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Tag: Oyo Assembly

  • Oyo Assembly okays sack of council chiefs

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved the decision of Governor Seyi Makinde to dissolve the state Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

    The lawmakers also declared the election conducted into the 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) by the state electoral umpire on May 12, 2018, as “unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void”.

    Justifying the decision, the lawmakers held that “the election negated the provisions of section 4(a), part II, third schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which recognised conduct of election into local government areas”.

    The plenary was presided over by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin.

    The Assembly also held that the election contravened Section 5(a) of the OYSIEC law 1999, that empowered the electoral commission to organise elections into local government councils and not LCDAs.

    Consequently, the Assembly averred that Makinde’s dissolution of OYSIEC was in public interest and in preservation of the sanctity of the nation’s 1999 Constitution.

    The positions of the lawmakers formed parts of the day’s resolutions from a matter of urgent public importance presented by the House Majority Leader, Mr. Sanjo Adedoyin, entitled, “Need to review the activities of OYSIEC over conduct of local government and local council development areas election in conformity with provisions of the laws”.

    Read Also: Oyo governor tasks NYSC members on nation building

    Majority of members also voiced loud “ayes”, asking the executive to urgently reconstitute the OYSIEC to organise fresh elections into local government councils.

    They argued that the power of the OYSIEC was limited to conducting election into local government councils alone and not LCDAs.

    Contributing in the ensuing discussion, Mr. Dele Adeola (Iseyin/Itesiwaju constituency) maintained that section 201 of the constitution recognised only 33 local government areas in the state, hence conducting election into 35 LCDAs amounted to illegality.

    He added that conducting election into the LCDAs amounted to legalising illegality which should be corrected.

    Consequently, Speaker of the Assembly, Ogundoyin announced the setting up of an eight-man ad hoc committee headed by Mr. Ademola Popoola (Ibadan South East II state constituency).

    Raising objection to the resolutions, Minority Leader, Asimiyu Alarape, argued that the Assembly had in 2002, during the Lam Adesina administration, approved the creation of additional local government areas and its nomenclature was only changed to LCDAs during the Eighth Assembly.

    To this end, Alarape said the law creating the LCDAs had not been repealed, hence its creation should not be rubbished.

    After a series of argument, lawmakers Ayotunde Fatokun (Akinyele 1), Mabaje Rasaq (Ido), Babatunde Ganiyu (Akinyele II) and Abiodun Fadeyi (Ona Ara), in their separate contributions, held that the dissolution of OYSIEC should stand.

  • Oyo Assembly nullifies council bosses’ sack

    Oyo State house of Assembly yesterday nullified the purported suspension of the Executive Chairman, Irepo Local Government Area, Mr. Asifu Adediran-Sulaiman and his deputy, Mrs. Ojedele Victoria.

    The Assembly, which described the suspension process as inconclusive, also noted that pending the time the House Committee on Local Government Affairs investigates and reports back to it, the suspended chairman and his deputy remains the constitutionally recognised leaders of the council and must be allowed to perform their duties.

    The council bosses were last week suspended by the council lawmakers, who accused him of gross misconduct, high-handedness and lack of respect for party supremacy.

    The suspension was conveyed in a letter dated April 25, detailing the allegations against the chairman for which he was allegedly found guilty. The letter was signed by seven out of the 10 lawmakers in the council.

    The disapproval by the House followed a letter written by the Irepo LG councillors to the state lawmakers notifying them as well as seeking their approval of the suspension of the chairman and his deputy.

    But, addressing reporters after yesterday’s plenary, the Assembly Speaker, Olagunju Ojo, urged the people of the council area to remain calm, noting that the House Committee has been mandated to handle the issue procedurally in line with the Assembly Law of 2001, which he accused the councillors of refusing to comply with.

    Buttressing the Speaker’s argument, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Joshua Oyebamiji, added that the Assembly Law of 2001 on removal and or suspension of elected officials, especially chairmen, vice chairmen emphasises certain roles to be played by the councillors, the Chief Judge and even the House of Assembly, which were not followed as stipulated.

    He said: “So, the suspension is inconclusive because the other two tiers of government have not been involved. We punctuated an error and the committee on LG will look at the nitty gritty of the issues and if the procedures are to continue, the CJ and Assembly have to be involved.

    “So, they (the chairman and vice chairman) should go back to their offices until the committee reports back to the house. The elected chairmen are still the lawful officials.”

    The committee has one week to report back to the house.

     

  • Oyo Assembly passes Family Planning Bill

    The Oyo State House of Assembly, under the Leadership of Olagunju Ojo, has passed a bill to provide legal framework and encourage family planning and maternity service in the state.

    The bill, Oyo State Family Planning, Reproductive Health and Maternity Service, 2017, was sponsored by Mr Silas Okunlola (Iwajowa) state Constituency and Mrs Bimbo Oladeji ( Ogbomoso North) .

    According to the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Okunlola, the law is to ensure enough space is given to the number of children one decides to have.

    Okunlola said that the law also was designed to address illegal termination of pregnancy, saying that violators might be charged with murder case.

    Okunlola enjoined relevant agencies to as much as possible ensure full implementation of the law.

