By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Friday at the Government House, stressed his support for the legislature in the country to be financilly autonomous.
He made the assertion in a remark when he received the Speakers of State Houses of Assembly from the 36 States of the federation, who paid him a courtesy visit.
He said financial autonomy to the legislature would give them needed impetus to perform their functions better and contribute better to the nation’s democracy.
The Governor stressed that without the legislative arm of government, democracy would be in danger, adding that his administration has since inception, backed his state Assembly to have autonomy.
He used the occasion to aplaud Kogi State House of Assembly for the cordial relationship with other arms of government and called on the legislative arm in other states to learn from his state on how to work harmoniously with the executive and the judiciary for societal progress.
“For a democracy to thrive and serve its purpose, there must be understanding among the various arms of government, particularly between the executive and the legislature. If you remove the legislature, there would be no democracy,” he added.
He said he had inherited a balkanized Assembly which he had to make efforts to bring together through his people oriented programmes, hence the decision of many to cross – carpet into the ruling party despite the fact that the ruling party hitherto had minority seats in the Assembly.
Governor Bello therefore expressed appreciation to his visitors for identifying with Prince Matthew Kolawole and for the courtesy visit, saying that for holding their extraordinary meeting in Kogi State since the state’s creation shows that they appreciate the work he has been doing to move the state forward.
