The demand for the composition of local government caretaker committees dominated the town hall meeting on Legislative Agenda organized by the Oyo State House of Assembly.
The town hall meeting, which was organized in collaboration with IYIAGA Africa Centre for Legislative Engagement was held at Nest Hotel, Ibadan, the capital city of the state during the week.
The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, during his opening address, identified the legislature as a very crucial arm of government which will ensure good governance and stability of democracy.
The speaker disclosed that the recognition of the legislative arm as the first on the list by the constitutional arrangement of 1999, was based on the fact that the legislators are the representatives of the people.
He noted that the development agenda of the legislative agenda will encourage more participation, including the youth in the law making process which is the foundation of the town hall meeting.
Ogundoyin commended IYIAGA Africa for providing technical support to improve the state’s legislative activities to achieving good governance, which is in line with the vision of the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde.
Dr. Ernest Ereke, Coordinator, IYIAGA Africa Centre, said that the meeting is an activity of the ninth Oyo State House of Assembly organised to find out from people issues that are priority to them that they want the legislature to deliberate on.
He said the House wants to give itself plan and agenda that will guide its activities in the next three years or thereabout.
According to Dr. Ernest, “In developing legislative Agenda, the house thought that it would be better if it makes the citizens to contribute to this agenda being the primary purpose of the activities.”
He said that in addition to the legislative Agenda, IYIAGA had deployed enumerators across the local governments in Oyo State to sample people’s opinions and what they want to be in the legislative Agenda.
Meanwhile, majority of the participants in their submission urged the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to constitute the caretaker committee for the local governments to ensure that the people at the local level are incorporated into his government.
They urged the lawmakers to make policies on security, agriculture, education and economy priorities of their legislative agenda.
They demanded for laws that the will encourage even development across the state.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
