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Tag: assembly

  • Assembly decries state of abattoirs

    Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture Chairman, Mr. Rasheed Makinde has condemned the condition of abattoirs, describing them as an eyesore.

    Makinde spoke yesterday when he led members on tour of government-owned abattoirs in Oko-Oba, Agege.

    The inspection followed a resolution on Tuesday on the unhygienic state of the abattoirs.

    According to Makinde, the condition of the Oko-Oba abattoir and the neglect of its facilities worrisome.

    He condemned the open slaughtering and processing of animals under filthy and unhygienic conditions describing them as unacceptable.

    Makinde said: “The state of Oko-Oba abattoir in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area is a far cry from a standard abattoir. The condition is very appalling, compared to some private-owned abattoirs.”

    He urged the Ministry of Agriculture, concessionaires and stakeholders to take steps to resuscitate the abandoned mechanised slaughter lines.

    Makinde said: “Meat is still conveyed from abattoirs on motorcycles, carts and other illicit means with impunity, contrary to the state regulations.”

    Read also: U.S. sure of credible elections in 2019

    He implored the Ministry of Environment and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) to intensify efforts to ensure that sanitation through constant clearing of drains, toilets and other waste from the abattoirs was sustained.

    The lawmaker said veterinary officers should ensure that quarantine sections were monitored by isolating ailing animals from healthy ones.

    House Committee on Public Account (Local) Chairman Bisi Yusuf (Alimosho Constituency 1) I and the Chairman, said most butchers did not adhere to laws and their association’s rules, which include wearing of gloves, dedicated uniforms and rubber boots, to prevent health hazards.

    The committee also visited the slaughter slabs at Ejigbo, Itire/Ikate, Igando, Army cantonment and Akowonjo.

  • Assembly passes tourism bill into law

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday at plenary passed into law, a bill to promote, market and develop the state domestically and internationally as a major tourist destination.

    The law titled, ‘A Bill for a Law to Provide for the Establishment  of the Lagos State Tourism Promotion Agency and for Connected Purposes’, is also to highlight the uniqueness of the state and assist the development of its tourism products and services.

    The law is to also among others “develop and promote the state as a premier travel and tourist destination; attract and increase tourist arrivals and direct tourism investment and identify and develop potential tourism destination.

    “It is to maximise the economic and social benefits of tourism; encourage and promote improved standards of tourist establishments, facilities,

    attractions and services offered to tourists.

    Read also: Lagos Assembly calls for caution on ‘Operation Velvet’

    “It is to enhance revenue generation for the state in the tourism sector; increase employment opportunity in the tourism sector and encourage active Public Private Partnership in the development of tourism.”

    The agency is also to formulate and implement campaigns and other strategies to promote the state locally and internationally as a major tourist destination; as well as facilitate the creation of investment opportunities for

    tourism development by focusing on beach and leisure, culture and

    heritage, arts and entertainment, nature and adventure, wellness and

    medical tourism among others.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa directed the Clerk, Mr. Azeez Sanni, to forward a clean copy of the bill to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for assent.

     

  • Refuse: Assembly orders PSP back to work

    •Visionscape disowned

    Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) to call on the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators to go back to refuse packing.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa gave the directive yesterday at plenary.

    He directed the Clerk, Mr. Azeez Sanni, to invite the Commissioner for the Environment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, to appear before the House on the matter next week.

    The directive followed a matter of urgent public importance raised by Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 1), who complained of heaps of refuse all over the state.

    He said there were heaps of refuse on Lagos roads.

    Yishawu said: “Some refuse are taken to Epe and Ikorodu, but it is a bit far now, as 300 instead of 800 trucks now dispose refuse.

    “We used to dump the refuse at Olusosun, but the place was gutted by fire. We can give the place to companies.

    “The sanitary land fill in Epe is not being utilised and the transfer loading stations too are not working. The turnaround time of packing the refuse is not being utilised.

    “It is not all the PSP operators that are working. May be we can recall the PSP operators and reopen Olusosun. The land fill sites should be operated properly.”

    Obasa said the government does not know anything about Visionscape.

    He said there are three arms of the government – the legislature, executive and judiciary, adding that the government ought to have consulted the House on Visionscape before they started operation.

    “We insist that we don’t know anything about Visionscape because we were not consulted before they started work.

    “We once wrote the Commissioner for Finance, Akinyemi Ashade, not to pay Visionscape again, saying he would return any money he paid to them after our instruction, to the government’s coffers. We will go to that when the time comes, but we have to do the needful now.

