The Ogun State House of Assembly on Friday passed a bill and three resolutions reversing all appointments, employment and financial commitments carried out by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, with effect from 1st February till May 28, 2019.
The lawmakers, at a plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, passed a bill titled H.B 047/OG/2019 “Nullification of Irregularities (Amendment) Law, 2019, following the suspension of the Assembly Order 45-48, to allow for the consecutive second and third readings of the bill.
Adekunbi also announced the appointment of Hon. Olusola Sonuga, as the House new Majority Leader after due consultation with members of the majority party.
The bill, which was read to members on the floor of the House by the Deputy Clerk, Deji Adeyemo, was extensively debated on by the lawmakers upon second reading while a motion for the third reading was moved by the Majority Leader, seconded by Hon. Olawale Alausa and supported by the whole House through a voice vote.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo who opened debate on the bill explained that the bill was an amendment to the one earlier passed by the Assembly at the inception of Senator Ibikunle led government to reverse all irregularities especially on employment of over 2, 000 workers appointed by the Chief Gbenga Daniel’s administration few months to the end of that administration.
In their submissions, Honourables Oluomo, Sonuga; Aina Akinpelu; Olusola Bankole and Adebowale Ojuri, said the last-minute appointments, upgrading and employment by the last administration, lacked merit, lopsided and not done in good faith.
The lawmakers advised the new administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun not to honour any financial transactions by the last administration with any financial institutions if such transactions were not approved by the Assembly.
The third reading of the bill was gone by the Deputy Clerk while the Speaker ordered that the clean copy of the bill be sent to Abiodun for assent.
Similarly, the House, equally passed a resolution directing the State Government to immediately dissolve all chairmen and members of statutory boards and parastatals having been paid their severance allowance by the immediate past administration.
The lawmakers urged all the chairmen to hand over government property within their custody to the most senior Director/public servant in their agency for continuous operation of government activities.
Also, the Assembly through a resolution suspended all political functionaries in all Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Councils (LCDAs) in the State while directing all Local Government political office holders to hand over to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective councils and LCDAs.
The House also directed all Chairmen and House leaders of the council areas to appear before the Assembly on 7th of June, 2019 for appropriate investigation on allegations of gross misconduct and misappropriation of public fund in petitions earlier submitted against some of the local government chairmen.
The Assembly unanimously passed another resolution calling for the reversal and review of all the upgrading of traditional rulers including Obas and Baales done within the same period for holistic assessment by the new administration with a view to promoting peaceful coexistence and entrenching good governance in the State.