The present members of the KDSHA to say the least are the worst set of legislatures the state have witnessed. Many of them have lost touch with the electorates talk less of consulting them on matters of state policies and programs.
Some have reduced themselves to being the mouthpiece of El-Rufa'i.
While many of them are yet to come to terms with what their responsibilities are to the citizens, you will find that many of them lack focus and are selfish. It is on record that the government owned legislative residential quarters was auctioned to the members immediately upon their swearing-in at a give away prices. They have passed many laws that are anti-poor. They have also not spoken against all the unpopular policies introduced by the El-Rufa'i administration. Like the sacking of traditional rulers, demolition of houses, demolition of market places, the planned sacking of civil servants in both state and local governments councils and as well as sacking of teachers.
Investigative research reported some members to confessing that they were totally unaware of the $350m external loan request by the state government, even though the KDSHA had given consent, until the matter became public and controversial.
Unfortunately, as it is today, the 34 members of Kaduna State House Assembly have been reduced to El-Rufa'i's "RUBBER STAMP".
The reasons why El-Rufa'i was able to manipulate them are not far fetched. One factor is in the dubious budgetary allocation to the house.
Below is a summary of the KDSHA draft 2018 budget.
Personnel cost
N463, 469,504.71
Overhead cost
N2,478,830,773.00
Total Recurrent N2,942,300,277.71
Total capital
N546,320,730.00
Top 10 questionable allocations in recurrent include:
1. International travel estcode
N189, 593,600.00
2. International training
N126, 628,800.00
3. Local training
N117, 465, 600.00
4. Newspapers N27,000,000.00
5. Food stuff/ catering equipments
N9,126,400.00
6. Overseas medical
N20,000,000.00
7. Insurance premium N64,059,922.00
8. Welfare
N254,619,994.00
9. Committees & Commission
N1,273,167,400.00
10. Entertainment & hospitality N218,390,000.00
For goodness sake; amidst poverty and unemployment why should the KDSHA that has just 34 members spend these huge sums of money on frivolous items?
The KDSHA combined total recurrent of N2.9 billion is KASTELEA's over 2,000 marshals personnel cost budget for 3 years.
These huge allocation could also be channelled in planning and execution of major infrastructure project like equipping of the 300 - bed specialist bed hospital in the Millenium city and or carry out numerous expansion project of the Kaduna state university (KASU).
In case members have forgotten so soon, let all of them be reminded that this is a government of change and the electorate have become more sophisticated than they have ever been.
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