ENetSuD SPECIAL REPORT ON 9TH KWHA: LAWMAKING AFTER 1 YEAR

 

Elites Network for Sustainable development (ENetSuD), a Kwara-based Civil Society Organization (CSO), has released a report of its recent legislative tracking exercise called #KwaraBillsTracker. The exercise, launched by ENetSuD on 17th October 2019, aimed at keeping records of the lawmaking processes by the Kwara State House of Assembly and inform the public about legislation in Kwara State, among others.

 

In the report of ENetSuD presented by its Coordinator (Dr. Alagbonsi Abdullateef), the CSO provided the legislative journey of ten (10) bills that were received by the 9th Kwara State House of Assembly (KWHA) under the leadership of Rt. Hon. (Engr.) Salihu Yakubu Danladi.

REQUESTS FOR 10 BILLS WERE RECEIVED BY THE 9TH KWHA

ENetSuD gave a detailed breakdown of 10 bills received from various sources by the 9th Assembly for legislation.

“To the best of our knowledge, we are aware that ten (10) bills were received by the 9th Assembly in that last one (1) year. Out of these 10 bills, only 8 have been passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Governor, while the remaining 2 have not been attended to by the Assembly.

 

Out of the 8 bills that were passed, three (3) emanated from the Governor as executive bills while five (5) emanated from the Honorable Members of the KWHA. The 3 executive bills include the Revised Appropriation Bill (2019), Kwara State Social Investment Program Bill (2019) and the Appropriation Bill (2020).

Two among the 5 bills from the legislators were sponsored by Hon. Muhammad Baba Salihu representing Okuta/Yashikira Constituency of Baruten LGA. He sponsored the Teaching Service Commission (Amendment) Bill (2019) and Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education (Amendment) Bill (2019).

The remaining 3 bills were separately sponsored by 3 lawmakers. The Kwara State University (Amendment) Bill (2019), Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill (2019), and Sports Commission Bill (2019) were respectively sponsored by Hon. Wahab Opakunle (Afon Constituency, Asa LGA), Hon. Ganiu Salaudeen (Omupo Constituency, Ifelodun LGA), and Hon. Mogaji Olawoyin (Mogaji Ngeri Constituency, Ilorin West)”, ENetSuD said.

ONLY ONE (1) NEW BILL WAS INITIATED BY THE LAWMAKERS

Explaining further, ENetSuD noted that only one (1) new bill was introduced by the lawmakers in the last one year in office, while the remaining four (4) bills were amendments of existing laws. “Out of the 5 bills initiated/sponsored by the lawmakers, only one (1) of them is a new bill while the remaining four (4) are amendments of certain provisions of already existing laws of Kwara State inherited by the lawmakers. The only new one is the Sports Commission Bill (2019) sponsored by Hon. Mogaji Olawoyin. This means that during the first year in office of the 9th KWHA, 12.5% of the laws made for Kwarans are new, 50% of the laws are an amendment to the existing ones, while 37.5% are proposals from the executive (including budgets)”.

 

LEGISLATIVE JOURNEYS OF THE 10 BILLS


1. Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill 2019

After inauguration of the 9th KWHA on 11th June, 2019, it inherited the FOI bill passed on 30th May, 2019 by the immediate 8th KWHA (FOI is the only passed bill inherited by the 9th KWHA). It was transmitted by the Clerk of the House to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on 20th June, 2019 for assent, but the Speaker read the Governor’s letter of request for minor amendment on 23rd July, 2019. After 323 days (between 23rd July, 2019 and 10th June, 2020), the 9th KWHA has refused to do the minor amendments requested by the Governor on the bill, which are necessary before he could assent to it. It is worthy of note that it took the 8th KWHA only 24 days to pass it after receiving it from the initiator (ENetSuD) on 6th May, 2019.

 

2. Kwara State Social Investment Program (KWASIP) Bill 2019

The KWASIP bill was submitted to the 9th KWHA after 72 days of inauguration (22nd August, 2019). Exactly 6 days after the submission by the executive (28th August, 2019), the bill passed first reading. The following day (29th August, 2019), it passed the second reading. After a well-attended public hearing, the bill was finally passed on 17th October, 2019. Therefore, it took a total of 56 days to pass the KWASIP bill after it was received from the executive.

