Date: 2016-12-13

The Kwara State House of Assembly last week washed its hands off the N6 billion street light project tagged "Light Up Kwara".

The project had attracted diverse comments from some sections of the public who noted that the government should have channelled the money for the project to address salaries backlog in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Dr Muideen Akorede, during a radio programme last week noted that the project will not only expand the commercial space in the state but boost night life and security.

But when asked whether the House appropriated funds for the project during the weekly Media Interactive Session, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon Saheed Popoola said the legislature is not in the picture of the project.

According to him, the executive has not communicated the House on the issue. "We also heard the issue of Light Up Kwara in the news just the way you did. There is no bill that has been moved in the House to that regard and the executive has not written at all to us regarding it.

"We are not aware of that project and I am being categorical about this. We are not aware that such project is coming up in the state. Nobody has notified us and we regard it as such," Popoola added.

He said the House under the leadership of the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, has passed 10 bills into law, since its inauguration 18 months ago adding that another eight bills are now on the verge of final passage after passing second reading just as two other bills have passed through first reading.

He explained that the bills that have been passed include the State Revenue Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Secret Cult and Secret Societies in Kwara State (prohibition) Bill 2016, State Revenue Court( Amendment) Bill 2016, 2016 Appropriation Bill, State Compulsory, free Universal Basic Education ( Amendment) Bill 2016, the Chiefs (Appointment and Disposition) Bill 2016, State Land Charge Court (Amendment) Bill 2016, Local Government (Miscellaneous Provision) Amendment Bill and Abubakar Shola Saraki( Amendment) Bill 2016.

On the Paris loan refund, Popoola said the House is not aware of the availability of such money adding that the lawmakers believed that the executive will notify it when such is available in line with the constitution.

He said the 8th legislature had also initiated two private bills that had passed through second reading and assured that the House would not relent in providing a platform for people's oriented governance in the state.

Another member of the Committee, Hon Victoria Bunmi Afolayan assured that the House would continue to take its legislative duty with all seriousness to further enhance good governance in the state and praised the leadership of the House for creating enabling environment for members to demonstrate their vibrancy.

Recall that Governor Ahmed had approved the "Light Up Kwara" project to construct street lights covering 78 km in strategic places across the three senatorial districts of the state at the cost of N6.07billion.

At a press conference on the decisions taken by the state government after its monthly state executive council meeting attended by Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engr Musa Ayinla Yeketi, his counterpart in Information, Alh Mahmud Ajeigbe, that of Energy, Alhaji Abubakar Garba, and the Governor's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede, among others, Garba informed journalists that the state government has approved N6.07 billion contracts for the phase 1 of the Light Up Kwara project, adding that the second phase will extend to Omu-Aran, Offa and Moro local governments.