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  • Assembly restates commitment to eradicating SGBV

    Assembly restates commitment to eradicating SGBV

    • By Oluwatosin Adams

    The Lagos State House of Assembly has expressed its commitment to reducing the menace of domestic and sexual violence to the barest minimum in the state.

    Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Hon. Saad Lukman Olumoh, made the commitment when members of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) visited the assembly last Tuesday to adorn members of the state assembly with purple ribbons in commemoration of the Domestic and sexual violence awareness month.

    Hon. Olumoh reassured  the agency of their continued support in the fight against the menace through the enactment  and promulgation of laws that are geared towards mitigating the menace.

    A statement issued by the Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Adejoke Ladenegan-Oginni stated  the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Princess Omolara Oyekan-Olumegbon and other  members of the House proffered various suggestions which are critical in ensuring that the war against Sexual and Gender Based Violence(SGBV)  is won.

    Whilst appreciating the House for their commitment and dedication to the fight against SGBV, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi  appreciated the House for their support and commitment towards ensuring a Lagos State, free from all forms of SGBV.

    Mrs.  Vivour- Adeniyi , during the ceremony, thanked the honourable members of the House for the opportunity to adorn them with purple ribbons which symbolises domestic violence awareness.

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    “This event is symbolic and in commemoration of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month which has been designated for the month of September in keeping up with the statutory mandate of heightening  awareness and ensuring residents of Lagos are appropriately informed about the issues of SGBV,  penalties when flouted and most importantly inform of support services that exist that they can take advantage of.

    “We use this medium to however solicit for the your continuous support in ensuring that the relevant criminal laws on Sexual and Gender Based Violence are passed and implemented  till we rid our dear State of all forms of abuse and SGBV.” Vivour-Adeniyi said.

  • Report of 2019 Lagos Budget laid before Assembly by appropriation committee

    THE Appropriation Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly has laid its report on the 2019 Budget before the House at plenary.

    Also laid before the House after the resumption from two-month recess was the report on the bill to amend the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Law by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Adefunmilayo Tejuoso.

    Both reports were laid before the House at plenary yesterday after the lawmakers resumed sitting.

    The Appropriation Committee had earlier scrutinised the budget estimate of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in readiness for eventual passage of the budget.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, last February, laid the 2019 Budget before the Assembly, in line with the provision of the constitution.

    The bill was eventually committed to the Appropriation Committee for closer consideration and necessary legislative duties before final recommendation by the committee to the entire House for passage.

    However, various standing House committees have performed their oversight on the MDAs budgets in fulfillment of the process of budget consideration.

    Presenting the report, Appropriation Committee Chairman Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency I, said the committee had the mandate of the leadership of the House to thoroughly scrutinise the budget estimates of MDAs without prejudice or compromise to make sure that probity, transparency and accountability remain front-burner that would propel the 2019 budget to achieve optimum performance and consequently impact on the lives of all Lagosians.

    According to him, Lagosians deserve the best infrastructure and other socio-economic growth that any performing budget could achieve, hence the need for the committee to painstakingly peruse, observe and do justice on estimates submitted by the MDAs.

    He affirmed that the mandate of the committee is clear on the 2019 budget consideration, which was to achieve greatness and make life meaningful for the people of Lagos State.

  • Assembly rejects suspended agency’s boss’ apology

    The Kano State House of Assembly yesterday turned down an apology letter sent to the House by the suspended Managing Director of Kano Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Malam Bala Inuwa.

    The lawmakers rejected the apology tendered by Inuwa shortly after the Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru Rurum, who presided over the plenary session read the letter to the House.

    According to Rurum, the suspended managing director in the letter said his action was not intended to disrespect the legislators and the assembly.

    A member representing Tarauni Constituency, Alhaji Abubakar Zakari while contributing to the debate, said that Inuwa should first apologise through the media before the apology will be considered by the assembly.

    Zakari said the suspended managing director was heard on radio interview boasting that the legislature has no power to suspend him.

    “The suspended managing director must go through the media first and apologise to the legislators. What he did was capable of tarnishing the image of the assembly,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zakari submission was debated and supported by the members.

    The members adopted the submission and ordered Inuwa to appear before the House committee on Agriculture to resolve the issue.

    NAN also reports that the committee was given six days to present its report before the House.

    NAN recalls that the assembly had ordered the state government to suspend the Managing Director following his failure to appear before the House committee on Agriculture to defend the proposed 2019 budget.

    The assembly declared zero allocation to the agency due to the failure of the managing director to appear before the house to defend the proposed budget.

  • Court restrains Kogi governor, Assembly from removing CJ

    The High Court of Justice at Koton-Karfe in Kogi State, presided over by Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, has restrained the governor and the House of Assembly from removing the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Nasir Ajanah and the Chief Registrar of the High Court of the state, Yahaya Adamu.

    It also restrained their agents or privies from acting or threatening to act or interfering in any way detrimental to the interest of the two judicial officers in their duties pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice before the court.

    The court also restrained the defendants from acting on or accepting, debating or taking cognisance, in any way, of the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee set up by the House of Assembly to investigate an alleged “impasse” between the Judicial and Executive arms of the government of Kogi State.

