Ogun lawmakers back legislature, judiciary funds management bills• Seek 30% employment slots for host communities

The Ogun State House of Assembly has said that the two bills on legislative and judiciary funds management that it is debating will help promote democratic ideals, self-independence and accountability.

The lawmakers unanimously backed the bills during their second reading at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo in Abeokuta.

They reasoned that the bills’ passage was essential to the successful take-off of the Executive Order 10 recently issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The bills long titles are: H.B. No 40/OG/2020- A Bill for a law to make provision for the Ogun State House of Assembly Legislative Funds Management and other matters connected therewith”, and “H.B. No 41/OG/2020- A Bill for a law to make provision for the Ogun State Judiciary Funds Management and other matters connected therewith.”

Opening debate on both, Solomon Osho said they were aimed at promoting separation of powers among the three arms of government, thereby strengthening them in the discharge of their duties as stipulated in the Constitution.

For Abayomi Fasuwa, Akeem Agbolade, Kemi Oduwole, Ganiyu Oyedeji and Adegoke Adeyanju implementing the two bills when they become law, would help the Gateway State “retain her leading position in the comity of states in the nation.”

They would also improve legislative and judiciary activities with a view to achieving efficient and effective delivery of quality service to the people, they said.

Other lawmakers including Yusuf Amosun, Sylvester Abiodun, Sola Adams, Atinuke Bello and Modupe Mujota commended President Buhari for Executive Order 10.

The House of Assembly is also seeking to promote local content in the state to aid increased indigenes’ participation in the economy.

It passed a resolution urging the state government to compel all companies and corporate organisations in Ogun to effect not less than 30 percent local content in all categories and levels of their staff composition in terms of employment, amongst others.

The resolution followed a motion by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff and supported by his Ijebu-Ode State Constituency counterpart, Kemi Oduwole.

Opening debate on the motion, Deputy Speake, Dare Kadiri said it was imperative to ensure that the populace, especially the youth, were given a reasonable quota in the recruitment process of all industries and corporate organisations in the state with a view to reducing unemployment and social vices.

The lawmakers also passed the Ogun State Mortgages and Foreclosure Law 2019, State Health Insurance Scheme (Amendment) Law 2020 and State Regulations Approval Law 2020, eight days after a public hearing.

The passage of the three bills followed presentations of committee reports by their respective Chairmen – Damilola Soneye, Adegoke Adeyanju and Modupe Mujota – affirmation by all the lawmakers and clause-by-clause adoption by the committee of the entire house.

Speaker Olakunle Oluomo directed that the clean copies of the bills be transmitted to Governor Dapo Abiodun for assent