OSUN,KWARA SPEAKER CALL FOR LEGISLATIVE AUTONOMY

Osun, Kwara speakers call for legislative autonomy Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam; and his Kwara State counterpart, Amadu Alli, have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amendment of the law seeking autonomy for state Houses of Assembly. The two said the law was the only way the legislature at the state level could perform their legislative duties effectively and without fear or favour. They spoke on Wednesday at the end of a three-day summit for members of Kwara assembly in Ede, Osun State. Salaam said leaving the legislative arm of government at the mercy of the executive negated the principles of separations of powers and had always hindered lawmaking businesses at various state assemblies. “It is important for us to be independent for us to be able to perform our duties effectively, or else, all these efforts will be just theoretical,” he said, describing separation of power as the cornerstone of democratic system. He said the amendment being sought would protect the rights and liberty of the citizens. Also, Alli said the legislature could not function efficiently without being autonomous, saying it was a contradiction for a supposedly independent arm of government to be clamouring for autonomy. He said autonomy would prevent the tyranny of any arm of government as the legislature would be fully disposed to deliver on its mandate. “Autonomy will prevent justice from becoming arbitrary and capricious; without autonomy, there will be apprehension, even abuse cannot be ruled out,” the Kwara speaker said.