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Tag: Oyo Assembly

  • Oyo House of Assembly suspends LG Chairman indefinitely

    Oyo House of Assembly suspends LG Chairman indefinitely

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended the Chairman of Saki East Local Government, Mr. Emmanuel Adedokun, over various allegations.

    The allegations, ranging from party misconduct, lack of religious tolerance, inappropriate funds allocation, among others, arose from a petition by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in the local government area (LGA).

    The House announced the suspension during its plenary, after deliberations on the petition submitted to it.

    The petition demanded for accountability on moveable equipment like bulldozer, the 10 percent supposedly being deducted from the salaries of political functionaries, among others.

    “We appreciate the gesture of Gov. Seyi Makinde in his vision of bringing people from another party to boost membership of our party across the state.

    “But, in our own case , the beneficiary of this gesture has come to maim and destroy the party to boost his own faction from the other divide he came from.

    “The moveable equipment like the bulldozer in the local government has been taken away since he assumed office and has not been returned and without remitting any money to the coffers of the council.

    “It is on the aforementioned that we are calling on your support to save our party from the hands of Mr Adedokun and the lives of our leaders and elders, who have suffered enough for the sustenance of the party PDP,” the petition read.

    NAN reports that the House directed the LG Vice-Chairman, Mr. Rasaq Adeyemi, to take up the mantle of the council leadership in acting capacity.

    It also said the Secretary to the Local Government (SLG) should assume the position of Vice-Chairman in an acting capacity.

    The House further directed its Standing Committee on Local Governments, Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours to investigate the allegations and report to the House appropriately.

  • Gunmen attack Ekiti LG secretariat few days after Oyo Assembly invasion

    Gunmen attack Ekiti LG secretariat few days after Oyo Assembly invasion

    Few days after armed Yoruba Nation agitators invaded the Oyo State Government secretariat, gunmen on Tuesday, stormed the Ilejemeje local government area secretariat in Ẹda-Oniyọ, Ekiti State, causing panic and chaos among workers.

    The attackers disrupted normal activities and forced employees to flee the premises for safety.

    The hoodlums who were said to have come from the Obbo-Ayegunle community in the neighbouring Kwara State, violently stormed the secretariat, firing several gunshots, making workers run in different directions, running for dear lives, and in the ensuing pandemonium, one of them was injured.

    The hoodlums were said to have vandalized the Secretariat building and other property of the council.

    Though the cause of the attack is still sketchy as at the time of filling this report, it was reliably gathered that the two communities have been embroiled in crisis for some time over land disputes.

    During the attack, which lasted for several hours, one person was said to have sustained serious injury and was said to have been rushed to the State Specialist Hospital in Iye-Ekiti for urgent medical attention.

    Sources disclosed that the hoodlums who were heavily armed with dangerous weapons like gun, charms and cutlasses invaded the Secretariat at about 10:am.

    Speaking on the attack, the Eleda of Eda Oniyo community, Oba Awodipo Awolola explained that the hoodlums had in few days attacked some residents of the community, with charm in their farmlands, the development which the monarch said had resulted in panic and tension in the community.

    The traditional ruler who lamented the absence of police post in the area, said there is a need for security outfits to mobilise more officer to the community to prevent further breaking of law and orders.

    Similarly, the Chairman of Ilejemaje Local Government, Mr Alaba Dada, said the suspected hoodlums were from the Obbo-Ayegunle community in Kwara State.

    He attributed the attacks to the lingering land disputes between the two communities, he explained that though security agents had been mobilised to the town to prevent reparaiser attack.

    He said there is need for the Ekiti and kwara State governments to meet to settle the land dispute in the interest of peace and harmonious relationship.

  • Irepo LG Chairman, Sulaimon Adeniran suspended by Oyo Assembly

    Irepo LG Chairman, Sulaimon Adeniran suspended by Oyo Assembly

    The Chairman of Irepo Local government, Hon. SulaimonS Lateef Adeniran has been suspended by members of the Oyo State House of Assembly.

    The decision to have him suspended was taken during their plenary on Tuesday afternoon.

