The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bamidele Oleyelogun

  • NLC tasks lawmakers on quality representation

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ondo State council, has urged lawmakers in the newly inaugurated 9th Assembly in the state to enact bills that would bring  quality representation to their people.

    This  appeal is contained in a press statement issued on Sunday in Akure by the  state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Sunday Adeleye to congratulate the lawmakers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 9th Assembly was inaugurated last Monday.

    Adeleye said that  the lawmakers as the direct representatives of the people should  work hard to give quality representation through the  passage into laws of  bills that would impact positively on the people of the state.

     

    “NLC believes that the re-election of the Speaker, Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun and his Deputy, Hon. Ogundeji Iroju as presiding officers of the Assembly is a clear indication that they will act as the  bridge between the government and the people.

    “The Congress urges the lawmakers to regularly visit and interact with their constituents for them  to understudy  their challenges and how government can address such,” he said.

    Adeleye also  urged  the 9th assembly to always  interface with  the relevant stakeholders, including the organised labour unions  on how to move the state forward.

    “It  stressed the need for the new parliamentarians to pay more attention to their oversight functions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    Read Also: NLC accuses Ngige of intimidating Organised Labour

    “It is the opinion of the NLC that such will put the executive arm on their toes to implement laws and budgetary provisions passed by the Assembly for the benefit of the masses.

    ” The  union also  appeals to the  lawmakers to take labour friendly decisions that will motivate and enhance the productivity of the state workforce.

    “The Assembly should give maximum support to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to implement the new minimum wage of N30,000 in the state.

    “The workers’ union also advises the Assembly of the need to develop a smooth working relationship with Gov. Akeredolu and be guided by the principle of checks and balance in government.”

    It  wished  the new lawmakers a successful tenure.

  • Ondo lifts suspension on 15 lawmakers

    To receive entitlements

    The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday lifted suspension earlier placed on 15 members of the Assembly over their roles in the purported impeachment of the leaders of the parliament.

    Speaker of the House, Bamidele Oleyelogun, who announced the suspension on the floor of the House at the plenary sitting hinged the decision on the intervention of the stakeholders and notable leaders within and outside the state.

    Other lawmakers present at the plenary were the Deputy speaker, Ogundeji Iroju; Kuti Towase; Jamiu Maito; Felemu-Gudu Bankole; Sunday Olajide; Prince Abayomi Akinruntan; Oluyede Feyide and Kaseem Suleiman.

    Oleyelogun said the decision to lift the suspension earlier placed on the 15 lawmakers was reached at the parliamentary meeting held by members shortly before the plenary sitting.

    Read Also: Ondo Varsity graduates 5,252

    The affected lawmakers are  Olamide George;  Abimbola Fajolu; Malachi Coker; Araoyinbo Olugbenga; Ade Adeniyi; Sola Ebiwonjumi; Olusegun Ajimotokin; Tuyi Akintimehin and Jumoke Akindele.

    Others are Fasogbon Akinyele; Olugbenga Akinsoyinu;  Samuel Arowele; Vincent Obadiah; Fatai Olotu and Mukaila Musa.

    The Speaker also directed the Clerk of the House,Bode Adeyelu to immediately process all the entitlements of the affected lawmakers.

  • Police beef up security, as Ondo Assembly embark on indefinite adjournment

    Security has been beefed up around the premises of the Ondo state House of Assembly complex, Igbatoro road, Akure, the state capital.

    The Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun, has also announced the indefinite suspension of 15 lawmakers of the Assembly who were among the 18 lawmakers that purportedly impeached him at the floor of the house on Friday.

    The suspended lawmakers also include Olamide George, who was said to have been elected as the new Speaker during a rowdy session.

    The affected lawmakers were suspended over ‘unruly conduct’ at the plenary sitting presided over by the Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun.

    Oleyelogun described his purported impeachment as laughable, insisting that he remained the Speaker of the House.

    He said no impeachment at all and nothing has changed in the House. He described those who purportedly impeached him as comedians, adding that their action is capable of putting the name of the Honourable House into disrepute.

    According to him, what happened in the Assembly was an  internal crisis of the House which would  be resolved soon.

    At the plenary sitting, Acting Majority Leader, Jamiu Maito moved a motion for the adoption of proceedings of last sitting which was seconded by Sunday Olajide.

    Read Also: Breaking: Ondo Assembly Speaker, Deputy impeached

    The Clerk of the House, Mr. Bode Adeyelu read a request from Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for an executive bill seeking the establishment of the Consumer Protection Council which was however stepped down till the next sitting.

