Gov Bello inaugurates 7th Kogi Assembly »

History was made today, Thursday in the state annals of Kogi State legislature as the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello inaugurated 25 member House of Assembly who are all from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is a milestone in the history of the over twenty-seven year old state as there had never been a uni or one party legislature in Kogi since creation in 1991.

Today’s inauguration, as examined by our correspondent “Halimat Isah” signifies the acceptance of Governor Bello and the APC administration in the Confluence State…

Governor Bello who inaugurated the new members on Thursday at the Assembly Complex in Lokoja, urged the legislators to remember their constituents and enact laws that would have positive impact on their lives.

“I will like to urge the new members to remember their constituents, remember your people, the electorate who have entrusted you with this leadership positions, remember where you’re coming from.

“The people have made history and spoken loud with one voice, by voting the twenty-five (25) of you convincingly and overwhelmingly on the platform of the All Progressives (APC), we must not disappoint them,” he said.

The Governor referred to the section of the 1999 Constitution which conferred power on him as Governor when he said; “With the power conferred on me by the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, section 105, subsection 3, states clearly that ‘subject to the provisions, the person elected as the Governor of a State shall have power to issue a proclamation for the holding of the first session of the House of Assembly of the State concerned immediately after he has been sworn in as provided in this section.’

Governor Bello appealed to the newly inaugurated members to open constituency offices in their various localities to afford them the opportunity to get feelers and convene government programmes and policies to the people they represent at the the grassroots.

Speaking further, Governor Bello enjoined the lawmakers to work more to unite the people as the New Direction Government under his leadership has no regard for religious and ethnic segregations.

“Together we are stronger as a family not easily divided. We are all one, united in brotherhood. We don’t care about your religious and ethnic differences. Let every instruction be carried out to the latter for the progress of our dear state.”

While thanking God for the privilege to inaugurate the new Assembly, he expressed optimism that the new legislators would perform better than their predecessors, adding that the outgone 6th Assembly Members performed creditably in their time.

“History is being made once again, we thank God who has spared our lives, we are inaugurating the 7th Assembly, I would like to assure everyone all of you, that the 25 House of Assembly members will not betray your trust,” he concluded.