From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf has warned that the present lawmakers would not allow any political officer holder or individual to ridicule the chambers as an institution.Aliyu stated this while fielding questions from Assembly correspondents when the embattled Coordinator, Kogi State Social Investment Programme Agency (KOSSIPA), Hajiya Aishat Oyiza Omade finally honoured the Assembly invitation after several months of defiance.

Aliyu asserted that the Assembly under his watch will never be subjected to ridicule adding that, the present eight Assembly remains committed to protecting the legislative arm of government without fear or favor.”She was not even qualified to appear before all of us. It must be a serious issue before such can happen. According to the report we received from the committee, she seems not to be available after several invitations. The report was brought to the house and the lawmakers have to come together in protecting the committee by compelling her to come.”The objective of our pronouncement on Tuesday was achieved. Any officer irrespective of the office you are occupying in Kogi State can be invited. She has come and we have admonished her to always work in accordance with the law.”By extension, we have admonished other office holders to be wary of the law. Any position that they find themselves in is guided by rules and this must be obeyed. We didn’t give her much attention that is why the house out of its magnanimity referred her back to the committee she failed to honour before now.”She cannot be bigger than the committee. What we have achieved is to allow them to take charge of what they want her to do. Let it be on record that there is no petition against her or infractions committed before now.”The thing is that she failed to honour invitations of the committee that oversees her agency. We have compelled her to come. This will send a signal to others that nobody is above this institution called Kogi State House of Assembly”.He maintained that the committee has the legislative duties backed by law to carry out their oversight function for the purpose of good governance in Kogi State.The number three citizen of Kogi State dismissed public insinuation that the house has been compromised to wade the big stick against the KOSSIPA boss.According to him “Nothing has exchanged hands. If we don’t want to be serious about this, we won’t come to the plenary and discuss. We are very serious about it. The essence is to let them know that we are not rubber stamps. If we need an explanation from the Governor, we will write to him.”If she had failed to appear today, the world would see what would have happened. I don’t want to be one person that will wade any provision of the constitution to any officer in the State. We must do the right thing by obeying the constitution governing us. We were the one that screened her here. So, why is she evading the house invitation?It would be recalled that the lawmakers on Tuesday threatened to issue a bench warrant of arrest against Omade if she failed to appear before the house on 7th May, 2025.Omade was accused of failing to appear before the house adhoc standing committee on special duties, legislative compliance, government house administration and Governor Office headed by the majority leader of the house Hon. Suleiman Abdulrazak member representing Okene 1.

From Samuel James, Ilorin

The Kwara State legislature has urged the state government to enforce the Street Begging Practices Prohibition Law, warning that it unchecked would cause more serious social and security challenges.The Legislature made the appeal following a motion of urgent public importance titled “Need to Control the Trend of Street Begging in Kwara State and Mitigate the Associated Security Risk”, moved by Hon.

Abdullahi Halidu Danbaba (APC–Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe) during plenary on Wednesday. While leading the debate, Hon. Danbaba raised concerns over the growing trends of street begging which he described as a threat to social public order and danger to vulnerable individuals who may be exposed to its abuses, trafficking, and exploitation.He then called for immediate intervention to protect the beggars and the general public.The Honorable Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu while reading the resolution, directed the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to constitute a committee to assess the scope, causes, and security implications of street begging across the state.He said the committee should map out a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the menace.The Legislature also called on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to mandate the State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Community Development to establish a community – based task force.According to them the task force would identify and report cases of street begging while supporting the reintegration of the beggars into the society through targeted interventions.Furthermore, the House members also read for the first time a Bill to amend the Kwara State Secret Cults and Secret Societies Prohibition Law.The proposed amendment seeks to introduce stiffer penalties for offenders and address related issues.

From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Delta State Deputy Governor, Monday Onyeme has assured Deltans that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration will be inclusive and free from political discrimination.He made this known on Thursday in Asaba during an enlarged meeting with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Ndokwa nation.

The gathering brought together new entrants from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the old guard of the APC, signaling a new wave of political alignment and collaboration in the state. Prominent attendees included members of the Delta State House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, and respected political figures such as Chief Johnson Opone, Rt. Hon. Olisa Imegwu, and Hon. Paul Okpue.Addressing the meeting, Onyeme emphasized Governor Oborevwori’s commitment to fairness in political appointments and governance, regardless of past affiliations.“We have a Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, who will not discriminate against anybody because of political interest.“Before we moved from PDP to APC, many who opposed him were still given political appointments. I have always dealt with individuals based on merit, not party lines,” Onyeme said.He encouraged APC members to increase their visibility in supporting both Governor Oborevwori and President Bola Tinubu, saying such loyalty would be rewarded through political patronage.The Deputy Governor hailed the gathering as a symbol of unity and progress. “The biggest advantage of the PDP-APC merger is the ability to attract more democratic dividends to our people. We are now one united family, and it is better this way,” he said.Onyeme also urged against internal conflicts, stating, “Let’s not view anyone through the lens of their past political affiliations. We are one in APC now, and we must work together to make the Ndokwa ethnic nationality a model for others.”Speaking on behalf of the old APC leadership, Chief Johnson Opone congratulated Governor Oborevwori for his commitment to national development and described the Deputy Governor’s presence as a symbol of the party’s new cohesion.“We recognize that when a Governor joins a party, he becomes the party’s leader. We fully support this alignment and urge inclusion in all levels of governance so we can work together for the progress of the Ndokwa nation,” Opone said.Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije, and other speakers at the event affirmed Onyeme as the uncontested leader of the APC in the Ndokwa nation, calling for a stronger and more united party structure.The meeting ended with renewed commitments from both former PDP and APC leaders to collaborate for the political and socioeconomic advancement of the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency.