Governor Mohammed Abubakar calls for greater understanding of the cooperation needed between the three arms of government – legislature, executive and the judiciary in order to provide good governance in democratic Nigeria.
He said the judicial and executive arms do their works only when the legislative arm has completed its own, pointing out that the executive translates such laws passed by the legislature while the judicial arm serves as interpreter of the laws.
Governor Abubakar who made this call while signing into law 7 executive bills passed by the Bauchi State House of Assembly explained that all the laws were meant to legalize the establishment of institutions that have been operating without enabling laws establishing them, ease the process of providing infrastructure to the people, widen and increase sources and process of internal revenue generation, amend others laws to meet the present realities and raise the performance of public institutions in good service delivery.
According to the governor, since government alone cannot adequately and effectively service the needs of the people it becomes imperative for the government to explore ways of attracting private individuals into a partnership with it since it was left with meager resources accrued from the federation accounts after payment of workers’ monthly salaries.
“This explains why we need this law on private-public partnership that gives our prospective investors to come into a partnership with us and provide critical infrastructure to our people. Signing this bill into law therefore eases the process of providing such needed infrastructure as investors will be attracted to private-public partnership which the law regulates now regulates,” the governor explained.
He said the Law to Prescribe the Levies that may be collected by Law Government Councils in Bauchi State, Regulated the Administration of such Levies and for such other Matters is meant to ease and sanitize internal revenue generation, especially by “local government councils since I have directed the Council Chairmen to use the revenue they generate internally to pay their own salaries. Quite a number of the local government councils have already set up task forces to collection of revenue that goes a long way in boosting the financial status.”
This is also one of the reasons the bill seeking to Repeal the Bauchi State Signage and Advertisement Management Agency Law was passed and assented to, while a very important institution like the “Bauchi Specialist Hospital has been operating for a long time with no law establishing it. We cannot tolerate this infraction,” governor Abubakar warned.
He said, in line with the APC change agenda and his restoration project, under his stewardship all government institutions, policies and actions must be conducted within the confines of the law saying his administration will continue using the avenues provided by the legislative arm of government to correct the wrongs of the past.
Governor Abubakar recalled the poor state of education in Bauchi State which he said requires complete overhaul especially at the basic level, stressing that with the passage of the Law to Establish the College of Education Kangere from the Bauchi State Institute of Education, Kangere, and a Law to Amend the College of Education, Azare Law 1990, government has set the ball rolling in turning around and enhancing the state of education.
“When we took over there was decimal performance in spite of huge resources said to have been expended. Today the results by WEAC show that Bauchi is on the 13th position as against 23rdposition in the results of last year. But we are committed to raising the bar in the performance of our public schools students,” he lamented.
The governor assured that the standard of public schools must be improved so that indigent pupils and students that attend such schools, from whom future leaders will emerge can effectively compete anywhere with that attend private schools.
While appreciating the speedy passage of all bills sent to the State House of Assembly, the governor noted that it was the first time a ceremony was being held to assent to laws passed, and commended the State Assembly for understanding and synergizing with the Executive Arm to provide dividends of democracy to the people.
He expressed happiness that the two appropriation bills passed were at various levels subjected to serious scrutiny before their passage by the Assembly and revealed that many other bills forwarded are being worked on.
The 7 laws assented to by Governor Mohammed Abubakar include one that provides for the public private partnership, Establish the Office of Public Private Partnership, Enhance Infrastructure and Service Development in Bauchi State and for Other Matters connected Therewith and the Law to regulate Environmental Operation Business in Bauchi State and for Other Matters Connected Therewith; a Law to Establish Bauchi State Specialist Hospital and Other Matters Connected Therewith; a Law to Establish the College of Education Kangere and Other Matters Connected Therewith; a Law to Amend the College of Education Azare Law 1990 and Other Matters Therewith; a Law to Repeal the Bauchi State Signage and Advertisement Management Agency Law.
Also assented to is the Law to Prescribe the Levies that may be collected by Law Government Councils in Bauchi State, Regulated the Administration of such Levies and for such other Matters connected Therewith.
The governor pledged continue cooperation with other two arms in discharging this mandate given to him.
