– As Speaker Chairs 10-man Ad-hoc Committee
Sequel to the earlier instruction of the Osun House of Assembly, that agencies of government should immediately furnish the House with the updated details of the State’s debt profile, the Assembly on Wednesday, inaugurated a committee to look into matters arising from the issues.
Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye at plenary inuagurated a 10-man ad-hoc committee, to urgently do a thorough investigation about the exact debt profile of the state.
Owoeye in a statement by his media aide, Kunle Alabi, stated that the figure that the House of Assembly has is different from what was reeled out by the executive arm of government.
The committee has the Speaker as its Chairman, while the Chairman, House Committee on Public Account and Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Gbenga Ogunkanmi and Hon. Adebayo Olodo respectively are Co- Chairmen.
Others are the Minority leader, Hon. Kofoworola Adewunmi, Hon. Tunde Olatunji, Hon. Michael Adetoyi, Hon. Babatunde Ibirogba, Hon. Lateef Adebisi, Hon. Babatunde Komolafe, Hon. Adiru Abefe and the Clerk, Mr. Simeon Amusan as the Secretary.
The Speaker noted that the situation, if not carefully handled may affect investors and people who want to have transactions with the state.
The Speaker while relying on sections 128 and 129 of the constitution said, “For the purposes of any investigation under section 128 of this constitution and subject to the provisions thereof, a House of Assembly or a committee appointed in accordance within section 103 of this constitution shall have power to.
“(a) procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter;”.
“The only institution that can clear the air on this is the House of Assembly, as government is a continuum. This exercise is going to be transparent. That is why we have co-opted the Minority leader into the committee,” the Speaker emphasised.
