“GOV. BELLO IS AN EMBODIMENT OF GRACE & PEACE”= Speaker
KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, LOKOJA
WELCOME ADDRESS BY RT. HON. UMAR AHMED IMAM, THE SPEAKER, KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, LOKOJA AT THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY SESSION OF THE 6THASSEMBLY ON FRIDAY, THE 3RD DAY OF JUNE 2016
Courtesies.
WE are honoured to receive Your Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State and your entourage to the First Anniversary Ceremony to close the First Session of the Sixth Assembly. On behalf of the Honourable Members, Management and Staff of the Kogi State House of Assembly, I warmly welcome His Excellency and his entourage as well as other dignitaries that are here to celebrate with us in spite of our moment of challenges.
Your Excellency, this is your first official visit to the State Assembly. As much auspicious as your first visit is, the visit is at a time when the House is divided against itself. Your Excellency that you have stepped into this Hallowed Chamber and that you are an embodiment of Divine Grace, peace shall be restored. Of course, it is very hard to forget the pain, particularly such that is inflicted by your own Colleagues with whom you have shared moments of glory; these moments are today harder to remember. Your Excellency, reconciliation at this time will imply that the political class within the governance of the State is working and reaching certain understanding in the interest of the State. I, therefore, appeal to Your Excellency for intervention.
Since our inauguration on Thursday, June 4th, 2015, it has so far been a turbulent journey; a journey that saw the APC caucus walked out on the Members at the crucial period when the leadership of the House was to be decided. Indeed, it was a journey that led the House in November 2015 to an inconclusive impeachment. And, of course, a journey that has left the House since February this year into a celebrated “factional” and “embattled” leadership. This leadership contretemps is continually causing anxiety in the State and the Nation at large. We appeal to Your Excellency, once more, to intervene.
Your Excellencies, when some Members chose to stay away from this Hallowed Chamber, we choose to side with the State. If the State must move on, we, as an Assembly, must meet at both plenary and at the committee level to fulfil our constitutional obligation in ensuring good governance. We must also meet to fulfil the minimum sitting requirement of 181 days per annum thereby making lawful our continued stay in this House. In the last 365 days, while we worked together and while we worked separately, we have sat for a total number of 185 days at both plenary and at the committee levels. We have barely exceeded the constitutional days as enshrined in Section 104. Specifically, I must appreciate my distinguished Colleagues for their steadfastness and dedication in the service of our dear State.
Your Excellency, our distinguished guests, shortly after our inauguration, we were conducted round the State Assembly Complex. What we saw was simply appalling. An Assembly that is enveloped in bushes and cassava farms, an Assembly that has no Offices for its Hon. Members, Management Staff and other cadre of personnel. Ours is the only Assembly across the Federation that has no Committee Rooms; all other legislative activities begin and end in this sacred Chamber. This Hallowed Chamber is at all times opened to risk and security breaches. We are, therefore, concerned and alarmed by this unwholesome development; we need urgent intervention Your Excellency to work in a truly legislative environment.
Your Excellencies, my Lords and distinguished Hon. Colleagues; before you today, the first session of the 6th Assembly comes to a close. I am, thus, pleased to give account of our stewardship as representatives of our respective constituencies and legislative activities as Members of this Honourable House in the last 365 days. Within this period, we achieved a number of truly impressive and landmark successes. These successes are credited to God Almighty Who wins at all times and Who provided us with this opportunity to serve the State in the capacities we find ourselves in today. And before today, the 3rdday of June 2016, we passed a total number of 161 Resolutions to justify the mandate of our respective constituents and to support the state government policies and programmes.
Details of these Resolutions emanate from the following sources:
Regular Motions numbered and scheduled before the House; 33,
Matters of Urgent Public Importance; 59,
Total number of Motions considered by the House; 92,
Resolutions agreed-to based on requests from the other Arms of Government; 16, and
Total number of Resolutions agreed to from the recommendations of Committee Reports; 41 (only 6 Reports generated these Resolutions).
While we take significant stock of our achievements in the numbers of Motions treated and Resolutions reached, I must acknowledge that we have not performed creditably well with our Bills. This legislature, at the close of the first session, registered 7 Bills which are at the moment going through different stages of our legislative mills. 5 of these are executive bills while the other 2 are private member bills. With these bills, 3 received their third readings out of which 1 has been assented to by His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State. The 4 other bills have not completed their circles for passage into law.
At this juncture, we must acknowledge and commend the Executive Arm under the youthful and pragmatic leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for his immeasurable support and cooperation towards our modest achievement through prompt approval of our requests and disbursement of our monthly grants despite the excruciating downturn in our economy. On our part, we assure you of an excellent and cordial relationship that will bring about social security, order and good governance.
In particular, I must not fail to mention our senior colleague, His Excellency the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Achuba, for his unflinching support not only to His Excellency, the Governor but to the House. My address will be inconclusive if adequate acknowledgement is not given to the Judicial Arm of Government under the leadership of My Lord, the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajana for his continued fellowship in our shared principle of separation of power.
