… REFERS TO HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATION FOR FURTHER LEGISLATIVE SCRUTINY
By Editor
The Appropriation Bill 2024 presented to Ekiti State House of Assembly by Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has passed second reading.
At the plenary of Tuesday 24th October, 2023, following the rules on debate in line with the Standing Order of the House, all members were called alphabetically to debate the Bill. In the words of the Honourable Members, the Money Bill was prepared in line with the six points agenda of the present administration and the 30 years development plan of Ekiti State. After the debate, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye committed the Money Bill to Committee on Appropriation and urged members to scrutinize the bill speedily for passage before the end of year 2023.
Earlier under the Matter of Public Urgent Importance, Hon. Ayodeji Adegbite called the attention of the House to provision of an Emergency toll free number which was primary set up to help citizens in dire and urgent situation but has proven to be majorly ineffective due to lack of proper sensitization and inadequate information.
“Mr Speaker, the National Communications Commission (NCC) some years ago set up a national toll-free number “112” that gives one access to responders who will then relay the distress calls to appropriate agencies such as the police, Fire Services, Ambulance Service etc”
“Mr Speaker, it is however saddening to categorically state that the provision of an Emergency toll free number which was primarily set up to help citizens in dire and urgent situations have proven to be majorly ineffective due to lack of proper sensitization and inadequate information. When faced with daunting challenges most indigenes are helpless and left in despair” he said.
“All telecom operators, radio stations and TV stations operating within the jurisdiction of Ekiti State are hereby encouraged to support the public awareness of Ekiti State Emergency Number ‘112’”
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye while commenting on the matter, urged all Telecom operators to send SMS notifications and broadcast messages to their subscribers, informing them of the Ekiti State Emergency Number 112. He thereafter assigned the implementation of the resolutions reached to the Chairmen, House Committees on Security, Information, Media and Public Affairs together with Hon. Ayodeji Adegbite who raised the issue.
Also during the plenary, Efon Local Government Council and Ado North Local Council Development Area presented their account of stewardship to the lawmakers. The Speaker thereafter encouraged Efon Local Council Boss who is the ALGON Chairman to enlighten the Council Chairmen about the powers of the House and that the House would not shy away from punishing any erring council boss.
Under Personal Explanation, Hon. Babatunde Oke, Member representing Ikere Constituency 1 while invoking Order 8 Rule 46 of the Standing Order of the House, informed members that the Editorial Board of the Journal of Obafemi Awolowo University College of Health Sciences, Nigeria Journal of Health Sciences, during its Research Carnival Week held on Thursday 19th October, 2023, honoured an Ekiti State University-based research team with Best Manuscript Award over a five-year period (2018-2023).
“Out of thousands of rigorously screened accepted and published original articles from the Journal, the EKSU team’s article, “Randomized controlled trial on early versus late feeding after Caesarean section at a teaching hospital in southwest Nigeria”, emerged the best. The team was led by Dr Olofinbiyi Babatunde, a Reader in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ekiti State University College of Medicine.”
The Speaker while reacting to the information noted that Dr. Olofinbiyi Babatunde is well known to him as a shining star of Ekiti State, he congratulated the research team for the great accomplishment and for making the state proud.
The House also at the plenary passed resolutions calling on the state government to further equip Adunin Olayinka Diagnostic Center for optimal performance and create awareness on the importance of early detection of cancers.
The resolutions follow a motion moved by Hon. Femi Fatunla (Ikole 1) and seconded by Hon. Abimbola Solanke (Moba 1).
“The state government should therefor put more effort on advocacy and enlightenment on the prevention and possible treatment of cancer in the state”
Hon. Yomi Ayorinde (Ido Osi 1) and Rt. Hon. Hakeem Jamiu (Irepodun/Ifelodun 2) also lend their voices to the motion, they urged the government to equip the center adequately and employ more hands to run the center while also making Medical Tests compulsory for all political office holders in the state.
The House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs today read the report of the committee on the notice of indefinite suspension of Otunba Femi Ayodele, Chairman Ikere Local Government on the floor of the House.
Following a suspension notice of the Council boss received from councillors from Ikere Local Government, the House at its sitting on Monday 9th October, 2023 committed the notice to the committee for further legislative action.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Alhaja Maryam Ogunlade who read the report stated that the committee observed that the notice of suspension purportedly signed and forwarded to the House for consideration is not authentic.
“That it was observed that the letter presented to this Honourable House is not authentic as majority of the Councillors denied their involvement and proved that the signatures on the document were forged”
The Committee according to the report recommended that the councillors should initiate an authentic notice duly signed by not less than 1/3 of the councillors in the Local Government and the notice to be forwarded to the House for appropriate action.
The report was adopted as the working document of the House and the resolutions to be officially forwarded to the appropriate area.
The Speaker under motion for adjournment announced that the House would go on recess beginning on 31st October, 2023 to 1st December, 2023 which is the annual recess of the House.
The House Adjourned its plenary sine die.
