By Israel Afolabi
The State of Osun House of Assembly has suspended further debates on the Universal Basic Education Bill 2017, Education District Offices Bill and Teachers Establishment and Pension Office Bill 2012, all pending before parliament.
Stating this at the plenary on Tuesday, the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam said, the Assembly would not proceed on the consideration and passage of the bills, “until when we are convinced with the working relationship of the concern agencies”.
The Assembly had earlier on Monday directed that the officials of the Ministry of Education, Teachers Establishment and Pension Office (TEPO), Education District Offices and State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) should appear before it with a view to clarifying salient issues as to the clashes in the functions of each of the agencies as reflected in the bills.
Sequel to their appearances, the Assembly said the scenario that played out had shown that there was no good working relationship among the agencies, directing the Ministry of Education and other adjoined agencies to go back and rework the bill.
The Speaker said, “The house is not yet convinced to forge ahead with the passage of the bills. We now direct the concern authorities to go back and rework the provisions and the functions therein in the bill for the house to proceed if at all we want to pass it into law.
“Without this from the concerned authorities, the house may throw out this bill as not necessary for the State of Osun”, he ruled.
The speaker had earlier noted that the bills would assist the Ministry of Education to be more productive when passed into law, saying it would “enhance productivity in education sector”.
He added that the bills would assist in teachers’ promotion, retirement and transfer within the three districts of the state.
In his remark, the Chairman House Committee on Education, Hon. Oladoyin Bamisayemi said, “the bills will ensure career profession of professionals in the education sector.
