By Mumini AbdulKareem
The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr. Salihu Yakubu Danladi has said the lawmakers are still consulting on the Freedom of Information (FOI) sent to them by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
Danladi made the disclosure during his media parley with journalists in his office to commemorate the first year anniversary of the 9th legislature.
He said the bill will be passed after the House has concluded its ongoing consultation with relevant stakeholders.
According to him “The fact that the Governor sent the bill to us doesn’t mean we’ll just pass it without scrutinising it. I can assure you we align with the yearnings and aspirations of citizens for transparency and accountability.
“It is a thing of joy that Kwarans are now paying interest more than a passing interest in governance and the actions and inactions of those saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the state in trust.
“I have always been an advocate of transparency and accountability, even before I got elected. So it’s an added advantage and privilege that I and my colleagues are saddled with the responsibility of working on the bill that’ll guarantee active citizenship participation in governance.
“We appreciate the NGO and CSOs championing the advocacy for the domestication of the law, we’re consulting with relevant stakeholders, we’ll continue to consult and I can assure you we’ll do justice to the agitation for the domestication of the bill as dictated by the masses” he stressed.
The FOI has generated some heat between the government and CSOs organizations in the state with the Elite Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD) accusing the former of deliberate attempt to frustrate its passage.
Danladi further scored the executive led by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq high on the execution of completed and ongoing projects across the state in the last one year describing it as excellent performance.
“The last one year of the current administration has witnessed positive transformations in all sectors of the state economy”, he added.
The Speaker said the oversight functions by various committees of the House in the last one year indicated that all the completed and ongoing projects are being executed in line with specifications.
He described the relationship between the legislature and the executive arm as cordial adding that all the 24 members of the 9th assembly embarked on various projects in their constituencies to complement the effort of the state government aimed at improving the well-being of residents.
“In my constituency, I have drilled over 70 boreholes from my allowances and this is historic, I has never happened before, Danladi said.
On the 33 kilometrse Ilesha-Gwanara road, the Speaker said Governor Abdulrazaq has fully mobilized the contractor handling the project back to site and expressed optimism that the project will be completed and delivered before the end of 2020.