    Read also: Constitutional amendment: Oyo Assembly approves 11 provisions

    “ The law is trying to encourage family planning in the state because when we have healthy family, we will have healthy state.

    “ The law also addresses area of pregnancy termination; we understand that many people have been involved in it; there is need for checks to prevent loss of lives and agony experienced as a family .

    ” The law only recommends abortion for people recommended by medical specialists for pregnancy termination in order to save the life of the woman.”

    Okunlola said the law also established committees that will see to the enforcement of the provisions at state to local government levels.

    The local government will be reporting to state, the state will be reporting to Commissioner for Health while he will be reporting to the state governor. ( NAN)

  • Oyo Assembly passes N271b budget

    Oyo Assembly passes N271b budget

    The Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2018 Appropriation Bill of N271.57 billion.

    This followed adoption of reports and recommendations of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation, led by Mrs Bolanle Agbaje.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Assembly, presided over by Speaker Michael Adeyemo, consented to the bill.

    NAN also said the Assembly passed the bill after a clause-by-clause considerations and amendment proposed to the initial N267 billion presented by Governor Abiola Ajimobi on December 14.

    Ajimobi christened the bill a Budget of Stabilisation.

    The Assembly approved N119.631 billion as recurrent expenditure and N149.941 billion as capital expenditure.

    The Speaker hailed the committee for a thorough scrutiny of the budget.

    He implored the executive to ensure a quick assent to the bill.

    Adeyemo urged it to work in line with findings of the Assembly to enable it achieve a good budget performance.

  • Oyo Assembly passes 2018 budget

    Oyo Assembly passes 2018 budget

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday passed the state’s 2018 Appropriation Bill of N271.57 billion.

    This followed the adoption of the reports and recommendations of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation, headed by Mrs. Bolanle Agbaje.

    The House presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Michael Adeyemo, unanimously consented to the passage of the bill.

    The House passed the bill after a clause by clause considerations and amendment proposed to the initial N267 billion budget presented by Governor Abiola Ajimobi on December 14, 2017.

    Ajimobi had christened the Appropriation Bill a “Budget of Stabilisation.”

    The House approved N119.631 billion as the total recurrent expenditure and N149. 941 billion as total capital expenditure for the year ending December 31, 2018.

    The speaker commended members of the committee for thorough scrutiny of the budget within a short time-frame.

    He implored the executive arm of government to look into giving a quick assent to the Appropriation Bill.

    NAN

     

  • Constitutional amendment: Oyo Assembly approves 11 provisions

    Constitutional amendment: Oyo Assembly approves 11 provisions

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has approved 11 provisions but stepped down two others and rejected two of the provisions in the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

    At a debate to ratify the National Assembly’s alterations of the constitution sent to the Assembly in January, the Assembly, at yesterday’s plenary, presided over by Speaker Michael Adeyemo, among others, stepped down the debate on Local Government Autonomy Bill (sections 7, 318 and part 1 of the Fifth Schedule).

    It also stepped down the proposal to abrogate the State Joint Local Government Account and empower the local government to maintain a special account and make provisions for savings in the Federation Account before distributions to other tiers of government and related matters.

    Justifying the decision to step down and stop debate on the matters, the Speaker said the Assembly considered the interest of the numerous stakeholders tied to the provision and decided not to vote on the matters.

    He said this would give the Assembly sufficient time to facilitate a public hearing to accommodate all shades of opinion that would guide the lawmakers on the appropriate decision to take.

    Adeyemo said it was imperative not to continue the debate and vote on the local government issues as the workers’ union, under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), had not agreed on the issue.

    According to him, while NULGE had held several protests and rallies on local government autonomy, primary school teachers, under the Nigeria Union o0f Teachers (NUT), had also held similar rallies and protests, saying they were not going with the local government, should it be granted autonomy.

    Apparently shocked at the decision of the Assembly to step down a decision on the alterations, members of the National Union of Local Government (NULGE), who had stormed the Assembly complex to witness the day’s proceedings, immediately left the legislative chambers after the ruling of the Speaker.

    President of Oyo NULGE Bayo Titilola-Sodo said: “We have met with the Assembly many times and the honourable House promised public hearings on the issue. But we heard from the grapevine that there will be a decision today (Tuesday).

    “But, lo and behold, that decision has been put on hold for a public hearing. So, we shall wait for the date of the public hearing to state our case on behalf of the Nigerian people.

    “We came purposely because of the alteration that concerns the local government system in Nigeria. Since a decision has been taken, we decided to leave the Assembly immediately to allow them to continue with the rest of their business in peace.”

  • Oyo Assembly denies endorsing Akintola

    Oyo Assembly denies endorsing Akintola

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has denied reports that it endorsed a governorship aspirant, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), ahead of next year’s election.

    The Assembly described the report as “a misconception, erroneous and out of place”.

    It emphasised that the Legislature is not an endorsement body, adding that the current Assembly would not endorse any candidate because it is not authourised to perform such a function.

    Addressing reporters after a budget defence meeting yesterday, Deputy Speaker Abdulwasiu Musa said the legal luminary visited the lawmakers, like three other aspirants had done before him, to curry the support of the lawmakers.