    The lawmakers took the decision during their plenary on Tuesday.

    Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin said that the lawmakers have mandated the Vice chairman of the council, Hon. Joel to take over the council administration activities.

    The Vice Chairman is to act pending the outcome of the committee panel set up to investigate the allegations put up against the council chairman.

  • Oyo Assembly reinstates 13 suspended council chairmen

    Oyo Assembly reinstates 13 suspended council chairmen

    Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday reinstated 13 local government and local council development area caretaker chairmen. They were initially suspended.

    The decision was taken after the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters read by its Chairman, Olusegun Popoola.

    It will be recalled that the Oyo State Forum of Caretaker Chairmen had in a letter begged the House to forgive the suspended chairmen and return them to their councils.

    The affected chairmen in the committee report said the #Endsars protest, which rocked the country, prevented them from gaining access to the House of Assembly to submit the report of earth moving equipment as directed and consequently tendered their unreserved apology to the House.

    Some of them also claimed to have submitted the report to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters since the circular requesting submission of the report came through the ministry.

    The report has now been submitted by the caretaker chairmen as attested to in the House Committee report presented by Popoola.

    Lifting the suspension order, Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin said the request was for the Assembly to know the condition of equipment, as many of the roads in the council areas required grading.

    According to the Speaker, the House will not relent in its resolve to ensure good governance, defend democracy and support efforts of the governor to bring democratic dividends to the people.

    Ogundoyin said: “Our decision was not to witch-hunt any council or caretaker chairman. We are determined to deliver good governance at all times and I want government functionaries to have that in mind.

    “We are satisfied with the performance of Governor Seyi Makinde. We will be going on oversight functions to the local governments and local council development areas soon to monitor their projects.

    “Let it be known today that the Oyo State House of Assembly will always stand on the side of the people. We shall not compromise on good governance.”

    The Assembly thereafter unanimously agreed on the reinstatement of the 13 caretaker chairmen.

  • BREAKING: Oyo Assembly suspends 13 LG chairmen indefinitely

    BREAKING: Oyo Assembly suspends 13 LG chairmen indefinitely

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has suspended 13 council caretaker chairmen in the state indefinitely.

    Their suspension was ascribed to their “non-compliance to the resolution of the House on submission of status of earthmoving equipment in their respective domains to the House as requested.”

     

    The affected councils are Akinyele East LCDA, Ido LG, Oluyole LG, Ibadan North-East LG, Lagelu West LCDA, Soro LCDA, and Ogbomosho Central LCDA.

     

    Others are Ogbomosho South LCDA, Ajorosun LCDA, Ibarapa North West LCDA, Itesiwaju LG, Oyo East LG, and Oyo South East LCDA.

  • Oyo Assembly approves Makinde’s request to borrow N22.bn

    Oyo Assembly approves Makinde’s request to borrow N22.bn

    Oyo State House of Assembly has granted the request of Governor Seyi Makinde to borrow N20billion to fix infrastructure in the state.

    The loan termed contractor financing loan facility is to be sourced from the First Bank of Nigeria PLC.

    The House also approved the request of the governor to access another N2.5billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) credit support intervention fund for the health sector.

    Makinde sought the approval of the lawmakers in two letters of request forwarded to the Assembly and read during plenary yesterday by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin.

    The governor noted that the N20billion loan became imperative in view of the dwindling revenue accruable to the state from the Federation Account and the drop in Internally Generated Revenue due to Covid-19 pandemic.

    According to the request, if accessed, the money will be used to fund and support priority projects to boost economic activities.

    On the N2.5billion CBN credit support intervention fund, Governor Makinde said the money would be used to revamp the health care facilities, manage the Covid-19 pandemic and promote other health initiatives of his administration.

    The Speaker said the House approved the requests of the governor in view of the importance the present administration attached to infrastructural development, especially the construction and rehabilitation of roads and other social amenities, as well as the need to upgrade health facilities to combat Coronavirus and other health challenges.

