would enact a state version of the Administration of Criminal Justice to ensure that any citizen accused of committing crime will get justice within one year. Child protection and gender-sensitive laws will also receive attention, he said, adding, "Immediately after this inauguration, we will work with stakeholders to fashion out clearly defined legislative agenda for your Eighth Assembly."

Capacity Training

He urged his colleagues to equip themselves "with the necessary legislative techniques and expertise, pledging, "We will ensure progressive training and capacity-building for all our colleagues, new and old, as well as members of staff of the assembly. Members must be able to sponsor and pass private-member bills to complement the usual Executive bills. Happily, the immediate past session of the state assembly under the leadership of Barrister Razaq Atunwa was adjudged one of the most vibrant in the country. I congratulate him and his members and reassure Kwarans that the Eighth Assembly, too, shall not only maintain the tempo but will leave the House better than we met it.

"Surely, we will work assiduously with relevant agencies and organisations that are interested in raising the appalling standard of state legislatures to ensure capacity and independence in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Now, the stage is set for the eighth state assembly in Kwara State to embark on consolidation of the gains of democracy started by the seventh assembly so that the people of the state can continue to feel and enjoy the dividends of democracy. The new legislators would be expected to constantly get close to the people, feel their pulse, and try, through legislation, to meet their aspirations. Time will tell how far they can succeed in this regard.