Commissioner nominees: All eyes on Kwara Assembly as plenary resumes Monday
Kwarans are eagerly awaiting the unveiling of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s commissioner nominees as the Kwara State House of Assembly resumes plenary on Monday, August 14th.
The State House of Assembly, on July 27th, confirmed receiving the commissioner nominees’ list but withheld the names from disclosure. In a statement by Sheu Abdulkadir Yusuf, mnipr, the Chief Press Secretary to Speaker of the House, Rt. Honourable Yakubu Danladi, the governor sought legislative approval for the 20 commissioner nominees and ten (10) Special Advisers, who are to work with the administration in various capacity.
However, the State Assembly refused to reveal the identities of the nominees submitted by the government, deviating from their usual practice.
Governor Abdulrazaq, during his first tenure, consistently publicized the names of appointees awaiting legislative approval.
Interestingly, an unofficial list of commissioner nominees is circulating in the media, although it is not attached to the statement issued by the House of Assembly. Notable names on this list include the current Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, his Private Secretary, Jumoke Gafar, and the former Commissioner for Finance, Florence Oyeyemi.
Compounding the intrigue, the Kwara State House of Assembly postponed indefinitely plenary on Monday, July 31st, leaving many puzzled about the expected screening of the commissioner nominees.
In a statement from Alhaji Kareem A. Olayiwola, Clerk of the Kwara State House of Assembly, the postponement was communicated, with a promise to announce a new date in due course.
When approached by The Infomant247 for verification of the commissioner nominees’ list submission to the House of Assembly, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, directed this reporter to seek confirmation from the House of Assembly directly.
“Speak to the house,” he suggested. Regarding the authenticity of the circulating media list, which includes his name, Ajakaiye insisted the reporter consult the House of Assembly for clarifications.
Similarly, the CPS to the Speaker declined to confirm if the names of the commissioner nominees and special advisers were appended to the letter submitted to the house. He affirmed the House’s receipt of the list but refrained from addressing questions on attached names.
“We are to treat the Governor’s message on the floor of the house. You work based on what I release. If you are unclear about that, that’s the current status,” he said.
Pressed about the precedent of publicly revealing names, as established during the first tenure of the current administration, he recommended consulting an official source within the Governor’s office to understand the shift in practice.
Regarding the Assembly’s delay in reconvening, the CPS clarified that this was unrelated to the commissioner nominees’ list. The postponement, he stated, was prompted by a technical matter, which the House is addressing before resuming sessions.
Unconfirmed rumours suggest that the commissioner nominees’ names may not have been finalized at the time of letter submission to the House of Assembly. Speculation are ripe that the Governor employed the submission to meet constitutional deadlines while allowing more time for nominee selection.
The commissioner nominees list, traditionally representing the 16 local government areas of the state, is expected to feature allies and political associates who contributed to Governor Abdulrazaq’s second-term victory.
According to Alhaji Kareem Olayiwola, Clerk of the Assembly, plenary on Monday is scheduled to commence at 9 am.
