Date: 2017-05-13

The People of Kwara State, irrespective of political affiliation, have been urged to actively participate in a densely legislative week in the history of legislature in the state.

A Statement personally signed by the Speaker, Rt. Dr. Ali Ahmad stated that the House which has a total of 11 bills to be considered for passage into law in the next few weeks said the legislature " has opened its doors for generality of the public for two weeks between May 15 and 26, to voice their support, reservation, objection and even rejection of the bills being considered for passage".

The House, according to the statement has always advocated for people's participation in the way their affairs were regulated, noting that " nothing is more pretentious than to claim we predict their preferences or have superior knowledge".

The statement therefore, urged experts in various aspects of the bills such as contractors, artisans, religious and community leaders as well as politicians of the ruling party and various factions of opposition parties to avail the legislature of their views, pointing out that " this is no time for partisanship, " but join hands to midwife good goverance " for the State.

Among the bills to be considered according to the Speaker is the Public Procurement Bill which is considering among others, raising mobilisation fee between 30% to 50% due to complaint that the current 15% was grossly inadequate, the Revenue Court Amendment Bill which he said was seeking experte against defaulters, in order to be able to seal up premises in the bid of maximising its collectability, in view of the insistence of the house not to allow increase in tax rate for the time being.

The Urban and Regional Planning Bill is also before the legislature and, according to the statement, is a" fallout of the experience of the Assembly with strong cabals in the Planning and Development industry " as the legislature tried to control illegal filling Stations and other illegal changes to land users without desired success.

This according to the Statement, was due to weakness of our Law, hence the solution is to repeal the existing law and enact stronger one as the bill is equally expected to complement Peoples With Disabilities Bill just passed into law to "enrich the lives of the Disabled people". Also, the most revolutionary law in the history of criminal justice in Nigeria, Administration Of Criminal Justice Bill, which is single handedly sponsored into law by the Speaker, during his days at the National Assembly is also now before the Kwara Assembly to enact the law in its newest and most progressive version and therefore would required experts' views to realise the set goal. Other Bills according to the statement, concern hoteliers, hospitality and tourism industry, licencing of quarry and industrial goods and levy for manufacturing processing.

The Statement urged "Kwarans to take a look at what bills they have interest or expertise most, and give written submissions to be sent to the Clerk by hard copy or electronically.