Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has inaugurated the newly constructed Niger State House of Assembly complex in Minna.

Shortly after the inauguration in Minna, Mr Lawan commended Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello for embarking on the project.

He said it would provide an environment conducive for legislators to discharge their responsibilities effectively.

Mr Lawan also commended the governor for having the vision to build a legislature complex, adding that it was only someone with a vision for legislature that would commit the state resources to build such an edifice.

The Senate president described the legislature as the number one arm of government and expressed optimism that the members would make judicious use of the new complex.

He advised the incoming speaker to take advantage of the capacity building that would be carried out at the National Institute for Legislative Democratic Studies, recently commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Bello said the complex was to provide an environment conducive for legislators to perform constitutionally and provide additional office space for them and the staff for smooth operations.

He commended the leadership and assembly members for their support in providing good governance to the people throughout his tenure.

Mr Bello said his administration had always supported the members’ independence as an autonomous arm of government, which created mutual understanding in the discharge of executive and legislative duties.

Speaker of the House, Abdullahi Bawa, said the project would leave a mark in the history of legislative assignments in the state and commended the governor for the initiative.

“It is all tailored towards ensuring and enhancing the autonomy of the legislative arm of government.

“In the history of the legislative process in the state, the governor’s name will go down as one who aided the performance of the legislature in the state,” he said.

Earlier, Mamman Sani, the stage Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, explained that the complex consisted of 30 offices for members, designed with three floors of ground accommodation to house 30 members.

He added that the complex consisted of an entrance porch, eight committee rooms, a library, research, a cyber cafe, an e-library, a conference room for seminars and symposia, a 300-seater capacity and a public hearing room.

(NAN)