    The Deputy Speaker, Mr. Muhammad Fadeyi, reacting to the requests, hailed the government for managing the affairs of the state despite the myriads of economic, social, security and health challenges confronting the nation.

    He said the loan would help the government in achieving its goals.

    Majority Leader Mr. Sanjo Adedoyin and Minority Leader Mr. Asimiyu Alarape, who moved and seconded the motions, said that the requests could not have come at a more appropriate time than now, to enable the government finance some infrastructural development projects as well as address Covid-19 pandemic.

    Moving the motion in favour of the loan, the legislators urged the government to ensure that all zones of the state benefit in terms of improved infrastructure.

    Alarape said that he supported the loan request because it was not to pay salaries, noting that there was apparent deficit in infrastructural facilities across the state.

    At the plenary, Makinde sent another letter asking the Assembly to confirm Mrs. Aderonke Aderemi as President, Customary Court of Appeal.

    She is to appear at plenary for screening and confirmation on May 28.

    Also presented during the plenary was another letter seeking the confirmation of members of the Civil Service Commission.

    Nominated as Chairman of the commission is Kamorudeen Aderibigbe. Kolajo Isiak, Toyin Akanmu, Solomon Ogunjinmi and Taiwo Oluwagbemiro are to serve as members. The nominees are also billed for confirmation next Thursday.

    Following a report by Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Oluwafowokanmi Oluwafemi, the bill for the renaming of Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa as Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa was passed into law.

    Disturbed by the menace of indiscriminate parking of trailers on the highways, the Assembly asked the Bureau of Investment Promotion and Private Partnership and Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to ensure the construction of trailer parks in strategic areas of the state.

    The motion, moved by Mr. Seyi Adisa representing Afijio Constituency, asked the executive arm to engage investors in public/private partnership basis to build the trailer parks.

    Adisa had bemoaned gridlock, abandoned vehicles on the road and accidents on the intra-state highways occasioned by indiscriminate parking of vehicles.

    Besides having a place where vehicles can park, he noted that the state would also improve its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by erecting such trailer clusters.

  • Oyo Assembly rubbishes alleged impeachment plans against deputy gov

    Members of the Oyo House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a vote of confidence on Governor Seyi Makinde and his deputy, Rauf Olaniyan.

    This was despite the purported impeachment moves against the Deputy by loyalists of Makinde.

    The House also moved to rename the Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa after an Eruwa-born late industrialist and business mogul, Adeseun Ogundoyin.

    The late Ogundoyin is father of Speaker of the Ninth Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin.

    The lawmakers, who denied media reports linking them with plans to work with some power brokers in the state in an alleged plot to unseat the Deputy Governor, assured the House firmly believes in the leadership style and capabilities of Governor Makinde and his deputy.

    But the lawmakers did not say same on the leadership of the House despite rumours and reports of no love lost.

    The House made the clarification while deliberating on a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Lagelu state constituency, Mr Akintunde Olajide and seconded by Mr Isiaka Kazeem (Oyo East/Atiba).

    Mr Adeola Bamidele (Iseyin/Itesiwaju), the Majority Leader, Mr Sanjo Adedoyin and the Minority Leader, Asimiyu Alarape noted the lawmakers are in agreement with the executive arm led by Makinde and his deputy, Olaniyan.

    Alarape, while supporting the vote of confidence on Makinde, said there is the need for the lawmakers to speak out their immense support to the administration of the governor and his deputy, adding that it is high time all the lawmakers made public their support for the Makinde government, irrespective of political parties.

    Speaker Ogundoyin also denied insinuations that the lawmakers were working with a top government official and held various meetings all in the bid to impeach the deputy governor.

    Deliberating on the change of nomenclature, the lawmakers all acknowledged the numerous support and roles played by late Ogundoyin in the development of the former Eruwa campus of The Polytechnic Ibadan, Eruwa and the state as a whole during his lifetime.

  • 32-year-old emerges Oyo Assembly speaker

    32-year-old emerges Oyo Assembly speaker

    Thirty-two-year-old Adebo Ogundoyin, a member representing Ibarapa East, Monday emerged the Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker.

