Osun Assets Management Agency Bill Scales 2nd Reading

By Israel Afolabi

The State of Osun Assets Management Agency Bill, 2017 has passed through the second reading of the House while further consideration on the Osun Penalties and Other Payments (Amendment) Bill, 2017 has been stepped down for further consultation so as to clear the grey areas arising from it during the debate.

This was sequel to a motion moved and seconded by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Timothy Owoeye (Ilesa East) and Hon. Tajudeen Famuyide(Ilesa West) respectively for the second reading of the Asset Management bill and the policy thrust of the two other bills.

Leading the debate on the Policy Thrust of the said bills which were Executive Sponsored Bills, Owoeye at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salaam, said the State Penalties and Other Payments (Amendment) Bill 2017 when eventually passed into Law will increase the IGR base of the state through the introduction of new taxes and fees payable for services rendered and penalties for contravening the provisions of the Laws of the state.

Owoeye added that since most of the present fines and fees as provided for in the existing Laws are obsolete and no more in tandem with modern day economic realities; the desire to have an amendment to the extant Laws in this regards would apart from the benefits mentioned, afford the state to have all her Laws relating to this in a codified way that would no doubt assist in no small measure in the area of usage.

He added that about sixty-five related Laws on fines and fees must have been put together in a compendium manner.

In their own various contributions, other members agreed with the Majority Leader on the benefits the state would derive from the bill when eventually passed into law.

But the lawmakers said the process and procedure adopted for the writting of the Bill in question was not in tandem with the convention of the Parliament, thereby, called for further consultation on it but the view of Hon. Folorunso Oladoyin was different. He said it was an innovation that conform with the standard practice in the act of amendments of law writing and presentation.

The Assembly also had the Policy Thrust of the State Assets Management Agency Bill, 2017 as presented by the Majority Leader, Hon. Owoeye, where he enumerated the benefits associated with the Bill which include creating a Data Bank of all the assets of government in line with international standard and best practice with a view to providing uniform management and codifying property of government scattering across the state and beyond for the purpose of accountability and transparency in governance.

Commenting, the Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salaam, who said the Bill when passed into law would serve as an organic framework to coordinate and manage all the assets of government, commended his colleagues for their contributions which he described as robust, fascinating and interesting urging them to keep the spirit up.