Date: 2017-07-04

SPEECH DELIVERED BY RT. HON DR. ALI AHMAD, SPEAKER, KWARA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE OCCASION OF COMMENCEMENT OF 3RD SESSION OF THE 8TH ASSEMBLY IN KWARA STATE ON TUESDAY, 4TH JULY, 2017. Hon. Colleagues, It is with pleasure that I welcome us back from the Ramadan and Eid-l-Fitr recess. Today is unique as it commemorates the second anniversary of the 8th legislature and ushers in its third session, the second to the last in the life span of this Assembly.

Let me begin by thanking Almighty Allah, the creator of the universe and all that abides in it for the gift of life and good health and for seeing us through the thick and thins of the years past.

I must also commend and appreciate my distinguished colleagues for the support, trust and belief they have in me in the last two years. I sincerely thank you for entrusting me with the leadership of this House as I beckon for a more solid and unwavering commitment from you to ensure that the ship sails to a triumphant and glorious end.

Like I always say, it is indeed a thing of joy and pride for me to be a part of this trail blazing 8th Assembly in Kwara State. This is not by mere words of mouth but because of my strong conviction that this generation of legislators which I am a part of consists of tested and trusted hands and people of high moral rectitude, sound mind and integrity. The robust debates and the positive impacts our Resolutions and Laws have made on the lives of the good people of Kwara State on whose mandates we are here are clear attestations to this.

Distinguished colleagues, there is no gainsaying the fact that as we commence this session, we will hit the ground running so that the early part of it will be dedicated to consideration of reports of public hearings conducted at the twilight of the last session on some Bills for consideration before the House. I therefore wish to implore you that as the new session gets underway, all House Standing Committees should approach their assignments with characteristic zeal and resilience so that in a short while we will come out with good laws that will better the lots of the good people of Kwara State. Let me however plead for a meticulous scrutiny of the submissions of all stakeholders in a bid towards attaining the acceptability and workability of such laws after passage.

At this juncture, it is pertinent to put on record the success story we have recorded thus far in the implementation of the agriculture initiative of this Assembly. Recall that this House, last session, unanimously resolved to venture into farming to promote the diversification of the economy and encourage teeming Kwarans to embrace the dying culture. It is heartwarming to announce to the entire world that, as we speak, ploughing and planting of over 300 hectares of farmland had been concluded while we have also commenced the application of pre emergence herbicides.

We therefore thank the State Government for believing in our ability to realize that dream of owning a farm of our own and for the support so far enjoyed on the project. And for the doubting Thomases, especially the uninformed members of the opposition who have expressed myopic misgivings on the scheme, I enjoin you to take a trip to Ejidongari in Moro Local Government Area, site of Dodo Integrated Farm to see things for yourself.

This address will not be complete if I fail to reiterate, for the sake of emphasis, the stand of this Honourable House on the recent victory of our amiable leader, distinguished Senator Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON, Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Like I maintained in my earlier press statement on the issue, the victory is a vindication of our belief in the fact that the trial from inception was nothing but political persecution. We therefore congratulate the Senate President and indeed all Kwarans on this well-deserved victory. Above all, we glorify Almighty Allah for the victory which is victory for democracy and victory for the rule of law.

Permit me to also lend a voice to the need for active participation of kwarans in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The exercise is intended to cater for Nigerians who have attained the age of eighteen years after the last exercise and those whose names did not feature in the Voters register despite having registered. Voters who wish to change their Polling Centers are also eligible to do so in the ongoing exercise. I therefore implore all kwarans to take advantage of it since your vote is your power which should not be lost.

Before I end this speech, I must acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of the committed and hardworking management and staff members of the House. I sincerely thank you for your support and cooperation without which the modest achievements recorded so far by the current legislature would not have been possible. More of this is requested in times to come.

I must also, as a matter of obligation, thank our friends in the media for their wide coverage of activities of the House while calling for more support from them in the new session and beyond.

Distinguished colleagues, as I welcome us into the new session, it is my hope and prayer that we will not waiver in our collective resolve to continually protect and defend the interests of the masses and remain their mouth piece. So help us God.

Thank you for your attention.