    Musa said the lawyer was hosted the same way the lawmakers did for those before him.

    The deputy speaker said the Assembly, which has three major political parties, is not a political party and would not have endorsed an aspirant from any political party.

    He said: “This is a responsible and responsive House of Assembly. We do our things in consonance with the laid-down rules and regulations of the land. The House of Assembly is not an endorsement body. It is not a stakeholder as far as the endorsement of any candidate is concerned.

    “What happened specifically last Friday was that one of the governorship aspirants in the state, Mr Niyi Akintola (SAN), came to solicit and canvass for the support of members, just as we had earlier received no fewer than three other aspirants before him.

    “The Assembly welcomed him and wished him well in his governorship pursuit. We did not at any point endorse him. It was a misconception, it is erroneous and out of place.

  • Oyo Assembly urges Ajimobi to pay pensioners’ entitlements

    The Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday urged Governor Abiola Ajimobi to consider the payment of pension arrears to the pensioners.

    The appeal followed a motion by the lawmaker representing Ona Ara Constituency, Azeez Biliaminu, on “passionate appeal for the payment of pensioners entitlements”.

    In the motion, Biliaminu said some of the pensioners could not afford regular feeding and medical attention due to their financial constraints.

    He said: “The children and wards of pensioners are already overwhelmed by nuclear family responsibilities while some of them are unemployed or underemployed.

    “I know the governor has been trying in the dwindling economy to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.

    “The governor surprised everyone in his first tenure by paying 142 per cent pension arrears, which can’t be forgotten by Oyo State pensioners.

    “We know that as soon as the Federal Government increased pensions by six per cent and 15 per cent, Oyo State under Governor Ajimobi placed pensioners on these pension increases.”

    Biliaminu added that he was concerned that pensioners still had additional requests and expectations from the governor.

    He said: “I calle for a screening to be conducted, just like that of the Federal Government, to checkmate ghost pensioners.

    “These pensioners require adequate, regular feeding and medical care, which cannot be met without adequate financial strength.”

    Speaker Michael Adeyemo (APC, Ibarapa East) directed the Assembly’s Committee on Establishments, Labour and Productivity to liaise with state and local government pension boards.

    A Bill for a Law to amend the Oyo State Sports Council also passed the second reading yesterday.

     

  • Oyo Assembly pardons commissioner

    Oyo Assembly pardons commissioner

    •Olowofela tenders apology letter

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has pardoned the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adeniyi Olowofela, for alleged misconduct.

    The Assembly had passed a “vote of no confidence” on him because of his “disrespect” for the lawmakers when he appeared before the House last week.

    It was learnt that the lawmakers pardoned the commissioner following a letter of apology Olowofela personally wrote and addressed to the Speaker and other members of the Assembly seeking their forgiveness over what transpired during the proceedings on November 23.

    It would be recalled that the House had passed a vote of no confidence on the commissioner when he appeared in the house following his response to the issues raised on the school feeding programme of the Federal Government.

     

  • Oyo Assembly approves tenure extension for council chiefs

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has granted a four-month tenure extension to the 33 local government chairmen and their counterparts in the 35 local council development authorities (LCDAs) across the state.

    The approval followed a formal request Governor Abiola Ajimobi sent to the Assembly.

    The tenure of the caretaker chairmen expired yesterday.

    The Assembly also approved the appointment of 11 caretakers chairmen for the 11 local government areas and LCDAs affected by a suit stopping the appointment of council chairmen on the ground that some places were wrongly transferred to different council areas in the creating of the LCDAs.

    The case was instituted by some baale (ward chiefs) in Oyo town.

    A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, recently vacated the order on the conduct of the local government election in Oyo State.

    The two letters from the executive and read during yesterday’s plenary by Speaker Michael Adesina Adeyemo asked for the renewal of the tenure of the caretaker chairmen and the appointment of new caretaker chairmen for the 11 local government and LCDAs that are yet to have caretaker chairmen in the past four months.

    After the reading, Deputy Speaker Musa Abdulwasil said the tenure extension was needed to avoid creating a vacuum in local government administration. The motion was seconded by Segun Olaleye on the ground that it would help in the preparations for the council elections before the expiration of the four months.

    The House directed the caretaker chairmen-nominees to report today to the Office of the Clerk of the Assembly with photocopies of their credentials for screening.

    The committee was directed to submit its report on the screening tomorrow to the Assembly.

    The nominee for the local government areas are: Adediran Asitu (Irepo), Remi Adeniyi (Afijio), Okeniyi Gbolagade (Atiba), Oladeji Tajudeen Olabisi (Oyo West), Odekanmi Olayinka (Oriire) and Babatunde Abiodun Adebayo (Oyo East).

    The nominees for the LCDAs are: Akano Nathaniel Idowu (Asabari),  Tunde Ojo (Afijio West), Oyelayo Sunday Ajiboye (Soto),  Tiamiyu Taiwo (Oyo South East), Jelili Abiola (Oyo South West), Jacob Bamgboye  (Oriire South), Aransi Akeem (Lagelu West), while Oriire North was yet to be nominated for confirmation.