Kogiflame
The Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday screened Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, as commissioner nominee for the newly created Ministry of Livestock in Kogi state.
Dr. Bolarin’s screening was sequel to the letter from the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo request the house to confirm the Commissioner nominee.
The Speaker of the Kogi state House Umar Aliyu, who read the communication of the Governor at plenary noted that it’s the duty of the Assembly to confirm any nominee before they can assume duty, if they are found to be qualified.
After answering questions from members, at the committee of the whole house, Dr. Bolarin, in a unanimous decision was subsequently confirmed as commissioner for the newly created ministry of Livestock.
The Speaker and members of the Assembly in their separate comments called on the newly cleared Commissioner, to bring his wealth of experience to bear in the new ministry as the pioneer Commissioner.
Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, an Associate Professor from University of Ilorin, was a former Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural resources in Kogi state and the immediate past State Coordinator of L-PRES in the state.
Dr. Bolarin is also a key member of the Strategic Committee for the Establishment of Grazing Reserves and Cattle Routes in Nigeria, where he has played a vital role in addressing challenges related to grazing and pastoralist management.
While welcoming members, the speaker noted that the Assembly is not a rubber stamp to the executive, saying as perceived in some quaters, said their major duty as the representatives of the people is to ensure good governance and ensuring that the people get the good dividends of democracy.
” The members in the eight Assembly are not rubber stamp to the executive as people will say. That is far from the truth.
The Speaker said it is because the people see a working legislature as a situation where lawmakers are seen having a face-off with the executive.
“Whenever I hear people say something like that, I laugh. We are not a robber stamp by any stretch of the imagination. Let me tell you something, what some people out there see as a working legislature is a situation where lawmakers are seen or they read in the media that the lawmaking arm is having a face-off with the executive. I have said this in many forums that it is a wrong notion.”