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Tag: Ogun Assembly

  • Ogun Assembly commiserates with flood victims

    Ogun State House of Assembly has commiserated with the families of the victims of flooding that affected some parts of Abeokuta, the state capital, with a call on  residents of the state to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainage channels and avoid building structures on waterways. The Speaker, Rt. Hon.Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, gave the admonition, while responding to the submissions of a member representing Abeokuta North State Constituency,  Hon. Olayiwola Ojodu.

    Adekunbi tasked residents of the state to always ensure prompt clearing of drainage channels in their respective communities, acknowledging that the incident would probably have escalated if not for the massive drainage  system constructed by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led -administration. He added that more strategies would be put in place towards embarking on sensitisation campaign against dumping of refuse in drainages and canals, as well as the need to always keep the environment clean.

    Earlier in his presentation, Ojodu had called on the state Ministries of Works, Environment as well as the Urban and Physical Planning to step up measures at ensuring the immediate review and channelisstion of canals and drainage systems in the State to ensure  smooth flow of water to prevent the reoccurrence of the incident. He lamented the loss of lives and properties in his constituency as a result of the flood.

    The Assembly had also, during its plenary, commiserated with the sons and daughters of Gbagura Kingdom in Egbaland on the demise of their monarch, Oba Haleed Adedayo Olaloko,  just as it observed a minute silence in honour of the exit of the mother of Hon. Yetunde Sogbein-Adekanbi, the  member representing Odeda State constituency, Princess Dademun Sogbein.

  • Constitution amendment: Ogun assembly backs independent candidacy, financial autonomy

    Constitution amendment: Ogun assembly backs independent candidacy, financial autonomy

    The Ogun State House of Assembly has voted in favour of sixteen items out of the twenty sent to it by the National Assembly as part of the process of the on -going fourth alteration of the 1999 constitution. The lawmakers, who at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon.Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, voted in favour of the inclusion of former Heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State.

    The house also supported financial autonomy of State Legislatures; strengthening of Local Government administration and immunity for members of the legislature in respect of the words spoken and written at plenary or Committee proceedings and the institutionalization of legislative bureaucracy. Other clauses that received the nod of the Assembly were provision of sufficient time for Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct by-election and deregistration of political parties.

    The Assembly also supported the provision for independent candidature in election, as well as the separation of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federal Government from that of the Office of the Accountant- General of the Federation and to make the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and that of the States financially independent by placing them on the consolidated revenue list.

    Also approved were the clause meant to further strengthening the judiciary for the speedy dispensation of justice; provision of time for the determination of pre-election matters and that which provides for the procedure for passing constitution alteration bill when the President withholds his assent as well as reduction of age for election among others. The clause which required the President and Governor to submit the names of Ministerial or Commissioner nominees within 30 days of taking the Oath of Office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly, also scaled through.

    The assembly however declined to support some of the amendments sought by the national assembly. Those clauses that could not scale through include authorization of expenditure, distributable pool account which abrogates the State Joint Local Government Account; restriction of tenure of Presidents and governors as well as consequential amendment of civil defence.

    Shortly after the physical voting, the Deputy Speaker Olakunle Oluomo, moved the motion for the adoption of the report of the proceedings for the onward transmission to the Nation Assembly, which was seconded by the Minority Leader Olawale Alausa and supported by the whole House through a voice vote. Responding, the Speaker commended his colleague lawmakers for their commitment to the amendment process which he noted, was part of being responsible to  the issues affecting their constituents.

     

  • Amosun presents N345b budget to Ogun Assembly

    Amosun presents N345b budget to Ogun Assembly

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday presented to the House of Assembly an Appropriation Bill of N345.42 billion for next year’s fiscal year.

    Reading the budget, christened: Budget of Accelerated Development at the floor of the Assembly before the 26-member legislators, Amosun said the proposed appropriation bill represented a 57 per cent increase over the outgoing year, which stood at N221.09 billion.

    A breakdown of the budget shows that N81,869 billion goes to personnel cost, comprising N68.369 billion for salaries and allowances, while N13.50 billion will go into pension and gratuity of retired workers.

    Also, the state earmarked N39.82 billion for overhead cost, representing 11.53 per cent of the total budget; recurrent expenditure takes N121.698 billion, representing 35.23 per cent, while N223.721 billion is allocated to capital expenditure.

    The governor said the budget would be financed with funds from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N149.258 billion; Federation Account of N48 billion; capital receipts of N98.16 billion and other receipts of N50 billion.

    A further analysis shows that Education received N79.246 billion (22.9 per cent) of the total; Health got N21.199 billion and Agriculture N21.137 billion, representing 6.13 per cent of the total.

    Amosun expressed the confidence that the Budget of Accelerated Development would help the state to actualise his administration’s cardinal programmes on qualitative and affordable education, healthcare, housing, agriculture, infrastructural development and employment generation.

