Deputy Speaker Reacts….
..As Residents laud, condemn 9th Oyo Assembly.
The legislature occupies the epicenter of modern democratic system for two major reasons, namely it houses the largest number of elected representatives and secondly, it is the engine room of modern governance as it performs the traditional four-fold tasks of representation, lawmaking, oversight function and constituency services. The demands of modern governance entail that legislative assemblies must sift through several competing expectations and act in the overall public interest.
At the Oyo State House of Assembly, haven inaugurated its leadership by Governor Seyi Makinde over a year ago, the House started the the year 2020 on a bright note, having the foresight of good things to come legislatively with the view to supporting the executive in achieving its aims and objectives.
Speaking with JAMZ FM’S Correspondent, Segun Kehinde on the challenges and achievements of the 9th Assembly, the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Mohammed Fadeyi Abiodun, admitted that the year 2020 was disrupted by the global pandemic, COVID-19 which also limited the lawmakers legislative duties.
Hon Fadeyi however said that the ravaging pandemic didn’t stopped the legislature from ensuring that bills and motions that will support the executives are passed in due course.
Speaking on the speedy approval of loans request from the Executive, the Deputy Speaker stressed that the loans were being borrowed for infrastructural development noting that the loans were not meant for overhead or payment of salaries. He highlighted some of the loans approved, counterpart funding and the projects they are meant for.
Hon Fadeyi however denied the rumours that had gone round earlier in the year that the house was planning to impeach the Speaker, Rt Hon Adebo Ogundoyin.
The crisis got to it climax when Hon Ogundoyin announced the removal of the former House Committee Chairman on Public Works, Hon Akin Ajo and swiftly announced Hon Olatunde Kehinde as Akin Ajo’s replacement to the surprise of other principal officers of the house.
The Deputy Speaker exonerated Ogundoyin from any wrongful act describing the act as constitutional.
‘I think the budget was returned because of the effects of COVID-19 which affected the state’s financial projections, the Governor in is wisdom had to return the project back to the House so that we can do a downward review of it which we actually did so that the budget can be that of a realistic one. To God be the glory, the government has achieved 60% of budget implementation so far which is a laudable thing. We hope by 2021, the government under the able leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde will attain 70 to 80% of budget implementation, all things being equal. ”
“Irrespective of COVID-19, as legislators, what we discovered is that the internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state is improving and this is due to the fact that there is a synergy between the House and the legislative arm of government. Aside that, what is most important is the will to drive governance in the state, that’s exactly what the Governor is doing.”
“To me, in year 2020, the Oyo State 9th Assembly has played its role effectively. During the #ENDSARS Protest, we brought up motions, appealed to the youths, advised the government to help employ youths so that they will get engage and reduced the unemployment rate in the state.”
Reacting to the loans application from the executive, the Deputy says: “he that comes to equity must come with clean hands, government is not run in isolation. At a point in time, the state was generating about N1.5 to N1.7bn as IGR on monthly basis during the 8-year period of the last administration. But suddenly, since the advent of Makinde’s administration, the IGR of the state has increased to about N2bn. I think what people should be asking themselves is, what happened to our IGR in the past? Who has been keeping them? These are the questions we should be asking.
” Now you talked about loans, yes, the loans that are being collected are for infrastructural development, not for overhead. Presently as we talked, from, Oke Ogun, Ogbomoso, Oyo and Ibadan and Ibarapa, projects are ongoing. Yes, we have a proactive 9th Assembly, highly vibrant, intelligent, proactive and we ask questions. I have worked at the National Assembly as an SA at the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, I understand the rudiments and what it takes before such loans are approved.”
“Have you ever seen where a government will ask for a loan as counterpart funding and it is turned down? The Agric Loan is a counterpart fund for crying out loud. Federal Government will bring its share, Oyo State is expected to pay its own. They put it together and access the money and use it for what it is earmarked for.”
On the allegation of budget padding levelled against the Oyo Assembly, the Deputy Speaker said there was no iota of truth in the rumour. “Recently, did you the amount added to the National Budget? Over 500bn, what do you call that? We fail to understand that power of appropriation lies with the House or with the parliament. We have the constitutional responsibility to subtract or add. If the government brings a budget of 100bn, and the committees having met MDAs they may decide that 5m was appropriated here, there is the need to jerk it up to 10m. We have the power to do that.
“The state government felt with what the House has done, the government may not be able to achieve that. Don’t forget it is just an estimate anyway, budget signed are estimates, not backed up with fund. So, padding or no padding never occurred in the 2021 budget. We just did our constitutional duty and when the Executive saw it and they came back to say no, we felt that we should stick to initial estimate so that they can work towards it.”
Speaking on the attempt by some members of the Assembly to impeach the Speaker, Debo Ogundoyin, Hon Fadeyi dispelled the rumour saying such never happened. His words: ” There was no rancour, no attempt whatsoever to impeach the Speaker.” When asked why Hon Akin Ajo was removed from his former position, he says: “it was purely a parliamentary process, yes, the house can reshuffle its committees any time. What happened is obviously stated in the House Rule, it can happen anytime if the the Speaker so feels especially if someone was not performing optimally, the Speaker can do a swap. The House is united and not divided even with the opposition members.
Speaking on the prospects for 2021, Hon Fadeyi admonished residents of Oyo State to expect quality legislation that will help improve and run the state.
He noted that the House of Assembly will support Governor Makinde to actualize his policies. He added that the spontaneous security issues being experienced in the state will soon become a thing of the past.
Commendations, criticisms and knocks have trailed the performance of the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly for reasons best known to the minds profiling and analyzing the actions and inactions of the lawmaker by residents in the state.
While some have described the State Assembly led by Rt Adebo Ogundoyin as a rubber stamp of the executive, others said that the House is moving in the right direction, as its relationship with the executive and other stakeholders of government would enhance development and project the state to an enviable height.
Those, who criticised the lawmakers under the leadership of Ogundoyin had pointed out that the actions taken so far portrayed the assembly as an extension of the executive.
They noted the accelerated and express attention given to the bills and nominees from the executive.
Residents Criticisms.
With all the criticisms and other negative nomenclature given to the Oyo Assembly, another residents, Mrs Abimbola passed a vote of confidence on the 9th Assembly, saying the leadership and other lawmakers are doing a good job by having cordial relationship with the Executive arm of government.
The lawmakers were urged to improve on their performance in 2021, noting that duly diligence must be done on every bill that the executive will send to the Assembly in the new year.
It is however believed that the lawmakers will embark on more constituency projects in 2021.
