The Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to bail it out of financial mess.
It lamented the harsh situation of the hallowed chambers.
The lawmakers at a plenary session observed that the situation had got to a stage where they used papers to fan themselves due to enormous heat occasioned by lack of stable electricity and funds to power generators.
They emphasized that they were financially handicapped, stressing that they could not spend without the consent of the executives.
The legislators noted that the financial autonomy of the state of Assembly would go a long way in alleviating their financial predicament.
The Deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji raising a matter of urgent importance, appealed to Akeredolu to release fund to the parliament in order to embark on constituency projects which they never had been deprived of in the last three years.
The Minority leader, Sola Ebiwonjumi debunked reports that the state government had procured utility vehicles and gave them constituency funds.
The Speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun said the little contributions of the lawmakers to their constituencies were from personal efforts through loans.
Oloyelogun urged the governor to attend to their needs in the interest of true democratic values.
The Deputy Speaker, Ogundeji in a chat with ‘The Nation’ lamented that since the past three years,the state government had refused to release funds to them to execute projects in their respective constituencies.
He said” it has got to a stage our people at home are embarrassing us for having nothing to show for our representation in the past three years in the parliament.
“Former governor Olusegun Mimiko refused to release the fund in two years we spent with him,now we have spent one year with the incumbent Akeredolu’s administration,it is the same problem and we are having only one year left with nothing to show in our respective constituencies.
“In another clime, lawmakers are provided with utility vehicles the same day they took oath of office,but not in Ondo state, most of our members ride on ‘Okada’ to the hallowed chambers every day,those who can afford to own cars maintain them on their own.
“We had it as a rumour last year October that the state government had concluding arrangement to provide us utility vehicles, but it has remained a tall dream till now.
Ogundeji on behalf of other legislators pleaded with Akeredolu to release funds for the projects,which according to him would add glamour to his administration.
Besides, he urged the federal government and the National Assembly to ensure the passage of a bill in financial autonomy to the 36 State Assemblies to facilitate development.
Repeated calls made to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA)to the governor and former Speaker, Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa were not responded to as at press time.
