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9th Assembly: Students’ union backs Kwara North for Speaker

 

Stories by Mumini Abdulkareem

The National Association of Kaiama Students (NAKS) has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State to endorse Hon. Abdullahi Halidu Danbaba from Kwara North as the Speaker of the 9th House of Assembly to reflect balance and ensure equity and fairness in the state.
The association made the call in a statement signed by its President and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Hassan Salman and Usman Sadiq and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Ilorin.
Danbaba is the House of Assembly member-elect for Kaiama/Kenmaji/Wajibe constituency and had served as a Special Assistant on Non-Governmental Affairs to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed.
According to the statement, the call for Danbaba to become the speaker is necessary to avoid marginalisation of Kwara North in the distribution of political positions in the state.
It noted that since the Governor-elect is from Kwara Central and his deputy from Kwara South, it would be politically just, fair and equitable that the speaker of the State House of Assembly emerges from Kwara North.
“As we prepare for the inauguration of the 9th Kwara State House of Assembly, the national headquarters of NAKS urges the party to balance the appointments of principal officers across the state zonal divides to avoid domination and marginalisation of any kind in the interest of equity, justice, and fair play as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“We, from the National Association of Kaiama Students (NAKS), recognised the importance of the state assembly to the stability and growth of our polity.
“It is in this regard that we call for the above balance with depth in picking the leadership of that great institution of democracy.
“To ensure that this happens is to remove any apprehension and suspicion harboured towards the leadership of this state and Nigeria as a whole
“Our quest and appeal is to let the Speaker be from Kaiama constituency of Kwara North to avoid any dichotomy”, it said.
This, the association asserted would give all Kwarans sense of belonging irrespective of their religious, ethnic and zonal affiliations.
The release noted that Chapter 14 (13 and 14) of the 1999 Constitution as amended underscores the need for the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs must be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty.
The statement said such decision will ensure that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.
The union advocated the state Assembly members-elect to elect Danbaba to “address the ethnic dichotomies in the interest of equity, justice and fair play”, while assuring lawmakers of their prayers “as they make laws for the peace, order and good government of the state and federation in general.
“In as much as we agree that merit should not be sacrificed in every appointment, there are people who are equally credible and capable of running the affairs of the state assembly and other key positions in the government if given the opportunity.

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