Jigawa State House of Assembly is the legislative branch of Jigawa State, Nigeria, inaugurated on December 14, 1991. It is a unicameral body with 30 members elected into 30 state constituencies. The current Speaker of the State Assembly is Hon. Idris Garba.
Jigawa State House of Assembly is one of the 36 State Houses of Assembly in the Federation. In 1991 under the leadership of General Ibrahim Babangida General Elections was organized and Members were elected into the State House of Assembly on 14, December 1991. The Fourth Republic House of Assembly was inaugurated in 1999 by the second Executive Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki elected under the platform of the ANPP and by then, the number of the House of Assembly members was reduced to 30. In 2003 another set of 30 members were inaugurated by the same Ibrahim Saminu Turaki who secured his second term as Governor in the 2003 elections.
Law Making: Principally, the State House of Assembly is to make laws for the peace, order and good governance of the State in respect of matters not in the Exclusive legislative list but in Concurrent list. It could also legislate on other matters with which it is empowered by the Constitution to do so. Deliberative Function: Before any Bill is passed into law, or a resolution taken on any matter before the House, members must procedurally, engage in a careful and meticulous deliberation of all the facts therein, to arrive at definite and worthy decisions.
Administrative Function (Confirmation of Appointments): The House of Assembly participates in the appointment process. Under Section 192(2) persons nominated for appointment as Commissioners, State Chief Judge, Board members and Chairmen of Parastatals etc. require the Confirmation of the State House of Assembly for such appointments to be valid.
Oversight investigative function: This function is contained in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution. Here the State House of Assembly is empowered to carry out investigations within its competence to prevent and expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws. It is empowered to procure evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial as it may deem necessary and also to examine any witness whose evidence may be material to the subject matter. The primary aim of this function is to promote efficiency, transparency and due process in the running of the affairs of the State.
Quasi-Judicial Function: The State House of Assembly performs this important function through the impeachment and removal from office, of members of the executive. Under section 143 and 188' of the 1999 Constitution, the State Governor and his Deputy are liable to impeachment. This is the process by which the legislature formally brings charges against the Governor or his Deputy with a view to his trial and removal from Office if found guilty as charged.
Judicial Function: The State House of Assembly is empowered to regulate its Proceedings including control over the conduct of members during Sessions. Such members or even non-members may be tried summarily for contempt and punished without the right of appeal to law Courts. Again the State Assembly can conduct a trial as if it were a Court of Law. It may thus issue a Warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails to do so.
The Jigawa State House of Assembly consists of 30 elected representatives from each constituency.
