OPINION: Kwara 2023 Priority: Asa Dam Road or Ahmadu Bello Way? By Alagbonsi Abdullateef

Date: 2021-03-17

Since 2011 that I resigned from partisan politics, I have focused on and participated solely in governance matters. In the recent time that I have been understudying the nexus between partisan politics and governance, I have continuously realized, as posited by many people, that good governance starts from partisan politics (yet, I am not still interested in partisan politics). This will lead me to air my opinion on how governance matters in the Kwara state are being affected by bad party politics. The bad party politics have produced unfit candidates (who do not have the capacity to perform their representative duties) for election, thereby making good governance a mirage.

In Kwara, just like other states, we elect just one Governor and many state legislators (otherwise called “Honorable”). Just like the situation in other states, Kwara citizens do not attach much importance to the processes that birth the “Honorable”. No wonder that any kind of person, even without any credibility or track record of pro-people efforts, can be elected as the Honorable members of the Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA).

The first question that I have kept asking myself without a conclusive and altruistic answer is: why have we, as citizens and electorates, concentrated more on the election of a Governor (just one person) but not the twenty-four “Honorable” members of the KWHA? Another question that is closely related to this is: why do we only question the Governor always but not the twenty-four Honorable members? My assumed answer to these questions is that citizens do not know the enormity of the legislative powers vested in the “Honorable” members. Citizens don’t even know that many aberrations attributed to the Governor (and/or his cabinet) are of legislative origin, or have legislative contribution/support. These answers are not an attempt to exonerate the Governor from the perceived aberrations but to underline how the arm of government that we have paid very little attention to (the legislature) has been significantly involved in the commission or omission of those alleged offences (in the eye of the citizens).

Let me make the KWHA-induced maltreatment of the Local Government (LG) in Kwara State by the Governor as one of various examples in order to make readers (especially Kwarans) understand why the KWHA election needs to be given our maximum attention in 2023. The Governor suspended all the executives and legislative councilors of the sixteen LGs of Kwara State following the resolution of the KWHA. The KWHA passed a resolution on the 18th June, 2019 that all of the LG structure be dissolved pending the outcome of the investigation it was conducting on the alleged misappropriation of public (LG) funds so as not to jeopardize the process of the investigation. The Governor so acted within the speed of light and continually extended the suspension until their tenure expired in November 2020. Whether the KWHA and the Governor have their powers of resolution and suspension respectively is a legal matter that I will not authoritative talk about, as I am not competent to do so. However, my interest here is to establish the fact that, the suspension of the LG structure by the Governor had a strong root from the KWHA.

On Tuesday 20th August, 2019, the KWHA approved the dissolution of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) and 2 others as requested by the Governor. Although both the Governor and the KWHA acted within their constitutional powers, they, however, acted in bad faith and against the public interest in my honest opinion. Section 201(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states that “Any person holding any of the offices to which this section applies shall only be removed from that office by the Governor of that State acting on an address supported by two-thirds majority of the House of Assembly of the State praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office (whether arising from infirmity of mind or body or any other cause) or for misconduct. This section applies to the Offices of the Chairman and members of the State Civil Service Commission, the State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) and the State Judicial Service Commission”. While I am not interested in dwelling over the legal correctness of the Governor and the KWHA to have exercised their constitutional power on the dissolution of KWASIEC, I am interested in establishing the fact that the KWHA is also a co-author of this dissolution. There could never have been a dissolution of the KWASIEC without the approval of the KWHA.

The last example I will refer to is the approval of ₦35 billion bond for the Governor by the KWHA. The 2020 guideline for the external and domestic borrowing released by the Nigerian Debt Management Office (DMO) provides compulsory conditions before a State can borrow externally or domestically. Two of these conditions are the Approval of the State Executive Council and the Resolution of the State House of Assembly. Of course, the KWHA (within its legislative power) rightly approved the bond for the Governor. I consider their approval right because they have the power to do so and decide on how to conduct their business in the House, and the public expectation of the KWHA to have called a public hearing on the bond is not a compulsory requirement precedent to their approval. However, the KWHA did a blind approval, as it approved without knowing what it approved. It is like a University awarding a degree to a Student without screening the student’s application, administering courses, and examining the student. The lawmakers had no information on the breakdown of the money, projects to be executed, repayment plan, and other critical information that ought to have been deliberated upon and constructively criticized before such approval. By implication, the KWHA members have dragged all Kwara citizens (whom they are representing) into the blind approval. Let me stop here.

