Aftermath APC’s Transition C’ttee’s ‘blunder’: KWHA to train incoming lawmakers on legislative procedures

By Mumini AbdulKareem

Following the alleged faux pas by the Transition Committee (TC) set up by the Kwara State Governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Kwara State House of Assembly has concluded plans to educate the incoming lawmakers on key aspect of legislature in order not to erode the high standard set by the outgoing lawmakers.
The 80-member committee of the Governor-elect attracted wrath of the legislators recently over its demand for handover notes from the legislative arm of government through a letter signed by its Chairman, who is an alumnus of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru, Aminu Adisa Logun.
Investigation by this reporter revealed that a similar letter was also written to the Kwara State Judiciary.
The request which however attracted condemnation from the lawmakers during a recent plenary at the floor of the House saw members frowning at the step despite the Governor-elect’s committee comprising of former parliamentarians who could have been consulted for informed decision rather than go behind their terms and references.
It was gathered that some of the lawmakers before now have approached the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers from their constituencies to guide and support them in order to avoid embarrassment in their new environment.
Towards this end, the lawmakers resolved to organise induction courses for the incoming legislators to sharpen their legislative skills ahead of their inauguration. This according to the organisers will guide against a situation where the legislators would be exposed to ridicule because of their conducts.
Although the House initially set-up a 3-man committee headed by Hon Kamal Fagbemi to liaise with the All Progressives Congress’ Transition Committee over the issue, it however subsequently rejected the request adding that it does not conform to democratic tenets.
The Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad while reading the resolution of the House on the matter described it as anomalous as it amounted to setting bad precedents for the incoming lawmakers in the state adding that to accede to the request of the committee would “kill the independence of the legislature”.
The training, which is coming under the auspices of the legislature, will feature resource persons including serving and ex-legislators from the state and other parts of the country who are grounded in the art of lawmaking.
The Clerk of the House Hajia Jumai Kperogi told our reporter last night that the House was yet to arrive at a date for the induction but one of the legislators who confided in this medium said the members are looking between May 8 and 10, 2019.
It was not clear whether the decision of the lawmakers prompted the recent retreat organised for the incoming legislature by the Kwara State Governor-elect in Ghana but another lawmaker said last night that the House will go ahead with its induction.
“The House didn’t sponsor the Ghana retreat as some people are insinuating. It was solely organised by the Governor-elect for members-elect. He only appealed to the leadership of the House to allow a top staff of the assembly to be part of it and to take them through the nitty gritty of how the legislative works. But this does not stop what we are planning for them which even was decided before the Ghana retreat”, he added.
Following the conclusion of the general election in the state, 23 out of the 24 lawmakers elected as incoming members of the Kwara State House of Assembly are first timers who lack any previous knowledge about governance at any level.