Drama in Ogun Assembly as 13 lawmakers shun Amosun

ABEOKUTA—There was a mild drama yesterday, at the Ogun State House of Assembly when 13 lawmakers shunned the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun after he presented the 2015 appropriation bill to the assembly.

Gov Ibikunle Amosun

The 13 lawmakers who stayed put at the hallow chamber shortly after the presentation of N210.354 billion as the  2015 budget tagged “Budget of Continuity,” did not join other 13 lawmakers for traditional group photograph with the governor.

The assembly is divided into two factions of 13 members each.

Those who were at the chamber during the presentation but refused to join the governor to pose for photograph include Job Akintan from Yew North II; John Obafemi, representing Remo North; Abiodun Akovoyon, from Ipokia/Idiroko and Adegbesan Joseph, from Ijebu North.

Others were Adeleke Salmon, Imeko-Afon; Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo; Allen-Taylor Olufemi, Abeokuta South; Anifowose Elizabeth, Obafemi-Owode; Elemide Daisi, Odeda; Harinson Adeyemi, Ogun Waterside; Remmy Hassan, Odogbolu; Adegboyega Olowo-Oloja, Ijebu-East; Onademuren Samson , Ijebu North-East and Solaja Bowale from Ijebu North 1.

Presenting the budget

Earlier, the governor presented N210.354 billion 2015 appropriation bill before the State House of Assembly, disclosing that the 47.23 per cent of the budget would be funded through   Internally Generated Revenue which he said is currently fluctuating  between N5 and 6 billion monthly.

He said despite the fall in the MONEY accruing to the state from the Federation Account, the budget size is N326 million, over N100 billion above the 2014 approved budget of N210.28 billion.

According to the governor; ”The rationale for this is that the macro-economic outlook driven by the global oil prices suggests a contraction in the national economy.  I have always maintained that Ogun State is not immune to the wider economy.”

Disruption of the bill presentation

Meanwhile, the presentation of the bill was disrupted for a short moment when one of the governor’s supporters slumped at the gallery of the Assembly but was quickly revived.

The situation almost degenerated to a chaos when one of the governor’s allies said the people reviving the victim should not distract the governor, a statement found offensive by the audience.

However, after the victim was revived, the mess he threw up on the leather sofa remained uncleared.

It was gathered that the cleaners at the Assembly were contacted by a senior officer to mop the mess but they refused on the grounds that the victim might have Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.

As at the time of filing this report, the mess was still on the sofa.

Reacting to the proposed budget, one of the opposition lawmakers, Remmy Hassan said it was unrealistic and unrealisable.

Hassan who has just defected to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, said the proposed budget is like an attempt to build castles in the air.

Another lawmaker, Adijat Adeleye-Oladapo said all of them in the opposition camp would subject the appropriation bill to a thorough verification.

Adeleye-Oladapo, however, said, the failure of the house to hold budget performance sitting made it difficult to know the budget performance for this year.

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