The Oyo State House of Assembly has passed the recalled 2021 Appropriation Bill into law.
The budget of N273.7 billion, which had been passed on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 was recalled over alleged padding.
The state’s governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde had presented a budget of #266.6 billion as 2021 Appropriation before the House of Assembly.
Therefore, in comparison, the budget passed by House of Assembly was higher than what the governor presented to the tune of #7.1 billion.
However, the Chairman, Committee of Public Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Akeem Mustapha, in his defense, established that there was nothing like padding in the budget passed on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
He said that the House had made provision for government to obtain loans in the proposed budget to enable it to finance the budget. Hon. Mustapha also confirmed that, the House realized that what was allocated to government as loan was high, saying that there is reason to revisit.
The Chairman of Appropriation, therefore, disclosed that “in order to pass a budget that will be realistic, there is need to reduce the loan components already allocated in the budget, and that was what we did by representing the budget and passed again”.
Meanwhile, a sum of N268.8 billion has been passed by the state’s assembly as the 2021 Appropriation against N273.7 passed earlier in the week.
In another development the Oyo State House of Assembly has confirmed Justice Eni Esan and six others as Chairman and members of the State’s Anti-Corruption Board.
The confirmation was sequel to the request of the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde in a letter forwarded to the House for the approval of the nominees.
The nominees are Hon. Justice Eni Esan as Chairman and retired President of Oyo State Customary Court of Appeal, Prince Oyebade Oyedepo, ICAN representative, Bar. Temitope Ayorinde, and Deaconess Esther Olopade.
Others include representative of Department of State Services and Police, Mr. A. S. Ashaolu and SP Ehindero Lawrence, and Mr. Ibrahim Oyemonla Tijani, who is a Director from the state Ministry of Justice.
While confirming the nominees, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, commended Governor Seyi Makinde for the choice of people he appointed to members of the state’s Anti-Corruption Board.
The Speaker implored the newly confirmed members of the board to continue to uphold integrity, and not allow themselves to be compromised.
Ogundoyin expressed the readiness of the state’s assembly to work with the board for effective and efficient delivery on their tasks.
Meanwhile, the House has approved the three months tenure elongation for the caretaker Chairman and Chairperson of Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in the state.
The approval was in line with the report presented by the Chairman, House Committee on Local Government, State Honour and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Olusegun Popoola.
Hon. Ogundoyin explained that the reason was not to create vacuum in the local government administration in the state.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
