“Indeed, Mr. Speaker has brought to bear the attributes of humility, diligence and experience and, above all, the concern of the people in his administration”.
The above was part of a Motion for a Vote of Confidence on the leadership style of Rt Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini in December 2020, following a plot by a group of members of the Taraba State House of Assembly to remove him and pave way for the impeachment of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku.
The title of the Motion read, “The Need for the Honourable House to Pass a Vote of Confidence on This Administration, Led by His Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, and the Leadership of the House, Led by Mr Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dr. Joseph Albasu Kunini”.
It was co-sponsored by Hon. Anderifun Timothy Habila (PDP), member representing Ussa state constituency; Hon. Dr Tafarki Agbadu Eneme (PDP), member representing Kurmi state constituency; Hon. Dr Mohammed D. Gwampo, member representing Yorro state constituency; and Hon. Suleiman Abbas (APC), member representing Gassol II state constituency.
The sponsors of the Motion on the Vote of Confidence on the Speaker and his Deputy, Hon. Hamman’Adama Ibn Abdulla, cited sterling leadership, accountability, diligence, humility, camaraderie, transparency, result-oriented and landmark achievements in the 9th Assembly, coupled with mutual and harmonious relationship with the Executive in the state as some of the reasons for their joint action.
The sponsors of the Vote of Confidence, therefore, wondered why the masterminds of the plot to impeach the Speaker and his Deputy, and eventually impeach the Governor, would contemplate such unpatriotic act, since the House of Assembly had earlier, in February 2020, unanimously passed a Vote of Confidence on the administration in the state, citing developmental strides by the administration.
According to them, “This Honourable House also NOTES with satisfaction and admiration that since then many other projects and programmes which were then on the drawing board have commenced implementation in earnest. Indeed, as this administration draws nearer to the end of its tenure, it is becoming more and more purposeful, focused and determined, even more for an effective, accountable, transparent and result-oriented.
“This Honourable House in the same vein is IMPRESSED by the performance of its leadership under the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Dr. Joseph Albasu Kunini, and the Deputy, Hon. Hamman’Adama B. Abdullahi, that under the present dispensation the relationship between the Executive and Legislature is full of mutual respect, cordiality and harmony”.
Against this background, the sponsors of the Motion on the Vote of Confidence on both the leadership of the House of Assembly and the Governor condemned in very strong terms what they described as “unwarranted, incharitable and false mass media reports” on the leadership of the House of Assembly which they believed were wishful thinking of the masterminds and the authors of the media reports.
Rt. Hon. Kunini is, indeed, an accomplished scholar, astute politician and quintessential legislator. He was first elected into the Taraba State House of Assembly in 2011 on the platform of the PDP where he chaired various standing committees including Rules, Business and Legislative Compliance; Finance, Appropriation, Budget and Planning; Environmental, Urban Development and Forestry Potentials.
He also served as Majority Leader for eight years (being the longest in the history of the state House of Assembly) before his election as Speaker on 2nd December 2019.
He sponsored several bills, prominent among them is the “Taraba State Violence and Discrimination Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill, 2020”, which is a domestication of the “Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act, 2015”.
His style of leadership and pedigree as the presiding officer of the state House of Assembly made him to stand shoulders taller than any of his predecessors. He brought to bear his scholarly background and human management ability which he built over the years by ensuring stability to the House of Assembly.
As the Speaker, even though his position in the Blue Chamber is indeed primus inter pares (“first among equals”), he calls his colleagues, “my bosses”.
Besides, his closeness to his constituents has clearly translated into his election into the State House of Assembly three times – 2011, 2015 and 2019.
He is quite generous and a philanthropic par excellence. Thus in recognition of his selfless service to humanity and philanthropic gesture as a public servant towards the downtrodden, he was conferred with several accolades by various local and international organisations: Fanta Adamu Biyam Memorial Foundation; Northern Nigeria Peace Foundation; Corporate and Media Africa Communications; National Council of Women’s Societies; Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria; National Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria; NOBIS Eye Centre, Jalingo; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; United Nations/POLAC Foundation for Peace Advocacy, Peace and Conflict Management, to mention just a few.
Bakoji is the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly
