BAHA Plenary 23rd, June 2020

Summary of proceedings during the plenary of Bauchi State House of Assembly presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman (Dangaladiman Ningi) today, 23rd, June 2020:

1. Votes and proceedings of Tuesday 16th June, 2020 was adopted by the Honourable House as moved and seconded by the Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam (Dambam/Jalam/Dagauda Constituency) and Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo (Chiroma Constituency) and voted by the members.
2. The House received three executive messages from His Excellency Governor Bala Mohammad:

-According to the first message which is signed by the Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Muhammad Sabiu Baba, the State Executive Council has approved the revised 2020 budget and forwarded same to the House for legislation.

• In the second letter, the Executive Arm forwarding a draft bill for a law to establish Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy Alkaleri to provide courses of instruction, research and training in oil and gas technology and other matters related therewith, for legislation

-The third executive message forwarded a draft bill for a law to establish Bauchi State Roads and Traffic Agency to regulate, control and manage traffic and for other connected matters, for legislation.

3. Speaker Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman announced that the Hon. House has set up two teams to visit and great the families of Hon Tukur Ibrahim (Toro/Jama’a Constituency) and Hon. Musa Mante Baraza (Dass Constituency) who are sick. The team to visit Hon. Tukur in Toro comprised the Speaker, Hon Mukhtar Suleiman , Hon Yusuf Muhammad Bako, Hon. Babayo Muhammad and Hon Bala Abdu Rishi while the second team that will visit
   Baraza to extend the House best wishes to the family of Hon. Musa Mante comprises Deputy Speaker Hon Danlami Ahmed Kawule, Hon. Jamilu Umaru Dahiru, Hon. Bello Muazu Shira, Gazali Abubakar and Hon. Ado Wakili.
4. Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam (Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam Constituency) moved that the bill for the Bauchi State 2020 Proposed Revised Budget be put to first reading. He was seconded by Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo (Chiroma Constituency). After it was put to vote and Hon Members voted in favour, Deputy Clerk of the House Lamara Abdu Chinade puts the bill for the first reading.
5. The bill for Bauchi State 2020 Proposed Revised Budget passed second reading after Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam moved, Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo seconded, members voted in favour and deputy clerk Lamara Abdu Chinade read it for second time.

The Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam suggested that the bill should be referred to the House committee on Appropriation and be given two weeks to complete the assignment. He was seconded by Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo and voted in favour by the Hon. Members.

After members voted in favour of the motion, the Speaker Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman referred the bill to appropriation committee and give two weeks to the Committee to do all the needful and report back to the House.

6. Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam moved that the bill for a law to establish the Bauchi state roads and traffic agency to regulate control and manage traffic and for other connected matters should be put to first reading and was seconded by Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo. The Hon. House unanimously voted in favour of the motion. The deputy clerk Lamara Abdu Chinade read the bill for the first time.
7. The bill for a law to establish the Bauchi State roads and traffic agency to regulate, control and manage traffic and for other connected matters scaled second reading after Hon Abubakar Dambam moved a motion for that and was seconded by Minority Leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo. After the House voted, deputy clerk Lamara Abdu Chinade read the bill for the second time.

8 Hon. Dan’umma Bello (Giade Constituency) reminded the House that going by the economic realities which necessitated tge executive arm to present revised budget to the House, where the government will get the money to run the agency?

He recommended that the government should use the existing agencies like spiderwebs security and Zabgai instead of creating another agency.

Hon Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo (Chiroma Constituency) countered the opinion, sayinng it is immaterial. He suggested that the bill be referred to relevant committee, thereafter if Hon Dan’umma has any opinion, he can take it to the Committee and the Committee will give its recommendations.

Hon Baballe Abubakar Dambam seconded the motion moved by Hon Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo that the bill be referred to the relevant committee.

After putting it to voting and members voted in favour, Speaker Abubakar Y Suleiman referred the bill to House committee on works and give one week to the Committee to complete its assignment and report back to the House.

9. Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam moved that a bill for a law to establish Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy Alkaleri to provide courses of instruction, research and training in oil and gas technology and other matters related therewith should go for first reading. After being seconded by Minority leader Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo and voted by members, the deputy clerk Lamara Abdu Chinade read the bill for the first time.
10. The bill passed second reading after Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam moved a motion on that, Minority Leader seconded and members voted. The deputy clerk Lamara Abdu Chinade read the bill for the second time.

Hon. Abubakar Dambam moved that the bill should be referred to the joint committees on education and science and technology and be given one week to complete its assignmentsl.

Hon. Saleh Hodi Jibir observed that since the content of the bill is talking about oil and gas it should rather be referred to the House committee on mines and power.

On his part, Hon. Bello Muazu Shira (Shira Constituency) called on the Committee that work on the bill to be fair and just.

According to him, the school should be located in other parts of the State. “Since Alkarei is where the oil is found other parts without oil should get the school.” He said.

Speaker Abubakar Suleiman didn’t agree with him. He explained that the school ought to be where oil is found as it is the practice everywhere.

Hon Yusuf Muhammad Bako countered the opinion of Hon. Bello Muazu Shira insisting that Alkaleri is most deserving location for the academy.

Hon. Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo opined that the Hon. Yusuf Muhammad Bako shouldn’t have criticised Hon. Bello for saying his opinion because the Academy is not for people of Alkaleri alone but the entire people of Bauchi State.

After so much interest shown to express their opinion, The Speaker Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman overruled all observations on the bill and refer the bill to joined committees of education, science and technology and mines and power and give the Committee one month to report back. The House unanimously voted in favour.

11. A motion calling on the State Government to upgrade Rishi Cottage Hospital to General Hospital was moved by Hon. Bala Abdu Rishi (Lame Constituency)

Leading debate on the motion, Hon Bala Abdu Rishi explained that the hospital was established over 30 years ago to cater for the immediate major needs of the people of Rishi and its surrounding villages.

According to him, Rishi is is surrounded by three wards of Zalau, Rahama and Tama with by over 200 hamlets and more than 20 primary health centres tgat normally take their referral cases to Rishi Cottage Hospital.

Hon Bala Abdu Rishi added that the hospital is also serving neighbouring states of Kaduna and Kano.

He lamented that the Hospital lacks required personnel, equipments and essential drugs to discharge its services to the populace which necessitate patients to be referred to General Hospital Toro, over 100 kilometers from Rishi.

“Thus has caused a lot of patients to die and many women lost their pregnancies prematurely.” He added.

The member therefore, prayed that since one of the cardinal points of the present administration is to provide basic healthcare for all, the House should call on government to upgrade and equip the Rishi Cottage Hospital to Rishi General Hospital for a better healthcare delivery.

Contributing Hon Saleh Hodi Jibir Disina Constituency observed that there is no cottage hospitals niw thus, the name should be Rishi primary health centre

According to Hon. Hodi Governor Bala Mohammad has taken strategies to equip health facilities with equipments and upgrade health facilities and since Members have aspirations for their hospital s to benefit from that policy, the House should refer the matter to House Committee on Health. The Committee should find out the hospitals that satisfy the criteria and advise the State Government to find out how many health facilities should be upgraded.

Hon. Gazali Abubakar (Ganjuwa East Constituency) observed that the motion should be adopted without referring it to anycommittee while on the other hands the committee on health should be asked look at the other needs and report back to the House.

Speaker Abubakar Suleiman opined that the matter ought to be referred to the Committee on Health so that the Committee can find ou whether or not the hospitals suit to be be upgraded and other hospitals that should be equipped and upgraded.

Deputy Speaker Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawule explained that he realized that some colleagues don’t want their motions be referred to relevant committees.

“But when motions are referred to relevant committees they become stronger before taking them to the Executive.

“There are criteria for any health facility to be upgraded., the Committee will find out about tye criteria and how members can benefit. I therefore agreed with the observations of Hon Saleh Hodi Jibir.” He added.

