By Ogalla Daniel
The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Umar Yusuf Aliyu, has sought the collaboration of the executive arm of government to ensure that operations of the State Assembly are computerised to promote efficiency.
In addition, the Speaker is pushing for the recruitment of additional staff and enhanced staff welfare for optimal service delivery.
Hon. Aliyu who made the appeal while addressing the house during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo in Lokoja, described computerisation as very critical to the administration of day-to-day running of the State Assembly.
Rt. Hon. Aliyu, underscored the partneship between the legislative and executive arms of government as he formally welcomed him for his 2026 Appropriation Bill presentation.
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He used the forum to laud the Governor Ododo led administration for it’s commitment to “fiscal discipline, infrastructural development, security, and human capital investment,” noting significant strides in healthcare, education, road infrastructure, agriculture, and public financial management.
The Speaker called for enhanced legislative capacity while commending the governor for granting full autonomy to the State House of Assembly, a move he described as strengthening accountability and transparency.
The Speaker used the occasion to highlight key areas requiring executive support to enhance the legislature’s efficiency.
He noted the most critical appeal centered on the urgent need to fully computerize operations in the house.
“At present, of all the 36 states in the Federation, only two have not computerised their legislative operations, and unfortunately, Kogi State remains one of them,” Speaker Aliyu stated, stressing that addressing this gap is “essential to improving efficiency, documentation, research capacity and overall service delivery.”
Furthermore, the Speaker called for support in addressing a significant shortage of qualified personnel, appealing to the governor to strengthen the human resource base to meet a minimum requirement of 200 staff for optimal legislative performance. He also requested the provision of staff buses to ease transportation difficulties for the Assembly’s workforce.
On budget review and partnership , he reaffirmed the 8th Assembly’s resolve to maintain a harmonious Executive and Legislative relationship. He emphasised that this synergy was crucial for sustaining good governance.
He assured Governor Ododo of the Assembly’s commitment to a thorough, transparent, people-centred, and development-driven budget review process.
The Speaker also used the platform to personally acknowledge the governor’s visit during his recent health challenge, describing it as a reflection of Governor Ododo’s genuine empathy and humane disposition.”
The presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill marks the official commencement of the budget process, with the Speaker calling on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to “honour the invitations of our Standing Committees for budget appraisal and defence” to ensure timely consideration of the estimates.
Rt. Hon. Aliyu concluded by pledging the Assembly’s commitment to “diligence, cooperation and responsible oversight,” ensuring the budget reflects the aspirations and welfare of the people of Kogi State.