     

  • Ogun Assembly to summon Customs Comptroller

    Ogun Assembly to summon Customs Comptroller

    The Ogun State House of Assembly is to summon the State Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), to appear before it over increasing reckless killing by NCS operatives.
    This followed last Wednesday’s killing of a member of the National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Saubana Koleoso, by Customs operatives.
    Koleoso was conveying bags of rice from Abeokuta to Sagamu in a vehicle when he was shot for “resisting” arrest.
    At yesterday’s sitting, lawmakers took turns to condemn the action of the Customs officers, describing it as “incessant and needless killings”.
    According to them, there was need to invite the Customs’ boss to explain the alleged incessant killing of citizens.
    Nureni Idowu Olowofuja (Abeokuta South II) said the NCS boss had been invited to brief the House on the development, but he failed to honour the invitation.
    Biyi Adeleye (Remo North) said: “NCS is a creation of the law and it must abide by the law.”
    Adeyemi Harrison (Ogun Waterside) said it would be unfair to conclude that Customs officers killed the victim without getting the other side of the story.
    Oludare Kadir (Ijebu North 2) submitted that the incident showed lack of professional training, weaponry handling and discipline on the part of the Customs officers.
    The Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, said the Assembly would engage the NCS to ensure it carries out its duties within the ambit of the law.
    Adekunbi commiserated with the victims’ families, saying “no amount of sanctions imposed will bring back the dead”.
    The members, however, observed one minute silence for the repose of the dead.
    There was a mild drama when the deceased’s family and friends invited to observe plenary were denied entrance shortly before the commencement of sitting.
    For about 30 minutes, they shut the Assembly’s main gate and asked the lawmakers to come out to address them.
    It took the intervention of some security operatives to calm the aggrieved relatives, who nominated a four-man delegation to observe the plenary.

  • Ogun Assembly passes 2017 Appropriation Bill

    The Ogun House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2017 Appropriation Bill of N221.09 billion into law.

    The Assembly, however, cut N38.5 million from the initial N221.12 billion presented by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    The bill, passed at plenary, had a recurrent expenditure of N91.4 billion and N118.5 billion was appropriated for capital expenditure.

    The bill also had N11.5 billion as consolidated revenue fund charges and pensions in 2017.

    Amosun, on November 22, presented a fiscal proposal of N221.12 billion to the House.

    Majority Leader Adeyinka Mafe moved the motion for the third reading, which was seconded by Mojeed Soyebo, after which the Clerk, Lanre Bisiriyu, did the third reading.

    The budget was passed after Chairman of Committee on Finance and Appropriation Olusola Bankole presented the committee’s report.

    Bankole assured his colleagues the reduction will have no negative effect on MDAs.

    The bill was passed with slight adjustments in some agencies, leading to an increment of N107.5 million in the fund allocated for salaries, which moved from N62.728 billion to N62.836 billion, a N38.5 million reduction.

    He said capital expenditure was reduced by about N146 million, moving from N118.305 billion to N118.159 billion, noting that expected revenue was slashed from N114.343 billion to N114.305 billion.

    Bankole added that the committee proposed that the College of Health Technology, Ilese, be moved from health to education sector.

    “The committee also proposed that the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) be moved from security to transport sector,’’ he said.

    Bankole said the heads of 112 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) appeared before the appropriate sub-committees to defend the proposals of their various offices.

  • Ogun Assembly calls for DPO’s probe

    Ogun Assembly calls for DPO’s probe

    •Police: we’re not aware 

    Following allegations of extortion and indiscriminate arrest of Sagamu residents by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), John Mark, the Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday ordered for his probe.

    Speaker Suraj Adekunbi, who gave the order during plenary, asked the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, to investigate the allegations against the DPO.

    The order followed the submission of the Majority Leader, Mafe Adeyinka, calling for the probe of the DPO.

    Adeyinka, who represents Sagamu 1, accused Mark of corruption, including demanding money before granting bail to suspects.

    “I want to tell you that the people are ready to stage a protest. The matter has been reported to the police command but nothing has been done.

    “This same DPO walked out a first class Oba from his office. Immediately he assumed office, he withdrew the security details of a former governor.

    “He should be removed before the situation gets out of hand,” Adeyinka said

    Speaker Adekunbi lauded the lawmaker for bringing the issue to the House, saying that the people should remain calm and maintain peace.

    “The House has been enjoying good relationship with the police. I want the commissioner to look into the matter before it degenerates.”

    But the police command said it was not aware of any complaint against the Sagamu DPO, adding that Mark remains the best DPO in the state.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said if the allegation was coming from another person or group of persons from Sagamu, it would have been taken serious.

    Adejobi alleged that Mafe is one of the suspects in many cases being investigated by the command, explaining that the lawmaker “does not have moral rights to raise the allegations against the DPO”.

