The Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Olakunle Oluomo has lamented lack of modern amenities at the assembly complex, saying four legislators share one toilet facility.
Oluomo said the legislature complex has not been given the required attention it deserves in terms of infrastructure since 1979.
The Speaker made this known while presenting the prototype of the proposed new assembly complex shortly after Governor Dapo Abiodun had laid the 2020 budget proposal before the house on Tuesday.
He regretted that the legislature was deprived of deserving infrastructural amenities while the Executive and the Judiciary “have continuously enjoyed provision of new infrastructural facilities by successive administrations in the state.”
“During the long stretch of the Military reign in Nigeria, the Legislature, which truly represents the governed, was eroded but it becomes more painful, that since the commencement of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the Legislature has not been given the required attention it deserves in terms of Infrastructure. While the Ogun State legislature has been using the same building, which lacks modern amenities and where Four (4) Honourable Members share one rest-room facility (toilet), since 1979 despite being an Arm of Government, other Arms of Government, such as the Executive and the Judiciary have continuously enjoy provision of new infrastructural facilities by successive administrations in the State.
“None of these administrations deemed it fit to address the Office Accommodation challenges of the Legislature where 3 to 4 officers on grade level 14 shares one office, an office of size 16’ by 18’ has to be partitioned for each Hon. Member to have an Ante-room.
“Based on the above observations, we have decided to ‘stop suffering in silence’ and make our plight known. We took a step further to engage a firm of Architects to design for us a befitting Legislative Office Complex and an Hallowed Chamber that will have modern facilities and be a cynosure of all eyes,” Oluomo said.
Responding, Abiodun failed to commit himself over the project, but promised to “consult and revert to the assembly.”