Fellow Kwarans, it is pardonable to have a Governor that will make mistakes. The drafters of our constitution and the creators of our democracy had envisaged that a Governor (and his/her cabinet) might be making mistakes. That is why our democracy welcomed legislature as the youngest arm of government (contrary to what we had under the Military dictatorship era). I do not need to explain the role of the legislature, but the only one I will emphasize apart from its primary lawmaking function is the oversight power over the executive (check and balance) exclusively given to it by the Constitution. If a Governor wants to get it wrong, the legislature must not get it wrong. If a Governor wants to go astray, the legislature must stop him. If a Governor wants to be undemocratic, the legislature must protect our democracy. If our democracy fails, it is because we have a weak legislature.

The Kwara 2023 election is an opportunity for Kwarans to elect the right legislature. Kwarans should pay more attention to the occupants of Asa Dam road (KWHA) than the occupant of the Ahmadu Bello Way (Government House, Ilorin). If we want to get it right, we need credible and reputable people in the KWHA. We need fulfilled people in the KWHA. We need men of integrity in the KWHA. We need courageous and fearless people in the KWHA. We need thorough people in the KWHA. We need people who love to read and learn in the KWHA.

Dr. Alagbonsi Abdullateef writes from the Republic of Rwanda. He is a son of Ilorin from Okekere.

You can email him at easylat@gmail.com

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Zaratu Umar     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     Ejidongari     Balogun-Ojomu     Kwarareports     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     Bolaji Aladie     Gani Saadu     Maigida     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Yahaya Abdulkareem Babaita     Prince Bola Ajibola     Olabode George Towoju     Olupako     Ayo Opadokun     Alapansapa     IYA YUSUF     Suleiman Ajadi     Salihu Ajibola Ajia     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Ayinke Saka     Lukman Adeloyin     Baruten     Florence Saraki     Mutawalle     Sidikat Alaya     Toyin Sanusi     Al-Hikmah Radio     Dan Iya Of Ilorin     Vasolar     Folorunsho Erubu     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Kulende-UITH     Saadu Yusuf     John Dara     Memunat Monsuma     Offorjama     Kisira     KWASAA     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Babaita     Ajia-Bako     Isau     Bola Ahmed Tinubu     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Saliu Oluwole     Balogun Gambari     Yahaya Oloriegbe     Elelu     Ramat Oganija     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Ilorin Like-Minds     Ibrahim Labaika     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Malete     Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital     Abdulrosheed Okiki     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Bola Tinubu     Kamaldeen Gambari     Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Umar Ayinla Saro     Unilorin     Usman Rifun     Toyosi Thomas     Taofeeq Olateju     NaAllah     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Saliu Mustapha     NIPOGA     Sidikat Uthman Ajibola     Dele Momodu     Clara Nwachukwu     Lawal Olohungbebe    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Harafat E. Mukadam     Segun Olawoyin     Plat Technologies     Oloyede     Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani     Offa Descendants Union     Col. Taiwo     Ahmed Bayero     Fatimat Saliu     Florence Saraki     Edu     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Saadu Alanamu     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     Ajuloopin     Ophthalmological Society Of Nigeria     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Muhammed Aliyu     Afolayan     Lateef Fagbemi     Mutawali     Jebba     Nigeria Customs Service     Dele Momodu     Arik     Lotus Bank     George Funsho Adebayo     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Okasanmi Ajayi     Okala Baba     Bahago     Mahmud Ajeigbe     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Saliu Shola Taofeek     Bashir Adigun     Dairo Kunle Paul     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     Tunde Yusuf     Oke-Ode     Hassan Saliu     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Magaji Are     Abdulhakeem Amao     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Kazeem Adekanye     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Ajakaye     Yomi Adeboye     Taibat Ayinke Ahmed     COEASU     Haashim Initiative For Community Advancement     Bashiru Makama     Yusuf Aiyedun     Jumoke Monsura Gafar     Samuel Adaramola     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     Tosho Yaqub     Siddiq Adebayo Idowu Salawu     Turaki     Mutawalle     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Quarry Royal Valley     Toyin Olayinka Tejidini     Al-Ilory     Awodun     Usman Yunusa     Salake     Emir Of Lafiagi     Ibrahim Abdullahi     College Of Arabic And Islamic Legal Studies     Raimi Iyanda     Universal Basic Education Commission     Yemi Osinbajo     Raji Ayodele Kamaldeen     Ayekale     Rihanat Ajia