In this interview with MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, former Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Babatunde Mohammed talks about his new appointment as the pioneer chairman of the House of Assembly Service Commission among other issues. Excerpts:
What does your assignment as the pioneer chairman of the House of Assembly Service Commission entails?
It is basically to protect the interest of the career civil servants that are working in the House of Assembly. Also, we have to make sure that there is a harmonious working relationship between the civil servants of the House of Assembly and the elected members in order to ensure dividend of democracy gets to the nooks and crannies of the various constituencies that we have across the state. Areas we think we can assist the career civil servants working in the House of Assembly include recruitment, promotion, training and retraining for them to be able to put in more efforts and work with the lawmakers to make sure that service is delivered in Kwara State.
How did you become a pioneer beneficiary of this arrangement to head the commission?
In 2007, we started the process to have the assembly commission. Our Speaker then, Alhaji Issa Bio Ibrahim constituted a committee which I chaired during my time as the Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly. We travelled to other states across the country where the commission was in existence and submitted our report to the House. But unfortunately, we could not achieve the goal of setting up the commission then. When I became the Speaker in 2008/09, we made similar efforts but it still didn’t see the light of the day up till when we rounded up our tenure. I want to believe that the 7th Assembly also tried to bring it on stream which did not also materialise. But, I must salute the efforts and courage of the speaker of the 8th Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad for being able to achieve this feat because it is not an easy task at all. So when the 8th Assembly was trying to set it up, some of us, maybe because of our experience and involvement in the various steps that had been taken previously were contacted and I was considered as the former Speaker.
Is there any cause for concern for staff you intend to supervise?
The commission has a lot of advantages for the elected members. I could remember then in 2005/06 during our first tenure then when I was the Chief Whip, it took us more than three months to get a level 10 officer to employ and we had to write letters more than three times. But with the coming of the commission, the new legislature only need to tell the commission the category of officers they need and they will just recruit from their various constituencies. Our duty is very simple which is to screen and interview them to ensure they have the necessary prerequisite and relevant qualifications for the job. We are not here to punish any civil servant but ours is to make sure their interest is well protected and ensure the right thing is done.
Did you have any reservation regarding the appointment when you first heard?
Well, I felt happy especially because of my various involvement in the previous arrangement that had been made, although it did not yield the expected results then. So I am very happy that some of us who knew the background of the setting up of this commission are here today being supported by experienced members like former commissioners, former honourable members, among others who are part of the commission. It is our expectation and hope that the 9th Assembly will work assiduously to make sure that what the executive arm of government intended is easily implemented and laws that will bring glad tidings to the people of the state who are expecting the new administration to give their best, are made. Also we have to thank the former Senate President and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for the role they all played because after the House had passed it, the approval of the governor is very important. And we have to sincerely thank the former speaker for the confidence reposed in us to serve.
Do you envisage funding challenges in this assignment?
Yes, it is expected that there could be funding challenge which is one of the things envisaged, but I believe with the autonomous arrangement that had been signed into law now by various Houses of Assembly, there won’t be problem. But my advice is that whatever is given to the House of Assembly must be judiciously utilised and they must be very prudent in their expenditure. During our time, we have various committees that are usually carried along in whatever we want to do to make sure the needful is done. Once this is done, the new members will be guided and some of us who are around should be able to provide advice when and where necessary. It is my hope that the State Assembly autonomy bill passed to law will be adhered strictly to by various states across the country and once that is done, there won’t be any cause for financial problem. What is due will be given to them on monthly basis. And with this, we can run an effective and efficient legislature.
During your time as the Speaker of the House, you were reputed to place premium on staff welfare but the situation has dwindled in the past years, do you think this autonomy can guaranty that?
As a practising Muslim, I want to believe that individuals have their own way of doing things. My own belief is that when you are working in a place, as the overall boss anywhere you are, the welfare of your subordinate should be paramount and well taken care of. I believe anybody in leadership position should have commitment to the welfare of people working under him. I also try as much as possible that we had a crisis-free state assembly myself and other principal members, the remaining members and other management and staff of the assembly. That was made possible because we were very prudent in all we did. And once you are contented with whatever you are given, then there won’t be crisis. But we all know that the economy downturn in the country with the peculiarity of our state affected us unlike other states that have huge revenue and higher Internally Generated Revenue. It is also my believe that the Federal Government will yield to the request of the various states to have the sharing formula changed to jack up what is coming to states and local governments away from the 52 per cent going to the Federal Government. I was one of the speakers that advised the Federal Government then to shift some of its duties and responsibilities to the concurrent list to increase the states allocation especially now that the issue of minimum wage is coming in with a directive from the president that all states should pay. There is no way that can be done except we jack up what is coming to the states and various Local Governments.
How do you want to leave this office?
My prayer first and foremost is that this position should not damage the integrity that I have maintained for the past four decades. I joined politics at a very tender age and I was 26 years old when I contested for the councillor in my Local Government and served for three years from 1990-93 and I have been very active in politics since then. I am still very much conscious of that and want to be able to leave a legacy here to ensure necessary things are done without fear or favour for the career officers here to feel the impact of the government and ensure their dues is given to them. I want to be remembered as a pioneer chairman who is here to work assiduously with the elected members of the parliament to make sure their work is done as expected and their impact are felt by Kwarans.
Do you have any fear that the new government might want to terminate this appointment for political reasons even though the office is a tenured one?
Not at all! I am not even thinking along that line because I believe assembly service commission is a function of the law and one of the statutory commissions we have in the state. Whatever the new government wants to do, they liaise with the new House of Assembly to understand that this is function of law. Secondly, with regards to the orientation of our people, they are making a huge mistake. Party politics is quite different from governance. Political parties are majorly there for politicians to present themselves to the electorate to vie for various positions, after the election governance is quite different and everybody must be brought on board. We are partners in progress in the Kwara Project and we must all contribute to make sure it does not fail but continue to develop and progress. So once government is formed, irrespective of your party, you need people with experience to contribute their own quota to the social-economic and political development of the state. Look at what happened in South Africa where President Ramaphosa appointed an opposition party member to man one of the key and strategic ministries in his cabinet. Same thing happened with President Buhari and Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele who he met and reappointed. That is how it should be and our people need to understand that. Party politics has limitation once electioneering is over the governor of the state should bring everybody on board who are ready to serve the state. If the state dissolves the Assembly Commission, the implication is that we are telling the whole world that we don’t want financial autonomy for the legislature. The Assembly Service Commission is a prerequisite for financial autonomy that will be monitoring, supervising and protecting the interest of the career officers within the state House of Assembly.
What is your message?
My message to the new lawmakers is to ensure they work together harmoniously as members of the same family with the career officers in the House to meet the expectations of the people in their various constituencies for them not to be rejected in the next round of elections four years from now. They should also allow (agitation) for leadership position to truncate their goals. The new speaker should see everybody as friends and colleagues and should understand that he is just one among equals. For the outgone lawmakers of the 8th legislators, they should make sure they remain in the state and continue to contribute their quota to the development of the state. If all of us are running to Abuja, Lagos or Port-Harcourt, who will come here to develop out state for us? After my tenure as the Speaker, I floated a school and today, I thank God that I have been able to employ graduates and thereby contribute to the development of the state.