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    These interim orders were made in an ex-parte application brought by Yemi Mohammed on behalf of the CJ and the Chief Registrar.

    Delivering ruling on the application, Justice Omolaye-Ajileye held that on the strength of the facts contained in the affidavit in support of the motion and the attached documents, an urgent intervention of the court was required “to maintain the status quo ante bellum between the parties, lest the claimants/applicants be clogged with a fait accompli”.

    He ordered that the processes of the action be served on all the parties and adjourned the matter till December 18 for the hearing of the substantive motion.

     

  • Ahmed presents N158b budget estimate to Assembly

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday presented N157.5 billion as 2019 budget estimate to the House of Assembly.

    The 2019 budget shows a marginal increase of N1 billion over this year’s budget.

    The Appropriation Bill is named: Budget of Consolidation and Prosperity.

    Presenting the Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly, Ahmed said next year’s draft budget is designed to focus on the successful completion of projects across the state.

    The governor said the implementation of the budget would enable the government to consolidate on the gains of the past years in the provision of social amenities.

    Ahmed, who said the overall performance of this year’s budget was 60.5 per cent, added that next year’s budget is premised on improved internally generated revenue (IGR) through land administration for sustainable economic growth and development.

    He said: “The 2019 draft budget is designed to focus on the successful completion of ongoing projects and the effective implementation of programmes and projects which have direct bearing the people’s wellbeing. This direction will enable the government to consolidate on the gains of the past years in the provision of social amenities for our people.

    “Furthermore, the 2019 budget will only be partially implemented by this administration. Therefore, it is imperative that we put our revenue and expenditure on a sound footing to guarantee that the incoming administration takes off effectively…

    “The economic and fiscal environment in which the 2019 budget will be implemented will not be significantly different from that of the 2018 budget due to a generally uncertain economic environment with a predicted effect on unstable revenue profile.

    “The 2018 budget was principally designed to build a vibrant and robust economy and ensure that the citizens of Kwara State are prosperous. As of September 2018, the overall budget performance was 60.5 per cent. The capital expenditure recorded 41.4 per cent while recurrent expenditure was 79.4 per cent.”

    Of the total budget, N77.720 billion or 49 per cent is for recurrent expenditure while N79.784 billion or 51 per cent is for capital expenditure.

    Ahmed said his administration projects that the state will get N49.940 billion or 31.7 per cent from the Federation Account; N11.387 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT); N24.41 billion as the state’s share of expected revenue refunds due to the state from the Federal Government and N33.970 billion as internally generated income.

     

     

  • ‘How police secured Akwa Ibom Assembly’

    AKWA Ibom State House of Assembly Complex would have been razed following the crisis resulting from the sack of five All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers by the Speaker, Onofiok Luke, last week, it was learnt.

    A statement by the police spokesman, Odiko Macdon, said the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, addressed reporters at the weekend.

    According to him, the timely deployment of operatives prevented hoodlums from torching the complex.

    Rather than accuse the police of partisanship and conspiracy in the crisis, Kimo said the police should be praised for saving the state from the tragedy that would have befallen it.

    The statement absolved the police of complicity with any party in the crisis, insisting the police was professional in handling the situation.

    He urged the people to be calm and law abiding, assuring them that the police would always protect life and property, as well as maintain law and order.

    The statement reads: “On November 19, the seats of the five lawmakers from APC were declared vacant, leading to tension. Consequent upon this, and to forestall breakdown of law and order, the police command took a proactive step by deploying security personnel around the Assembly complex.

    “This measure helped to prevent the Assembly complex from being burnt or vandalised and ensure that no one died.

    “I call on the people to remain calm and law abiding as the police will not be derailed from performing its constitutional mandate of protecting life and property, and maintaining law and order. This we will continue to do in a most professional and non-partisan way.”

    Macdon urged the people to eschew the blame game and partner the police and other security agencies to sustain peace.

  • Assembly moves to raise mobilisation fees to 40%

    Lagos State House of Assembly has raised from the 20 per cent advance payment for public project is longer feasible if jobs are to be speedily delivered, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said yesterday.

    He spoke at a public hearing on a bill seeking to amend the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency Law at the  Lateef Jakande Hall of the Assembly Complex.

    The stakeholders’ meeting was organised by the House Committee on Finance.

    Obasa said the review was aimed at making the law more functional so that people-oriented projects were delivered speedily in good quality.

    Represented by Deputy, speaker Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, Obasa said procurement was all about accountability, probity and reduction of corruption.

    He said the House would work for the people by having a procurement law that would serve them and ensure speedy delivery of infrastructural projects.

    “There are projects that require speedy completion. The delivery of government projects within reasonable time is key to the Assembly.

    “Our people desire services as early as possible. There are projects the government wants to finish in time, 20 per cent (advance payment) cannot work again and the law has to be dynamic.

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    “We will ensure increase in the mobilisation fee for projects. The job cannot be completed in time with 20 per cent mobilisation.”

    Majority Leader Sanai Agunbiade noted that the extant law had 82 sections, saying the House saw some sections that should be changed to meet the present reality.

    He said the amendment affected Section 4, which dealt with appointment of the board by the governor, subject to the confirmation of the House, to have best hands.

     

     

  • Assembly frowns at ‘killings’ by Customs

    Lagos State House of Assembly has called on the Presidency to caution Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officers against what it called reckless killings while chasing suspected rice smugglers.

    It urged the government to commiserate with the families of those who died during such occurrences.

    David Setonji (Badagry Constituency 2) spoke yesterday on the issue under matters of urgent public importance during plenary.

    He recalled the incident that claimed the life of Mrs. Patience Oni on November 20, adding that many were injured.

    The lawmaker urged the House to caution the Customs before more people are killed.

    Ibrahim Layode (Badagry 1) said the matter must not be swept under the carpet. He urged Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to ensure the prosecution of those arrested.

    Rasheed Makinde (Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 2) also spoke of someone who was killed when Customs officers pursued rice smugglers.

    He said: “This incident is rampant in the state. I wouldn’t know why Customs officers will chase smugglers within the state, when their job is limited to borders.”

    Majority Leader Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1) said the Customs must compensate the bereaved  family, adding that though this would not bring the woman back to life.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa stressed the need to write to the Presidency to caution Customs officers on what he called their excesses.

    He said: “This shows Nigerian Customs is inefficient to manage the borders. The Clerk of the House should send a letter to the Presidency on the prayers of the House.”

    The Assembly read for the second time, a bill for a law to amend the Lagos State Security Trust Fund law presented by Funmilayo Tejuosho, chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy.

    Lagos State audit law amendment bill was also read for the second time.

    The House committed the bills to the House Committee on Public Accounts (State) and directed the committee to report back to the House in two weeks.

     

  • We’re coming to take over the Assembly – Fleeing Ondo lawmakers

    Sixteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly who fled the state for safety after the impeachment of the Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun and his deputy,Ogundeji Iroju, have indicated their readiness to return to the hallowed chamber and take charge of its leadership. A statement signed by the principal officers and read by the Speaker, Olamide George, called for immediate arrest of the State NURTW Chairman, Jacob Adebo (Idajo) and six other officials of the union.

    The lawmakers alleged that after the impeachment, election and swearing in of Olamide George as the new speaker and Abimbola Fajolu as deputy speaker, men of the State Police  Command, led by the Commissioner of Police,  Gbenga Adeyanju stormed the Speaker’s office to “maintain” a law and order that was never in danger of being breached. According to the statement, “Thugs visited an unimaginable violence on members and staff alike, injuring many and destroying  properties under the watchful eyes and direct supervision of the Commissioner of Police and his men. Curiously, the CP did not lift a finger to help and made no efforts to stop the thugs or to arrest the situation or anyone.

    “In a twist of an already macabre story, the Police have taken to hounding, witch hunting and intimidating the members who participated in the impeachment based on a frivolous allegation of forgery made against them by two lawmakers, Olajide Sunday and Sola Oluyede. It is noteworthy that our members had taken the case to the Vice- President who  asked Governor Fayemi Kayode to step in and resolve the impasse that had ensued between the Governor-backed minority  nine men and the 16 men who were dissatisfied with the then status quo.

    “It is instructive that at the meeting with the Vice President, it was proved beyond any doubt  that the forgery crying duo did sign the petition and merely lied to protect their return tickets granted them by the governor”. The lawmakers lamented that the same Police that could not arrest  one thug among over 200 that invaded the House, has not even deemed it fit to invite NURTW leader for questioning.

    Instead,the lawmakers said, they have been intimidating them to come and answer for a case of forgery which even the weakest attempt at investigation would have shown them was false.The statement reads” We wish to state that we have been made fugitives because of the on-going threats to our lives and the lives of our families by Idajo and his men. We have been prevented from going about our lawful businesses by the continual presence of hordes of thugs who have made the House of Assembly their offices since  November 9.

    “We also demand that the CP, Adeyanju, should be relieved of his self-serving zeal to investigate this matter and hereby call on the highest authority of the Nigeria Police to assume this responsibility to forestall a possible breakdown of law and order in Ondo State”. The lawmakers stressed that as they intended to return to the Assembly to take up their  lawful posts in the Assembly ,they should not be intimidated by any external forces.

     

  • Assembly confirms auditor-general’s appointment

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday confirmed the nomination of Mrs. Adesumbo Idiat Abolarin as the auditor- general for local governments.

    Abolarin, was screened on October 30 on forensic auditing and other activities.

    She graduated in Accounting from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN.

    Abolarin worked at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and has been in the civil service since 1994.

    In another development, Majority Leader Sanai Agunbiade has called for the review of some bills to make the state’s law stronger and functional.

    They include, the   Public Procurement Agency Amendment Bill, Lagos State Security Trust Fund Amendment Bill, Environmental Management and Protection Bill, Transport Sector Reform Amendment Bill, Urban and Regional Planning and Development Amendment Bill as well as the Public/Private Partnership Amendment Bill 2018. They all scaled the first reading.