Hon. Baballe Abubakar Dambam (Dambam/Dagauda/Jalam) rather agreed with Gazali Abubakar’s view.
According to him, the mover of the motion has done his homework before moving the motion. Therefore the motion should be adopted without referring it to health Committee and the other suggestions should be handled by the Committee on Health.

Hon. Saleh Hodi comes back and highlighted that he don’t mean the motion should be discarded but it should be made stronger by being referred to the Health Committee so that more input will be put in the bill thus making it stronger and effective

Hon Gazali Abubakar maintained that all motions should passed through relevant committees before moving them on the floor so that they will not be sent back and front to committees and to the floor again.

The mover of the motion Hon. Bala Abdu Rishi said he has already contacted Health Committee on the matter before moving the motion. He therefore insisted that the motion should not be referred to any committee.

Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawule observed that committees are stronghold of any member therefore he sees no any problems in referring motions to committees. Notwithstanding, he seconded the motion moved by Hon Gazali Abubakar that the motion be adopted without referring it to the health Committee.

After heated debate, the Hon House adopted the motion without amendments and referral.

12. A motion calling on the Executive Arm of Government to revive indigenous companies and direct all MDAs to patronize their products and services was moved by Hon Yusuf Muhammad Bako (Pali Constituency).

Leading debate on the motion, Hon. Yusuf Muhammad Bako explained that what inspired him to move the motion was the familiarization visit the Committee he chaired paid to some selected indigenous companies in the State comprising of Bauchi Furniture, Bauchi Meat Factory, Bauchi Alind Wire and Cables Limited, Yankari Transport Company, Bauchi Investment Company, Zaranda and Wikki hotels etc.

According to the member, Bauchi State has a lot of resources that can generate revenue and create employment to the teaming unemployed youth but lack of turnaround maintenance and the inability of the companies to harness such resources for optimal production, the house indigenous companies can’t even afford to pay salary of their staff.

Hon. Yusuf Bako therefore urged the House to call on the State Government to look at the possibility of public private partnership (PPP) of the Bauchi Indigenous Companies and direct all MDAs to patronize their products and services.

He also prayed that the government should utilize Bauchi Furniture Company and Alind Wire and Cables Limited to serve as training ground for the teaming unemployed youth so as to create job opportunities, also settle all outstanding bills for productive and managerial services and purchase new vehicles for Yankari Transport Company or guarantee it loan from any bank.

Hon. Yusuf Muhammad Bako also appealed to various stakeholders to assist the companies with working capital which he said will boost the economy of northern Nigeria.

According to Zaranda Hotel was one of the best hotels in 90s but due to lack of maintenance to hotel is collapsing.

” Similar hotel of its generation in Kano knows as Kano Central Hotel is still standard and generating more revenue to the Kano State Government..

‘”Bauchi Investment Company has not performed optimally to promote development of entrepreneurship.

The House should advise the Government to cancel/review all hotels that are arranged on leasing particularly Bauchi Destination Hotel so as to consider leasing arrangement to indigenous companies through public private partnership PPP and government should look at the authenticity of all Bauchi Companies.

Contributing to the debate Hon. Gazali Abubakar (Ganjuwa East draws the attention of the mover to change the word authenticity of the companies to legality because the comoanies are authentic.

He moved for the adoption of the bill and he was seconded by Deputy Speaker Hon. Danlami Ahmed Kawul (Zungur/Galambi Constituency)

The Honourable House adopted all the prayers of the motion and directed that it should be forwarded to the Executive Arm of Government for consideration.

13. Speaker Rt Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman invites all lawmakers and staff of Bauchi State House of Assembly to the wedding fatiha of the Clerk of the House Barrister Umar Yusuf Gital which will take place on Friday 26th June, 2020 after Juma’ah Prayer in Gwallaga Juma’ah Mosque Bauchi.
14. The Honourable House adjourned to Tuesday 30th June, 2020 as moved by Deputy Majority Leader Hon. baballe Abubakar Dambam and seconded by Hon Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo.

Abdul Ahmad Burra
Spokesperson to the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly.
23rd June, 2020.