    Ogundoyin, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, emerged unopposed and with the unanimous voice vote of the 32-member assembly.

    The lawmaker representing Ona Ara state constituency Akinola Adekunle Alabi was elected the deputy speaker.

    Oyo State House of Assembly has 26 members from the PDP, All Progressives Congress has five members while Action Democratic Party boasts of one member.

    An APC member is expected to be named the minority leader of the assembly.

    Details to follow…..

  • Oyo Assembly nullifies sack of council chair, vice

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday nullified the purported suspension of the Executive Chairman, Irepo Local Government Area, Mr Asifu Adediran-Sulaiman and his vice, Mrs Ojedele Victoria for breaching the law guiding the process.

    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 vice remains the constitutionally recognized 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 an April 25 letter 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 follows a letter written by the Irepo LG councilors to the state lawmakers notifying them as well as seeking their approval of the suspension of the chairman and his vice.

    But, addressing journalists after Tuesday plenary, 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 Oyo Assembly law 2001 which the councilors refused to comply with.

    The speaker said “The House has mandated the committee on LG to handle the issue procedurally in line with the law of Oyo Assembly passed in 2001 that Irepo LG failed to comply with in its procedures at suspending the chairman and vice chairman.

    “The House has asked the LG committee to investigate the issues leveled against them. We urged the people to remain calm and maintain status quo.”

    Buttressing the speaker’s remarks, 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 emphasis certain roles to be played by the Councilors, 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 is 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.

    According to the purported sack letter issued the council bosses, the LG lawmakers said they received a letter of ‘no confidence’ by the party executive dated April 24, 2019 in which he was accused of insubordination and anti-party activities. The party leaders were accused the chairman of open declaration that he is no more a member of the APC.

    The council lawmakers also accused the suspended LG boss of running the council “as if it was his personal business, and disregard for the rule of law.”

    They also rated as poor, his relationship with the Head of Local Government Administration (HLA) and other career officers and workers in the council.

  • A NEW TWIST IN THE TALE: Oyo Assembly chooses Minority Leader as new Speaker

    The Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday chose a former Minority Leader of the House, Joshua Ojo, 67, as the new Speaker, to replace the late Michael Adeyemo, who died on April 27, 2018.

    The choice of Ojo, who is representing Orire State Constituency, was unanimous after an earlier political power play that threatened to polarise the assembly.

    Before his nomination by Joshua Oyebamiji, a member of the All Progressives Congress who is representing Akinyele State Constituency, a call for an election was challenged by Muideen Olagunju, a member of the Accord Party representing Oyo East/Oyo West. Olagunju argued that the Nigerian constitution favoured the deputy occupying the top seat in the absence of the former Speaker.

    Citing sections 90, 92, 94 and 95 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olagunju argued that in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker ought to automatically take over the office of the Speaker.

    He said, “The section of the constitution makes it clear that an election is unnecessary and also it is clear about the transition to the speakership in case of any absence or vacancy. The constitution clearly states that the Deputy Speaker shall vacate his office and preside over the house.”

    Supporting Olagunju’s position, another member of the house, Olusegun Olaleye, argued that the absence of a Speaker could also mean the death of a Speaker. Another member of the house, Solomon Akande, however, opposed the argument, saying that such provision did not apply to the legislative arm even if it was applicable to Presidency and governorship positions.

    But Fatai Adeshina, representing Ibadan South-East, cautioned the house, urging the members to allow for a smooth transition in honour of the late Speaker who stood for unity and peace.

    The acting Speaker for the session, Musa Abdulwasil, also urged the house not to give room for a crack in order not to fall into the hands of external forces. Although he said an election could cause a division in the house, the assembly later agreed on using an election to fill the vacuum. After Ojo was nominated by Oyebamiji, he was seconded by Gbenga Oyekola, a Labour Party member from Atiba. There was no other nomination which confirmed Ojo as the new Speaker.

    The new Speaker was elected on the platform of the LP but defected to the APC along with former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala. He had yet to formalise the defection in the house which gave him the opportunity to retain his position of Minority Leader before his nomination as the new Speaker.