The Speaker, Osun state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has called for interdependence between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Speaking at the maiden edition of meeting of the South West Legislative Reform Implementation Committee (SLRIC), Salaam noted that the insulation of the parliament from the manipulation of executive, indiscriminate changes of leadership in the House of Assembly and other pressing challenges both intra and extra were things of concern for the legislators.
He decried some appendages within the government who were pampered because of their closeness to the governor saying that the ‘appendages’ should not be allowed to take away their position as co-managers of the state resources and apparatuses.
He charged the forum members to rise above any challenge that may rear its ugly heads as the forum progresses.
Salaam also urged the forum to smoothen rough edges and work as unison in order to have a bigger voice in the developmental agenda of the region as being worked upon by the Developmental Agenda for the Western Nigeria (DAWN).
In his remark, the chairman of SLRIC, who is also the House leader, Osun state Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye said the committee which was formed through the initiative of the conference of Speakers was saddled with the mandate of promoting legislative reforms in the region targeted at bringing the glories of the Southwest back.
Also at the occasion, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), called on all the state Houses of Assembly to support autonomy for local governments in the interest of peace and good government.
Speaking on behalf of other executives that were present at the meeting, the Osun state president of the union, Comrade Jacob Adedeji emphasized that only local government autonomy can guarantee sustainability of the current democratic experiment.
Adedeji noted that the present administration at the National and state met separate local government and that if it is allowed to die as it is now at the throws of death, “posterity may be too harsh on all of us.”
“Only local government autonomy can guarantee sustainability of the current democratic experiment, it is only it that can embolden the masses to nip soldiers that may attempt to act contrary to the constitution.
“Our union is resolute in this matter and will continue to monitor those who may attempt to frustrate this patriotic move.”
Packaged by Bunmi Oladejo
