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June 13, 2016
Osun Assembly Passes Seven Bills Into Law
The Osun State House of Assembly has enacted laws that will improve the lots of the masses, enhance the economy of the state and development of infrastructure.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, gave the above indication in Osogbo, the state capital, while listing the achievements of the House.
He said seven bills, including the ones that would boost the states revenue and block leakages in the finances of the state among others, have been passed.
Oyintiloye added that the House has also paid specific attention to oversight functions, especially where it concerns the completion of ongoing projects across the state, in line with the commitment of the state government.
The Chairman said a total number of seven bills have been passed by the Assembly, while others were at different stages of consideration before the House.
The bills, he said, are: Public Procurement Bill; Land Use Charge Bill; Primary Healthcare Development Board (Establishment) Bill; Street Trading and Illegal Market (Prohibition) Bill; Micro-credit Agency Bill; Conservation Fund (repeal) Bill; and the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
According to him, each of bills passed has connection with revenue generation, blockage of loopholes and sustaining transparency in governance.It said: “Osun Public Procurement Agency Bill would enhance due process in the bidding and procurement procedure through probity, accountability and transpaprency; just as it will check undue influence and interference in the procurement process.
“Also, Osun Land Use Charge Bill, is aimed at improving the Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state through enhanced payment of rate and levies on property to the coffers of the government.
“Osun Primary Healthcare Development Board (Establishment) Bill, on its part, was targeted at helping to take care of the health needs of the people, in line with the cardinal point of the government’s six-point integral action plan, one of which is “to restore healthy living”, through enhancement of efficient monitoring of healthcare system at the state and local government levels among others.
“Also, Osun Street Trading and Illegal Market (Prohibition) Bill, would enhance free-flow of traffic and pedestrians; ensure clean and tidy environment; prevent road side traders from falling victims of roadside accident, as well as discourage child abuse.
“While Osun Micro-credit Agency (Establishment) bill, was aimed at using it as effective tool to liberate people from the bondage of poverty; the Omoluabi Conservation Fund (repeal) bill, was aimed at allowing the government have access to the conserved fund to carry out infrastructural development.
“The 2016 Appropriation Bill, which is the budget, was also passed with focus on the completion of ongoing projects across the state and make it revenue-driven, such that the largest percentage of it has been arranged in a way that it will be financed by IGR.
“In considering this bill, experts and other stakeholders were carried along through public hearing on some of the bill and their inputs were put into consideration before their passage”, he said.
Oyintiloye also stressed that the Assembly has passed several resolutions, which includes amendment of State of Osun Signage, Hoarding, and Advertisement Law; and resolution on the petition by a sitting judge of the State High Court Against the Governor over alleged mismanagement of funds.
Among others, he also said, were the reinstatement of the sacked lecturers in fours state-owner tertiary institutions, and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.
The parliament also noted, there were other interventions made, which include, land dispute between parties; and the issue of demand for compensation by those whose properties were separated due to one development or the other among others.
It also averred that, the 6th Assembly has been able to strengthen its oversight machinery through standing committees, especially to ensure the blockage of loopholes in the revenue of the state, towards increasing its IGR without putting unnecessary burden on the people, and ensure that the ongoing projects across the state are completed.
It specifically mentioned the audit carried out on the management of IGR by the management of the four state-owned tertiary institutions, saying, the audit showed that there were leakages.
The Assembly noted that it has subsequently passed a resolution to automate the payment of all fees in their campuses, which it said, would block leakages and make the institutions self-sustainable.
It then assured that the 6th Assembly has resolved to improve on its legislative activities and do more of oversight without abandoning the passage of laws that will benefit the people of the state.
