The Speaker, Ogun State House Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, has again lamented poor state of office accommodation at the assembly complex, saying four lawmakers shared a toilet facility.
He expressed the worry on Wednesday shortly before Governor Dapo Abiodun presented the 2021 budget proposal at the assembly complex, Oke – Mosan, Abeokuta.
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Daily Trust recalls that Oluomo had expressed the concern exactly a year ago while Abiodun was presenting his first annual budget in office.
The speaker equally presented the prototype of a new assembly complex designed by the lawmakers to the governor.
Apparently ruffled by the governor’s disinterest to address the accommodation challenges of the lawmakers, one year after, the speaker re-echoed the need to address the infrastructure decay at the assembly complex.
“Let me state it here sir that apart from the Speaker and the Deputy, no other member of the House has ante room, not to talk of having a secretariat for themselves.
“It is appalling to mention that it is one toilet to four Honourable members in this assembly,” Oluomo said in his welcome address, drawing applause from his colleagues.
He said apart of the accommodation challenges, some allowances due to the lawmakers have not been paid.
The Speaker also told the governor that members of the assembly could not implement “major projects” in the outgoing year due to paucity of funds.
He asked Abiodun to “approve release of various allowances due to Honourable members and staff, including furniture allowances to members, outstanding leave bonuses and wardrobe allowance.”
Oluomo added “If we care to look up in this chamber and conduct a tour of office accommodation in the complex, the enormous needs of this legislature will be apparent. In fact, regular maintenance has kept it to this state as the structure was constructed in 1979.
“In effect, we wish to appeal to His Excellency to come to the aid of the House in fixing the problem of office accommodation of the legislature. If done, it will stand as a signature project of the present administration in the state.”
Responding Abiodun, acknowledged that the Speaker raised the concern last year, promising that his government would address the challenge next year.
“I like to commit that God willing, all things being equal, in 2021, we should begin to do something about the new office building for this House of Assembly,” the governor said.
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