Ogun Assembly Nullifies Amosun’s Last Minute Appointments

The Ogun Assembly, on Friday, passed a bill nullifying all appointments, employments and financial agreements done by former Gov. Ibikunle Amosun between Feb. 9 and May 28.

The passage of the bill entitled, “Nullification of Irregularities (Amendment) Law, 2019,”at plenary followed the suspension of the Assembly’s standing orders 45-48 to allow for the consecutive second and third readings of the bill.

After the first reading of the bill on the floor of the Assembly by the Deputy Clerk, Mr. Deji Adeyemo, and extensive debate by members of the Assembly during its second reading, the motion for third reading was moved by Olusola Sonuga( APC- Ikenne) and seconded by Olawale Alausa (APC – Ijebu Ode).

Opening debate on the bill, the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, noted that the bill was an amendment to the one earlier passed by the Assembly at the inception of Amosun- led government to reverse all irregularities.

Oluomo noted that the last minute appointments, upgrading and employment by the last administration did not follow due process, lacked merit and was lopsided.

He equally submitted that all transactions with any financial institution done by the Amosun administration and not approved by the House of Assembly should not be honoured by the current government.

Other lawmakers who expressed support for Oluomo included Akinpelu Aina, Adebowale Ojuri and Olusola Bankole.
After the third reading of the bill, the Speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, directed that a clean copy of the bill be forwarded to the new governor, Dapo Abiodun, for his assent.

The Assembly also passed a resolution urging the state government to immediately dissolve all chairmen and members of statutory boards and parastatals, having been paid their severance allowance by the immediate past administration.

The lawmakers urged all the chairmen to hand over government property in their custody to the most senior director/public servant in their agency for continuous operation of government activities.

The Assembly, through a resolution, equally suspended all political functionaries in all Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State.

Consequently, it directed all political office holders to hand over to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective councils and LCDAs.

The assembly enjoined the chairmen and house leaders to appear before the Assembly on June 7 for investigation on allegations of gross misconduct and misappropriation of public fund in petitions earlier submitted against some of them.

The Assembly further unanimously passed another resolution calling for the reversal and review of the upgrading of traditional rulers done within the same period for holistic assessment by the new administration.

The Speaker also announced the appointment of Sonuga as the new Majority Leader of the House.(NAN)