Tuesday, 26th July, 2016:
KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, LOKOJA
ADDRESS BY RT. HON UMAR AHMED IMAM, SPEAKER, KOGI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, LOKOJA, AT THE RESUMPTION OF PLENARY SITTING MARKING THE COMMENCEMENT OF 2ND LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON THE 26TH OF JULY 2016
Courtesies.
Permit me, distinguished Honourable Colleagues, to use this opportunity to thank God, Almighty for making it possible to reconvene as a united House having intervened in our crises and restored the much desired peace. I warmly welcome you back from the well-deserved recess that has afforded us the time to meet with our constituents and the prospect of commencing the Second Legislative Session on a good spirit. I am honoured by your show of trust and election as the Speaker of this august Assembly but humbled by the corresponding responsibilities.
To you all, my Distinguished Honourable Colleagues, I am very grateful. I thank you all in particular for your confidence, for your generosity and for your cooperation in embracing peace and coming together as one strong united family. I will at all times be mindful of these selflessness and credence.
I sincerely thank the immediate past Speaker of this Honourable House, Rt. Hon. Momoh Jimoh Lawal, for his services. And, of course, the Peace Heroes from the Peace Committee of “The Parliamentarians”, they deserve my wholehearted appreciation. For all the various steps taken at mediating and resolving our conflict, and for ensuring that sacrifices were made and compromises reached to bring us to where we are today, I say thank you. I am happy that the State Government has taken adequate steps to acknowledge and appreciate them for their hard work and sacrifices.
My address will not be complete without special recognition and appreciation to His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State. Your Excellency, we thank you for giving heed to our calls to intervene in the crisis rocking the House, indeed, we are grateful. We remain indebted to His Excellency for keeping his promises of 3rd June 2016 to change the landscape of this Assembly into a truly legislative environment befitting our great State. Indeed, the Spirit is high and the legislative environment is truly commendable.
With humility, I accept to serve as the Speaker of this august Assembly. While soliciting for your understanding, support and cooperation, I pledge to serve to the best of my ability with fairness, accountability, transparency and able leadership. The doors to our Offices shall at all times be opened to stakeholders for collaborative legislation in line with our constitutional responsibilities.
I thank you once more for your compromises to a peaceful assembly. Undeniably, we lost so much to the crises in the last legislative session. However, they helped in no small measure to strengthen our democracy. It is important, therefore, to appeal that we settle down quickly and accelerate our legislative businesses to justify the mandate of our electorate.
I charge you, my Distinguished Honourable Colleagues, to sponsor more private member bills and motions to address the legislative needs of our people, and to engage in vibrant oversight activities to ensure compliance with the spirit and letters of our laws.
The State Assembly is back and ready to deliver on its roles through collaboration with other arms of government and critical stakeholders in ensuring good governance. Our firm course of action in salvaging the State from economic recession currently bedevilling our great Nation shall be unwavering and uncompromising in achieving prosperity. We are, thus, challenged to renew our resolve to the task of State building and to make certain that the new direction of this administration leads us to the transformative changes we all deserve in our socio-economic and political lives and in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the great people of Kogi State.
In conclusion, I warmly congratulate Members representing Idah and Ofu State Constituencies for a feat well achieved and wish them a successful legislative sojourn.
Thank you all.
