Posted by By WOLE ADEDEJI, Ilorin on
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Isa Bio Ibrahim who is also the chairman of the Northern Speakers Forum yesterday said no matter whatever explanations President Olusegun Obasanjo gives on the withheld Lagos local governments funds, the president remains wrong.
Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Isa Bio Ibrahim who is also the chairman of the Northern Speakers Forum yesterday said no matter whatever explanations President Olusegun Obasanjo gives on the withheld Lagos local governments funds, the president remains wrong.
He therfore accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of personalising the matter by refusing to obey the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter.
Hon. Ibrahim said the Speakers of the Northern States and indeed the national Forum of Speakers hold the same position that President Obasanjo has breached the law by refusing to obey a Supreme Court decision on the matter.
The speaker, answering reporters' question at the media interaction session on the two years of Kwara State legislature said though the issue of the Lagos council funds was originally political, it was made personal along the line.
Hon. Ibrahim said though a part the Northern Speakers parleyed with the president on the matter wherein the president appeared to have some points, Chief Obasanjo however went off-track when the Supreme Court asked him to release the fund and yet he held on to the money.
"The Supreme Court decision is final over any matter in the land and so, the President's action remains illegal. I plead with him to respect the Supreme Court and the laws of the land which he swore to defend and protect as the President of this country. He cannot claim to know more than those who interpret the law".
Our position is that the president was wrong at the Northern Speakers Forum and the it is the position of the enlarged Forum of the Speakers across the country too. We all stand on the position. The judiciary must be obeyed, the legislature must be respected and the executive must not go beyond its responsibilities in law", he added.
Meanwhile, the Kwara House he said passed 13 Bills in 2003, 38 Motions and took 15 Resolutions. In 2003 to date however, it has passed 17 bills will two pending, nine motions and passed resolutions on 34 petitions upon reports by various House Committees.