Ogun Speaker renews call for full legislative autonomy
The Speaker of Ogun State Assembly, Daisi Elamide has again called for full autonomy for the state legislative arm to enhance effective representation and strengthen Nigeria’s growing democracy.
Elemide made this call on Thursday during an engagement with journalists held at the assembly conference room, Abeokuta to mark his one year in office.
The Speaker took over the leadership of the House last year January 30 after the impeachment of the former Speaker, Olukunle Oluomo.
Elemide while answering questions from journalists during the event said “Though the house has some degree of administrative autonomy that of the financial autonomy is at a lesser extent.
“It is what we have always clamour for, the full autonomy including both administrative and financial so that we can do so much more for our people”.
Elemide equally explained that the lawmakers across the state might have not been able to do so much in terms of constituency projects because the funding for such intervention has not been released by the state government.
The Speaker said that though the fund is always budgeted for every year the executive arm of the government has always complained of paucity of funds.
He disclosed that “I think the constituency project fund was paid once during the 7th assembly, once as well during 8th and 9th assembly but for this 10th assembly we have received no dime due to paucity of funds.
“So, whatever is done by any one of us for now is from our personal pockets but we believe that before the end of this second year something will be done and everyone will get to know of this when this happens”
The Speaker said that the achievements of his leadership in the last year include the complete rehabilitation of the assembly complex with running pipe-borne water, the first of its kind almost 44 years after it was constructed.
Elemide added that the assembly has equally passed 11 laws, and 42 resolutions and treated 90 petitions mostly on land-grabbing cases in the last year.