    The Speaker expressed his displeasure over the conduct of the 15 lawmakers earlier in the day, saying their behaviour was capable of putting the state into unnecessary crisis. He,  therefore announced their indefinite suspension.

    Maito then moved the motion for the indefinite adjournment of the house which was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji.

    Other lawmakers suspended include, Abimbola Fajolu; Malachi Coker; Araoyinbo Olugbenga; Ade Adeniyi; Sola Ebiwonjumi; Olusegun Ajimotokin;  Tuyi Akintimehin and Jumoke Akindele.

    The rest are Fasogbon Akinyele; Olugbenga Akinsoyinu; Samuel Arowele; Vincent Obadiah; Fatai Olotu; Mukaila Musa;

    The speaker said the suspended lawmakers should not be seen around the Assembly premises. The House thereafter adjourned plenary sitting indefinitely.

  • Akeredolu signs N181.42bn 2018 appropriation bill into law

    Akeredolu signs N181.42bn 2018 appropriation bill into law

    Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Tuesday signed the N181. 42 billion 2018 appropriation bill into law.

    In his speech while signing the bill in Akure, Akeredolu that his administration would concentrate more on capital projects to bridge the huge infrastructure deficit in the state.

    He lamented the huge concentration of previous budgets on recurrent expenditure, adding that it was worrisome considering the low level of development in the state.

    Akeredolu assured that the budget would advance the course of development in the state and ensure that governance was spread to majority of the people not employed by government.

    Read also: Ajimobi, Akeredolu, Fayemi, others celebrate Ayo Afolabi at 70

    Reports say that N80.92 billion of the budget, representing 46 per cent, was for capital expenditure while N78.588 billion, representing 43.3 per cent was set aside for recurrent expenditure.

    The budget was increased from N171.23 billion to N181.42 billion by the state House of Assembly.

    According to the governor, debt service will take N13.6 billion which is 7.5 per cent while statutory transfers to Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission and Local Governments is N8.30 billion, representing 4.6 per cent.

    “The sum of N78.58 billion which represents 43.3 per cent is set aside for recurrent expenditure.

    “Put simply, this amount will be expended on salaries, allowances and grants. This is still very much on the high side considering the state of our development,” he said.

    Akeredolu, who also signed the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme Bill into law, said the bill would allow every resident access to good health care services.

    He said the law would ensure that all residents of Ondo State have financial protectionand physical access to quality and affordable health care services

    “It will also protect families from the financial hardship posed by huge medical bills, regulate the rise in the cost of health care services.

    “It will ensure that the poor and vulnerable shall be guaranteed the basic minimum package as defined under the National Health Act,” the governor said.

    Akeredolu said the law ensured equitable distribution of health care costs across different income groups and maintain high standard of health care delivery services within the health sector.

    According to him, the law had made provisions for efficiency in health care service delivery and would encourage private sector participation in the provision of health care services among others.

    Similarly, the governor has also signed the Ondo State Social Protection bill into law, to promote the well-being of the people.

    Earlier, the Speaker of the assembly, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, advised citizens of the state to see government property as theirs, and praised the assembly Committee on Appropriation for working as a team which ensured speedy passage of the bill.

    NAN

  • Ondo Assembly approves repayment of N27bn bond by 3 years

    Ondo Assembly approves repayment of N27bn bond by 3 years

    Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday approved three years extension for the repayment of the state government N27 billion bond inherited from the previous administration.

    The House’s resolution followed a letter by Gov. Olurotimi Akeredolu, seeking the lawmakers’ approval to restructure the payment period of the bond.

    Akeredolu said in the letter that restructuring of the payment period of the bond would enable the state government to attend to other financial expenses.

    The House, at the plenary presided over by its Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun, unanimously approved additional tenure of three years for repayment of the bond.

    The House also agreed that restructuring of the bond would reduce the state monthly debt services and inject more funds to the recurrent expenditure.

    The House Majority Leader, Mr Olusegun Araoyinbo, while debating on the governor’s request, said that the letter should be given express approval.

    Araoyinbo said that this would enable the state government to make more fund available to cater for relevant items in the recurrent expenditure.

    He explained that about N775.88 million was scheduled to be deducted monthly from the allocation accruing to the state within the period of 2012 and 2019.

    According to him, this has actually reduced the financial strength of the state.

    The majority leader said that if the House could approve the bond restructuring, “the state will be saving about N400 million at the end of every month’’.

    According to him, if the loan repayment period is rescheduled to between 2019 and 2022, the monthly repayment will come down to N311.11 million.

    Also at the plenary, a bill for an amendment of the 2017 Appropriation Bill sent by the governor scaled through the second reading.

    The speaker, however, referred the bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation for proper scrutiny.

    NAN