Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has said he met a balkanized State Assembly when his administration came on board in 2016.
Bello disclosed this on Friday night when Speakers of State Houses of Assemblies from the 36 States of the country paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Lokoja.
The Governor noted that 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.
On the quest for state lawmakers to be independent in handling their finances, Bello noted that is administration was backing efforts of the legislature in the country to have a financial autonomy.
He said a financial autonomy to the legislature would give them the needed impetus to perform their functions better and contribute more productively 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 the State Assembly to have autonomy.
He used the occasion to applaud the Kogi State House of Assembly for the cordial way with which it works with the other arms of government and called on the legislative arm in other states of the country to learn from his state on how to work harmoniously with the executive and the judiciary for societal progress.
The relationship between him and members of his state legislature, Governor Bello noted, transcends official one, adding that he has personal and cordial relationship with them to show the unity of purpose between and among them.
“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,” Governor Bello stressed, “If you remove the legislature, there would be no democracy,” he added.
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