Gov Bello backs financial autonomy for Nigerian legislature »

receives Assembly Speakers in Nigeria

Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has backed efforts of the legislature in the country to have a financial autonomy.

He made the assertion in a remark on Friday when he received Speakers of State Houses of Assemblies from the 36 States of the country who paid him a courtesy visit.

He said a financial autonomy to the legislature would give them needed impetus to perform their functions better and contribute more productively to the nation’s democracy.

The Governor stressed that without the legislative arm of government, democracy would be in danger, adding that his administration has since inception, backed his state Assembly to have autonomy.

He used the occasion to aplaud Kogi State House of Assembly for the cordial way with which it works with the other arms of government and called on the legislative arm in other states of the country to learn from his state on how to work harmoniously with the executive and the judiciary for societal progress.

The relationship between him and members of his state legislature, Governor Bello noted, transcends official one, adding that he has personal and cordial relationship with them to show the unity of purpose between and among them.

“For a democracy to thrive and serve its purpose, there must be understanding among the various arms of government, particularly between the executive and the legislature,” Governor Bello stressed, “If you remove the legislature, there would be no democracy,” he added.

He went down memory lane in response to an earlier remark by the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole who recalled how their relationship began in a rocky way to say God brought him on board to serve the people of the state and there was no way he could discharge his responsibility without the cooperation of the legislature.

He said he had inherited a balkanized Assembly which he had to make efforts to bring together through his people oriented programmes, hence the decision of many to cross – carpet into the ruling party despite the fact that the ruling party hitherto had minority seats in the Assembly.

Governor Bello then expressed appreciation to his visitors for identifying with Prince Matthew Kolawole and for the courtesy visit, saying the fact that they are holding their extraordinary meeting for the first time in Kogi State since the state’s creation shows that they appreciate the work he has been doing to move the state forward.