The Ondo State House of Assembly has frowned at the failure of the state Commissioner for Finance, Mrs Omowumi Isaac, to appear before the assembly.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the House of Assembly on Tuesday asked the commissioner to appear before it on Thursday to explain on issues on the 2024 Supplementary Bill before the assembly.
NAN also reports that the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Finance, Mr A.O Akinseloyin, had written to the assembly that the commissioner would not be able to honor the call due to urgent state’s assignment outside the state.
Speaking on the summon, Mr Felix Afe, Akoko North-West 2/ PDP, said that the letter attributed to the commissioner was a total affront on the hallowed legislative house and the people of the state .
Afe noted that the said letter, which emanated from the permanent secretary of the ministry rather than the commissioner, did not give details on the commissioner’s whereabouts .
He told the assembly to re-summon the commissioner to come and explain in person on performance of the 2024 budget and the need for its supplementary contents.
Afe proposed that the supplementary bill should be put on hold until the commissioner honoured the assembly.
According to him, the House of Assembly has power to issue an arrest warrant if the commissioner insists on not honouring the invitation.
Also speaking, Mr Chris Ogunlana, Irele Constituency/APC said that the said letter in response to the summon watery considering the magnitude of contents of the bill.
In her own remarks, Mrs Omowumi Fayemi, Ilaje 2/APC said that the purpose of the commissioner’s summon was to expatiate on the bill without which it would be difficult for the House of Assembly to proceed.
The main objective is to expatriate on the bill and she is not here, so we cannot continue. She needs to explain the reason the supplementary budget is needed.
Speaking on the deliberation, the Speaker of the House of the Assembly, Chief Olamide Oladiji, said that in the view of failure of the commissioner, the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Benjamin Jayeola, should write another letter to summon the commissioner.on Thursday by 10:00am.
The House of the Assembly also deliberated on increased insecurity in Owo Local Government Area of the state.
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Mr Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi said that criminal elements had perpetrated the ancient town , dispossessing residents of their belongings.
Ogunmolasuyi, Owo 1/APC, explained that criminals would enter people’s houses forcing them to withdraw their money through PoS machines.
He said that it was disheartening that residents could not sleep with their two closed, saying it was time to call on security operatives in the state to bring the perpetrators to books and strengthen the security architecture in the area.
The majority leader said that if the situation was not addressed, it would extend to other local government areas.
The speaker, therefore, asked the state government to address the security challenges in the area so that it would not degenerate.
Oladiji asked people of Owo to be vigilant and produce use full information that could address the situation to the security agencies.
“We are directing all security operative to rise up and strategize in curbing it. The Committee on Security Matters should pay a visit to Owo and come out on how to ensure safety of lives and property,” the speaker said.
The House of Assembly also passed the OSOPADEC Amendment Bill to Committee Stage.
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