    “We are calling on the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs to meet the PSP operators, in order for them to go back to work. They should start paying them and make the residents to pay the operators. We have to avoid epidemic and be proactive,” Obasa said.

    He warned those stopping people from dumping refuse at the dumpsites to desist, saying he saw a lot of refuse trucks in a bad condition and that some of them have been abandoned.

    The Speaker said the House ought to have approved the new refuse disposal policy of the government before Visionscape started work.

    “We are inviting the commissioner for the Environment to report to us within one week. The Clerk should write the local governments and LCDAs to do the needful. The commissioner for the Environment should work on this and report to us in a week,” he said.

  • National Assembly postpones resumption date

    The National Assembly has postponed its resumption of plenary to October 9.
    A late statement by the Clerk to the National Assembly, M. A. Sani-Omolori gave the new date in a statement.
    The National Assembly had earlier scheduled the resumption of plenary session for September 25, 2018.
    “This is to inform all Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 25th September has been postponed to Tuesday 9th October due to the activities of the primaries of the political parties.
    “All Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 am on the 9th of October, please,” Sani-Omolori stated.

  • Fayose asks Assembly to okay N9.9b ‘revised budget’ one month to handover

    •Request backdated to August 30
    •Committee allegedly working secretly

    There is tension in Ekiti State House of Assembly following an order by Governor Ayo Fayose for the lawmakers to approve a supplementary Appropriation Bill of about N10 billion a month to his handover.

    The bill, which an Assembly source described as “curious”, was backdated to August 30.

    A copy of the bill with the governor’s signature was made available to The Nation in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, titled: “2018 Revised Budget.”

    The supplementary budget came at a time the controversy over the purchase of a 2018 Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) as a “parting gift” for the governor has not died down.

    In a letter conveying the bill, Fayose urges the lawmakers to approve N9,926,527,772.86 to be spent before he steps down from power on October 16.

    What the N9.92 billion would be expended on was sketchy at the time of filing this report.

    The outgoing governor, who has just 32 days in office, is expected to make way for the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who won the July 14 governorship election.

    Fayemi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag bearer, defeated Fayose’s anointed candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

    Transition Committee set up by Fayemi said documents from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed that Ekiti debt profile had risen from N18 billion when Fayemi left office in 2014 to N117 billion as at March.

    The Nation learnt that the supplementary Appropriation Bill was received at the office of the Clerk of the House of Assembly, Mr. Tola Esan, on September 10 at 3.40 p.m.

    The governor directed the lawmakers, who have been on recess since July 16, to work on the request and pass the bill “as early as possible”.

    It was gathered that Speaker Kola Oluwole had reached out to some members of the Appropriation Committee as work began on the bill without recourse to the parliamentary procedure.

    An Assembly official, who craved anonymity, said: “The lawmakers are to work on the bill and pass it quietly within the shortest possible time.

    “The usual parliamentary procedure of First and Second readings have been side-stepped as the committee members are to sit to approve the bill ahead of the deadline given by the governor.”

    According to a document attached to the 89-page budget prepared by the Ministry of Budget, the approved estimates for 2018 stood at N98,611,545,040.66, while the revised estimates sent to the Assembly stood at N108,538,072,813.52.

    It was also gathered that the governor’s request is the first of its kind this year, as no supplementary Appropriation Bill had been forwarded to the Assembly since the passage of this year’s budget.

     

  • Assembly confirms two nominees

    The Delta State House of Assembly yesterday screened and approved nominees for appointment as chairman and secretary of the Bureau of Local Government Pensions.

    The screening and approval followed a motion by Majority Leader Mr Tim Owhefere, and seconded by Mr Daniel Yingi, representing Burutu I Constituency, during plenary in Asaba.

    The motion for approval of the nominees was unanimously adopted by the Assembly, when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Benjamin Igo, a retired permanent secretary is the chairman; Dr Frank Atube, former director of Personnel Management, got the nod as secretary.

    The Assembly adjourned plenary till September 25.

  • Assembly seeks restriction of tankers’ movement

    •Group holds safety training

    Lagos State House of Assembly has called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to restrict the movement of heavy duty vehicles to between 9pm and early hours of the day.

    In a motion, with reference to last week’s tanker explosion on Otedola link bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan-Expressway, Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade called for a review of issues surrounding trailers’ movement in the state.

    The House urged the governor to direct the Commissioner for Transportation Dipo Lawanson to ensure that long vehicles did not ply the roads until 9pm.

    It urged the government to sanction long vehicle owners who did not ensure that their vehicles were road worthy.

    The House called for regulations on the type of vehicles to ply Lagos roads to avert a recurrence of such incident.

    Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said: “Our traffic law should be reviewed to reduce loss of lives on our roads. If the Otedola Bridge incident had happened at night, the casualty would have been minimal.”

    He directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni, to write to the government on the matter.

    A group, Safety Advocacy Empowerment Foundation, will hold an intensive training tomorrow for professionals and emergency response teams to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident.

    The training, tagged: “Technical safety action session on tankers and articulated vehicles,” is being organised in collaboration with All Safety Professional Organisations, as part of efforts to ensure safe movement of flammable products.

    The event will hold at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and industry in Alausa, Ikeja. According to the organisers, participants will learn modern techniques in fighting multiple fire and explosion.

     

     

  • Ahmed sends names of nominees to Assembly

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed yesterday submitted 19 names for commissioners to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

    Deputy Speaker Matthew Okedare read the governor’s letter at plenary.

    The governor called for a quick confirmation of the nominees to hasten implementation of his policies and programmes.

    Okedare directed the Clerk, Ahmed Katsina, to ensure that the nominees complete documentation on or before next Tuesday.

    Ahmed dissolved the former Executive Council on December 20.

    The nominees include Ademola Banu (Irepodun); Eleja Banu (Ilorin West); Ahmed Edu and Uhman Rifun (Patigi); Amos Justus (Ekiti); Sabi Baba Isiak (Baruteen).

  • Assembly passes confidence vote in Buhari

    Edo State House of Assembly yesterday passed confidence vote in President Muhammadu Buhari for embarking on projects.

    The Assembly condemned the motion for the Presidennt’s  impeachment, moved in the Senate by Matthew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South).

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Majority leader, Roland Asoro, (APC Orhionmwon South), moved the motion for the vote.

    Deputy Speaker Victor Edoror (APC Esan Central) seconded the motion.

    Asoro described the call for the  President’s impeachment by an Edo senator as an embarrassment to the people.

    He said the lawmaker did not consult with his constituents before moving the motion.

    The legislator said: “There is no reason to call for the President’s impeachment.

    ‘’He is doing well. It is difficult to rebuild what was destroyed by PDP in 16 years.

    “The President cannot fight insecurity without procuring the fighter jets,” the leader said.

    He said the President should be hailed for winning the war on corruption and insurgency.

    Other APC lawmakers condemned the impeachment motion and warned the opposition party to stop heating up the polity.

    At the end, the Assembly passed a cofidence vote in the President.

    The Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto, directed that copies of the resolution be sent to the President, the Senate, governor, and inspector-general of Police, among others.

  • Assembly okays N600m loan request

    The Delta State House of Assembly have granted a request by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to secure a loan of N600 million from Fidelity Bank.

    The N600 million, according to the governor’s letter of request to the House, is to enable the state meet its 50 per cent counterpart funding to access funds for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects from the Federal Government.

    The letter, read at plenary by Speaker Sheriff Oborevwori, was debated by members, after which it was resolved that the request be granted.

    The Assembly has called on the governor to aid windstorm victims in Emevor, Isoko North council.

    In a resolution, it said the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Delta State Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Bureau for Special Duties and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) should rescue the situation.

    The resolution followed a motion under matters of urgent public importance by Majority leader and member representing Isoko North, Tim Owhefere, seconded by  Johnson Erijo representing Isoko South II.

    Last week, property worth millions of naira, including houses and a secondary school in Isoko North, were destroyed by windstorm.

    The incident displaced over 60 families after their homes were destroyed in the downpour, which lasted about two hours.

    Over 50 electric poles and economic trees were affected.

    Some structures at James Welch Grammar School, Emevor, including a block of classroom and dormitory, had their roofs blown off.

    A resident, who simply gave his name as Idoro said: “The incident came as a surprise .The heavy wind came after a light shower pulled down the roofs of many houses, trees and other valuable property”.

    He appealed to the State government, corporate bodies and public spirited individuals to come to the aid of those affected by the windstorm.

    President-General, Emevor Community, Mr. Moses Agboro described the incident as a setback to the community.

    According to him, “What has happened is a disaster of unimaginable proportion .It has rendered many families homeless. I sincerely sympathise with affected families. With the extent of damage done to homes and buildings, one can only thank God that no single life was lost”.

    He urged individuals and corporate bodies and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as well as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for support.