The Ogun State House of Assembly presided over by Speaker Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, on Friday, passed a bill and three resolutions nullifying all appointments, employments and financial agreements undertaken by out – gone governor, Ibikunle Amosun, at the twilight of his administration.
The resolutions suspended all traditional rulers – about 75 of them, who were appointed and promoted from February 2019 till May 28, 2019, some hours to the exit of Amosun.
The resolution also affects all appointments in respect of allegedly unqualified permanent secretaries and employment of 1,000 people into the state workforce, which were carried out by Amosun on the eve of his departure.
All statutory Boards appointments were also affected. The Ogun Assembly in its resolution also directed the new administration to dissolve all Local Government Area councils (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas’ (LCDA) political functionaries to allow for investigation into allegations of gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds levelled against them.
The Assembly directed, that, the LGAs and LCDA Chairmen and House Leaders to hand over the affairs of the Councils to the Head of Local Government Administration(HOLGA) and appear before the Assembly on the 7th of June, 2019.
The passage of the bill titled, H. B 047/OG/2019- “Nullification of Irregularities (Amendment) Law 2019” during plenary followed the suspension of the Assembly’s standing orders 45 – 48, to allow for the consecutive second and third readings of the bill.
The motion for the third reading of the bill was moved by the new Majority Leader, Olusola Sonuga, seconded by Olawale Alausa and supported and voted for by the whole House through a voice vote at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, after first reading by the Deputy Clerk, Deji Adeyemo.
There was an extensive debate on it by members of the Assembly during its second reading.
The Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo at the opening debate, recalled that the bill was an amendment to the one passed by the Assembly earlier, at the inception of Senator Ibikunle’s government, to reverse all irregularities, especially on the employment of over 2, 000 workers purportedly appointed by his predecessor (Gbenga Daniel) few months to the expiration of his tenure in 2011.
In their separate submissions, Oluomo, and other members, Hon. Akinpelu Aina, Olusola Bankole, Olusola Sonuga and Adebowale Ojuri, were in agreement that the last minute appointments as well as the upgrades and employments by Amosun’s administration did not follow due process, lacked merit, good faith and were lopsided.
They equally submitted that all financial transactions with any financial institution done by the administration not approved through the House of Assembly resolution should not be honoured by the current government.
The Clerk, Adeyemo, afterwards did the third reading of the bill, while Speaker Adekunbi directed that a clean copy of the document should be forwarded to the new governor for his assent.
Oluomo told The Nation, that the House did not sack the affected individuals but only suspended them to enable the new administration review and look into the areas that did not follow due process.
He added, that, the suspension would also allow the House to investigate petitions before it in respect of the LGAs and LCDA functionaries.
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