    “Nobody can stampede or intimidate the command in the course of carrying out its constitutional roles. There is the need for us to step up investigations concerning many cases involving Mafe,” Adejobi said

     

  • Ogun Assembly passes N200b budget

    The Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill of N200.2 billion into law.

    The bill has a recurrent expenditure of N89.9 billion, with N99.2 billion appropriated for capital expenditure.

    In the bill, N11 billion will be used to pay pensions and gratuities.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun, on November 24, presented a fiscal proposal of N200.27 billion to the House.

    Majority leader Mafe Adeyinka moved a motion for the third reading. It was seconded by Victor Fasanya.

    The budget was passed after the Chairman, Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Olusola Bankole, presented the committee’s report to the House.

    He moved the motion for the adoption of the report. It was seconded by Rasaq Oduntan.

    The bill was passed with an amendment to the estimates of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Bureau of Tertiary Education as well as the Signage and Advertising Agency.

    Also, the revenue targets of the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Environmental Protection Agency, Judicial Service Commission, Housing Corporation, Hospital Management Board, Bureau of Information Technology and the State Hospital, Ota, were adjusted.

    Bankole said the House reduced the estimate by about N74 million because some MDAs could not convince the committee on their huge budget.

    He said the reduction would not negatively affect the MDAs as it was taken from recurrent expenditures.

    Bankole said heads of 112 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) appeared before the appropriate sub-committees to defend proposals of their offices.

    He said the commissioner for Finance and accountant-general should ensure that revenues accrued to the state were paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    Also, the session constituted two committees; Tenders Board and Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.

    The seven-man Tenders Board Committee is headed by Deputy Speaker Olakunle Oluomo.

    Adeyinka heads the Inter-Parliamentary Committee.

    The House also approved the governor’s request to appoint five special advisers.

  • Ogun Assembly approves N10b special fund

    Ogun Assembly approves N10b special fund

    The Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday approved Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s request to participate in the Federal Government N10billion special infrastructural development intervention fund.

    Amosun, in an October 6 letter, requested a “Resolution of the House of Assembly approving the state’s participation in the special infrastructural intervention fund to the tune of N10 billion”.

    The governor said the loan facility would enable the government to complete projects.

    The approval was granted through a motion by the Majority Leader, Adeyinka Mafe, seconded by Olusesan Soyebo.

    In granting the request, the House called on the government to ensure that all the 20 local governments benefitted from the projects.

     

     

     

  • Assembly clears Ogun commissioner nominees

    Ogun State House of Assembly on Wednesday screened 18 of the 19 commissioner nominees sent to it by Governor Ibikunle Amosun and gave them a clean bill of health.

    But a nominee and former Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, who had been nominated as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari, was absent during the screening of the commissioner nominees.

    Those screened are – Mr. Rotimi Durojaye, Adebola Adeife, Mrs. Nike Osoba, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo, Arc. Segun Abiodun, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, Jide Ojuko, Sunday Segun Bamiwola, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye and Mr. Bolaji Oyeleye.

    Others are – Barr. Leke Adewolu, Afolabi Afuwape, Gbenga Adenmosun, Chief Kolawole Wasiu Lawal, Otunba Bimbo Asiru,Mrs. Yewande Amusan and Dr. Olumide Ayeni.

    Addressing the 26 member – Assembly at the conclusion of the screening process, the Speaker of the House, Suraj Adekunbi, said the exercise was carried out to test for “quality assurance” and that people nominated for appointment in the state will perform.

     

  • Ogun Assembly passes False Evidence motion

    The eighth Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday passed four motions, including “False Evidence” motion, at its first sitting less than an hour after its inauguration by Governor Ibikunle Amosun.

    The motion empowered the House to “move with severity” against any person or group found to have  given false evidence in respect of matters under investigation by the House or any of  its committees.

    The Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, who was elected unopposed presided over the maiden plenary.

    Olakunle Oluomo (Ifo1) emerged the Deputy Speaker,  Yinka Mafe (Sagamu 1) is the  Majority Leader. Olawale Alausa(Ijebu-Ode) is the Minority Leader.

    Other key officers are Idowu Olowofujah of Abeokuta South 11 (APC Chief Whip) and Jemili Akingbade of Imeko/Afon state constituency(PDP Chief Whip).

    The False Evidence Motion was moved by the lawmaker  representing Odeda state constitution, Yetunde Sogbein Adekunbi, and passed after it was subjected to voice vote at the floor of the  House by the Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi.

    The House also passed a motion empowering it to move against any body found to have hindered or attempt  to obstruct  another person giving evidence before the House on matters under investigation by it or its Committees.

    Others include one instructing the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to clear the passages and roads leading to the  OGHA complex of any nuisance – object or humans,  during plenary as well as the printing of House proceeding by itself.

    After about 45 minutes duration maiden sitting during the four motions were passed, the House Majority Leader, Yinka Mafe representing Sagamu 1 state Constituency called for an adjournment and was so adjourned till June 11.