Ondo lawmakers loyal to Gov Akeredolu approve over N14bn Budget, dissolve standing c’ittees

Nine out of 26 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Thursday, passed the bill for the ‘re-ordered’ budget of over N14 billion sent by the state governor.

At the plenary, presided over by the embattled Speaker, David Oleyelogun, the House also dissolved its standing committees and subsequently appointed three new principal officers.

Oleyelogun said the amendment of the 2018 appropriation law became imperative to allow the state government execute some projects and also implement new policies which are beneficial to the people of the state.

The Speaker said the House took the decision after considering the recommendations of the House committee on Finance and Appropriation.

The House approved the pooling of N4.2 billion from recurrent expenditure component of the 2018 Budget and the re-allocation of the funds without any alteration to the budget size.

Meanwhile, the new principal officers are: Suleiman Maito (Majority Leader); Abayomi Akinruntan (Deputy Majority Leader) and Kazeem Suleiman (Parliamentary Secretary).

The House also reaffirmed the suspension of 15 members who purportedly impeached the Speaker, Oleyelogun and his Deputy, Mr Ogundeji Iroju.

Recall that 15 members of the House had last Friday impeached Oloyelogun and Iroju as speaker and deputy speaker respectively for allegations bothering on gross misconduct and maladministration.

Speaking at the plenary, the embattled Deputy Speaker, Iroju observed that the House had not committed any offence by suspending the lawmakers, saying that the nine lawmakers that sat formed the one/third requirement needed.

Iroju who represents Odigbo state constituency 1 said the House has remained peaceful since the suspension of the aggrieved members, and thereby warned the suspended members against acts that could cause crisis within the House and the state at large.