Dr. Ali Ahmad is the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly. He was a member of House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015 and chairman, Justice Committee of the House. He spoke with journalists on his agenda for the Assembly, corruption and unfolding challenges among other issues. Excerpts:

What are the priorities of your agenda as Speaker for the eighth Assembly?

The task ahead is daunting. The economic outlook of our country is frightening and youth unemployment has risen to an unprecedented level. As representatives of the people, who share their aspirations and pains, we must be creative in finding short-term panacea and long-term solutions. So, 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. The Assembly is unique in more than one way but the one that is worth mentioning is that it is a House without a single member of the opposition. 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 the 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 the House. Therefore, I have encouraged my colleagues to immediately establish constituency offices in their respective areas to maintain close touch with our people.

How does the House intend to impact on the people of the state in the next four years?

I want to assure Kwarans that we will carry out our legislative assignments, including oversight functions, with all thoroughness and dedication so that our people who 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, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, to quickly enact laws that will further rid the state of miscreants, drug addicts and cultists. Kwara State shall be one of the first in this dispensation that will 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. Indeed, we will work with stakeholders to fashion out clearly defined legislative agenda. However, in order to achieve all this, we as legislators must be equipped with the necessary legislative techniques and expertise. 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 Razak Atunwa was adjudged one of the most vibrant in the country. I assure 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.

How will you rate the current onslaught against corruption and corrupt officials by President Buhari?

I am happy with the president's pronouncement that the trial for corrupt officials will start soon. Corruption should be followed up. It is something that should follow due process. I must commend the President for the appointment of Professor Itse Sagay, that is a good move. The war on corruption in a political dispensation will be won in court, as the president has said, and secondly by following due process. In court, the federal government is now armed with laws that it can use to prosecute corruption cases in a democratic dispensation. The last legislature passed the administration of criminal justice bill which was signed by President Goodluck Jonathan. President Buhari should take full advantage by implementing it. If President Buhari does not implement this law, I am afraid, his war on corruption will be scuttled in the law court by SANs. He has been assisted by the passage of the law. But that law needs to be implemented. The Attorney-General needs to be appointed immediately. He has to put the bodies that are envisaged under that law in place. If he does not, we are just shouting on the pages of newspapers. The law holds that you cannot take more than four adjournments. Unnecessary courts litigations will stop. President Buhari needs to implement the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. If you go and appeal a decision, the law will make it simpler. A defendant who has been pronounced guilty even though he had other appeals can go to jail while the appeal goes on.

I read on the newspaper that the EFCC is calling on civil servants to report corruption officials. If you do today, with the system in place, you will be intimidated, redeployed or even sacked. There is no protection against whistleblowers. The seventh Assembly has passed the Whistleblowers Act. It is waiting for presidential assent. If it is assented, and a junior officer blows the whistle, you can not demote or sack him because the law said you can not. But now the civil servants are not protected. We should stop publicity stunt and go after corrupt officials.

What is your view on the low rate of private bills from members of the legislatures in the country.

The issue of private billing is all about legislators living up to their billings. The problem is that many of us are first term members, with little or no experience; this is a challenge for Nigeria's democracy. At the National Assembly level, the rate at which old members return is at abysmal low level of about 15 per cent. Until Nigeria realises that legislature in this respect is like the judiciary. You can't just bring on somebody without training in a five-member panel when you constitute an electoral tribunal. You can't have all of them as green horns as judges. You have to put a minimum of three or two experienced judges as members of the tribunal. It's not like executive where a day-old can be governor. In the legislature, you have to do everything in line with the constitution and the rule of the House. You need to be versed in how to move a motion, how to craft bills and so on. Everything is calculated because it has to be in public. It's a challenge to Nigeria. Nigerians should tell the political parties to always give a minimum of 30 per cent as returning legislators, then you will see the quality of legislation. It is good democratically and financially. In last Assembly, several millions of tax payers' money was expended to train legislators. I attended a lot of trainings. Now, I plan to take my members on rigorous training because I can see the incapacity. But if you have lots of returned members, you will be saving money. That is what we should let our people and authorities know. The more green horns you bring, the more expensive it is. Or else, the person will just be warming the bench. But in Kwara state, we will correct this quickly by the time we go for training. So, when we come back you will see vibrant legislature. Nigerians as a whole should see legislature as a specialised area that you need to return certain number of legislators. In developed countries you have almost 70 to 80 per cent returning. So, you don't see any decline in legislative work and its quality.