3. Revised Appropriation Bill 2019

The Revised Appropriation Bill 2019 (otherwise called Revised 2019 Budget) was submitted to the 9th KWHA after 77 days of inauguration (27th August, 2019) and it passed first reading on the same day (27th August, 2019). Exactly 9 days after the submission by the executive (5th September, 2019), the bill passed second reading. The bill was finally passed on 16th October, 2019. Therefore, it took a total of 50 days to pass the Revised 2019 Budget after it was received from the executive.

 

4. Sports Commission Bill 2019

The Sports Commission Bill was submitted to the 9th KWHA after 95 days of inauguration (14th September, 2019). Exactly 3 days after the submission by the sponsor (17th September, 2019), the bill passed first reading. Seven days after the first reading (24th September, 2019), it passed the second reading. After a well-attended public hearing, the bill was finally passed on 19th December, 2019. Therefore, it took a total of 96 days to pass the Sports Commission Bill after it was received from the Sponsor.

 

5. Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, otherwise called LG Amendment Bill, passed first and second readings on 11th December, 2019, the same day it was submitted after 183 days of inauguration (date of the first reading is taken as the date of submission for amendment bills). It was finally passed on 3rd March, 2020. Therefore, it took a total of 83 days to pass the LG Amendment Bill after it was received from the sponsor.

 

6. Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, otherwise called TESCOM Amendment Bill, passed first and second readings on 11th December, 2019, the same day it was submitted after 183 days of inauguration (date of the first reading is taken as the date of submission for amendment bills). It was finally passed on 3rd March, 2020. Therefore, it took a total of 83 days to pass the TESCOM Amendment Bill after it was received from the sponsor.

 

7. Kwara State University (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Kwara State University (Amendment) Bill, otherwise called KWASU Amendment Bill, passed first and second readings on 11th December, 2019, the same day it was submitted after 183 days of inauguration (date of the first reading is taken as the date of submission for amendment bills). It was finally passed on 3rd March, 2020. Therefore, it took a total of 83 days to pass the KWASU Amendment Bill after it was received from the sponsor.

 

8. Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Kwara State University (Amendment) Bill, otherwise called SUBEB Amendment Bill, passed first and second readings on 17th December, 2019, the same day it was submitted after 189 days of inauguration (date of the first reading is taken as the date of submission for amendment bills). It was finally passed on 3rd March, 2020. Therefore, it took a total of 77 days to pass the SUBEB Amendment Bill after it was received from the sponsor.

 

9. Appropriation Bill 2020

The Appropriation Bill 2019 (otherwise called 2020 Budget) was submitted to the 9th KWHA after 190 days of inauguration (18th December, 2019) and it passed first reading on the same day (18th December, 2019). Exactly 22 days after the submission by the executive (9th January, 2020), the bill passed second reading. The bill was finally passed on 29th January, 2020. Therefore, it took a total of 42 days to pass the 2020 Budget after it was received from the executive.

 

10. Governor and Deputy Governor Pension (Repeal) Law 2020

ENetSuD and 263 Kwarans wrote the 9th KWHA on 7th January, 2020, asking for a repeal of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010. After 155 days of submission by ENetSuD and 253 Kwarans, the Law allowing past Governors and Deputy Governors of Kwara State to be receiving a pension and other allowances has not been repealed as requested.

 

CONCLUSIONS

  1. The 9th KWHA gives more priority to bills initiated by the Governor (executive bills). This is evident from the data of treatment duration for bills which show that all the 3 executive bills received the fastest treatments by the Assembly
  2. The 9th KWHA does not prioritize bills that originate from the sections of the public. To the best of our knowledge, the 2 bills before the 9th KWHA that have not been treated till date are those that originated from members of the public (ENetSuD with the support of citizens and other stakeholders).
  3. Out of the 5 bills initiated by lawmakers, only one (1) is a new bill while the remaining four (4) are amendments of the already existing bills
  4. The refusal of the 9th Assembly to consider the bill proposals from the members of the public may defeat the purpose of the legislature (that should be a friend of the citizens who they can run to concerning governance issues).

RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. ENetSuD urges the KWHA to be a house that will listen to the needs of the citizens and translate their needs into actions in the public interest.
  2. ENetSuD urges the KWHA to give more priority to bills (in the form of ideas, innovations and proposals) that originate from the members of the public, so as to promote participatory governance.

Signed,

Usman Radhiyyat Taiye (Mrs),

Deputy Coordinator (Administration)

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