Kwara Assembly Wants Saraki's Security Restored

The Kwara House of Assembly on Tuesday called on the Inspector General of Police and Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) to restore the security personnel withdrawn from Senator Bukola Saraki. The House's resolution followed a motion by the Majority Leader of the House, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu AbdulKareem on Tuesday. The motion, which was supported by the majority of the members, said the provision of security details to the former governor was in line with the 1999 Constitution(as amended) and the state's Pension Law 2010. AbdulKareem said similarly the state's Pension Law 2010 provided for security personnel to protect former governors and former deputy governors. Seconding the motion, Malam Kamaldeen Fagbemi representing Oke-Ogun Constituency said the withdrawal of the security details of the Senator and former Governor was contrary to the Constitution. "The withdrawal is illegal, uncalled for and a calculated attempt to endanger the life of the Senator," he said. Other lawmakers who spoke in the same vein were the Deputy Speaker of the House, Prof. Gana Yissa and Ebun Owolabi, who represents Ekiti Constituency. The Speaker, Alhaji AbdulRazak Atunwa, later told newsmen that he was ready to relinquish his security details to Sen. Bukola Saraki by Friday if the latter's security details were not returned. “I as Speaker have notified the Kwara State Police Commissioner that by Friday I will relinquish my security details to Dr. Bukola Saraki until such time that security details of Saraki are restored. “If the Nigeria Police do not deem it fit to protect the two-term Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then it is duplicitous to seek to protect a Speaker of the state Assembly,” he argued. In the meantime, the House has passed a bill changing the name of Kwara State University to Abubakar Olusola Saraki University (ASSU). The House passed the bill after adopting the report of its Committee on Education. The speaker directed the Clerk to the House to produce a clean copy of the bill for the governor's assent.