I thank you all for honouring our invitation and in sharing with us this moment of excitement and success.
WELCOME ADDRESS BY RT. HON. UMAR AHMED IMAM, THE SPEAKER, KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, LOKOJA AT THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY SESSION OF THE 6THASSEMBLY ON FRIDAY, THE 3RD DAY OF JUNE 2016
Courtesies.
WE are honoured to receive Your Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State and your entourage to the First Anniversary Ceremony to close the First Session of the Sixth Assembly. On behalf of the Honourable Members, Management and Staff of the Kogi State House of Assembly, I warmly welcome His Excellency and his entourage as well as other dignitaries that are here to celebrate with us in spite of our moment of challenges.
Your Excellency, this is your first official visit to the State Assembly. As much auspicious as your first visit is, the visit is at a time when the House is divided against itself. Your Excellency that you have stepped into this Hallowed Chamber and that you are an embodiment of Divine Grace, peace shall be restored. Of course, it is very hard to forget the pain, particularly such that is inflicted by your own Colleagues with whom you have shared moments of glory; these moments are today harder to remember. Your Excellency, reconciliation at this time will imply that the political class within the governance of the State is working and reaching certain understanding in the interest of the State. I, therefore, appeal to Your Excellency for intervention.
Since our inauguration on Thursday, June 4th, 2015, it has so far been a turbulent journey; a journey that saw the APC caucus walked out on the Members at the crucial period when the leadership of the House was to be decided. Indeed, it was a journey that led the House in November 2015 to an inconclusive impeachment. And, of course, a journey that has left the House since February this year into a celebrated “factional” and “embattled” leadership. This leadership contretemps is continually causing anxiety in the State and the Nation at large. We appeal to Your Excellency, once more, to intervene.
Your Excellencies, when some Members chose to stay away from this Hallowed Chamber, we choose to side with the State. If the State must move on, we, as an Assembly, must meet at both plenary and at the committee level to fulfil our constitutional obligation in ensuring good governance. We must also meet to fulfil the minimum sitting requirement of 181 days per annum thereby making lawful our continued stay in this House. In the last 365 days, while we worked together and while we worked separately, we have sat for a total number of 185 days at both plenary and at the committee levels. We have barely exceeded the constitutional days as enshrined in Section 104. Specifically, I must appreciate my distinguished Colleagues for their steadfastness and dedication in the service of our dear State.
Your Excellency, our distinguished guests, shortly after our inauguration, we were conducted round the State Assembly Complex. What we saw was simply appalling. An Assembly that is enveloped in bushes and cassava farms, an Assembly that has no Offices for its Hon. Members, Management Staff and other cadre of personnel. Ours is the only Assembly across the Federation that has no Committee Rooms; all other legislative activities begin and end in this sacred Chamber. This Hallowed Chamber is at all times opened to risk and security breaches. We are, therefore, concerned and alarmed by this unwholesome development; we need urgent intervention Your Excellency to work in a truly legislative environment.
Your Excellencies, my Lords and distinguished Hon. Colleagues; before you today, the first session of the 6th Assembly comes to a close. I am, thus, pleased to give account of our stewardship as representatives of our respective constituencies and legislative activities as Members of this Honourable House in the last 365 days. Within this period, we achieved a number of truly impressive and landmark successes. These successes are credited to God Almighty Who wins at all times and Who provided us with this opportunity to serve the State in the capacities we find ourselves in today. And before today, the 3rdday of June 2016, we passed a total number of 161 Resolutions to justify the mandate of our respective constituents and to support the state government policies and programmes.
Details of these Resolutions emanate from the following sources:
Regular Motions numbered and scheduled before the House; 33,
Matters of Urgent Public Importance; 59,
Total number of Motions considered by the House; 92,
Resolutions agreed-to based on requests from the other Arms of Government; 16, and
Total number of Resolutions agreed to from the recommendations of Committee Reports; 41 (only 6 Reports generated these Resolutions).
While we take significant stock of our achievements in the numbers of Motions treated and Resolutions reached, I must acknowledge that we have not performed creditably well with our Bills. This legislature, at the close of the first session, registered 7 Bills which are at the moment going through different stages of our legislative mills. 5 of these are executive bills while the other 2 are private member bills. With these bills, 3 received their third readings out of which 1 has been assented to by His Excellency, the Governor of Kogi State. The 4 other bills have not completed their circles for passage into law.
At this juncture, we must acknowledge and commend the Executive Arm under the youthful and pragmatic leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for his immeasurable support and cooperation towards our modest achievement through prompt approval of our requests and disbursement of our monthly grants despite the excruciating downturn in our economy. On our part, we assure you of an excellent and cordial relationship that will bring about social security, order and good governance.
In particular, I must not fail to mention our senior colleague, His Excellency the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Achuba, for his unflinching support not only to His Excellency, the Governor but to the House. My address will be inconclusive if adequate acknowledgement is not given to the Judicial Arm of Government under the leadership of My Lord, the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajana for his continued fellowship in our shared principle of separation of power.
I thank you all for honouring our invitation and in sharing with us this moment of excitement and success.
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