During its plenary session on Tuesday, the Bauchi State House of Assembly adopted Hausa as its second language for debates and other legislative discussions.
The adoption came after a motion moved by Hon. Auwal Hassan of the Shira Constituency, calling for the inclusion of Hausa Language as a second language alongside English in conducting the House’s business.
Hon. Auwal Hassan argued that English is the official language used in governmental and non-governmental institutions in Nigeria.
He referred to Section 97 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Order 3 Rule 8 of the Standing Orders of the Bauchi State House of Assembly 2017, which state that proceedings and debates should be conducted in English but the House may also conduct its business in other languages spoken in the State.
He suggested that since Hausa is the most widely spoken language in Bauchi State, used by over 90% of the population, it should be adopted as the second official language for conducting House business.
Hon. Musa Wakili Nakwada of the Bogoro Constituency seconded the motion, commending the mover and recalling that he had presented a similar motion in the 9th Assembly.
After the debate, Speaker Abubakar Sulaiman put the motion to a voice vote, and the House unanimously adopted it.
During the same plenary session, Majority Leader Hon. Saleh Hodi Jibir, representing Disina Constituency, moved a motion calling for the adoption of the Bauchi State Standing Orders 2017 (as amended).
Hon. Jibir explained that Standing Orders are rules agreed upon by the House to govern its proceedings in the Chamber and Committees, emphasizing that the House cannot operate without standing rules.
He proposed that the House should adopt the standing orders from the previous Assembly until the existing rules are reviewed or amended to improve legislative service delivery.
Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Babayo Muhammad of the Hardawa Constituency seconded the motion.
The Speaker put the motion to a voice vote, and the Members voted in favour.
Under personal explanation, the new Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Saleh Hodi Jibir, expressed gratitude to their respective parties and the Members for their approval.
He also thanked Governor Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad and the leaders of the two political parties and urged the management and staff to assist them in carrying out their responsibilities.
Hon. Hodi emphasized that their positions are a collective responsibility and that they need the contributions of the Members and the staff of the House. He prayed for guidance in carrying out their activities and promised to discharge their responsibilities according to the rules.
Under matters of urgent public importance, Hon. Garba Adamu of the Ganjuwa West Constituency drew attention to a bridge in Filin Shagari, Kariya Ward, which is on the verge of collapsing.
He stated that bringing the matter to the House was a last resort, as the bridge is expected to be washed away soon, and he requested government intervention.
In his remarks, the Speaker acknowledged that similar complaints were arising across the state during the rainy season, emphasizing the need for quick intervention.
Contributing to the discussion, Hon. Ladan Muhammad of the Ganjuwa East Constituency mentioned a similar problem in his constituency, where a bridge had recently collapsed.
He appealed to the executive arm of government to reconstruct the bridge, as it is the only road connecting the Soro Community to Kirfi Local Government.
Hon. Musa Wakili Nakwada of the Bogoro Constituency highlighted the danger posed by a bridge on the road linking Bogoro to Gobbiya, urging the government to take action. He suggested that a department be mandated to assess similar problems throughout the state before they occur.
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