Ekiti PDP Lawmakers Hold Secret Sitting to Pass N10b Supplementary Budget

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

In spite of the controversies surrounding the request of the sum of N10 Billion supplementary budget by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, 14 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, thursday approved the supplementary budget.

Throughout the one hour the plenary lasted, journalists were barred from gaining entry into the Assembly to observe the sitting.

The PDP lawmakers, led by the Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole, who came in group arrived the House at 12.05 pm and sat for about one hour inside the hallowed chambers before they passed the supplementary appropriation bill into law.

The PDP lawmakers were joined by the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esan and two legislative officers in conducting the sitting.

The APC lawmakers led by the Minority Leader, Gboyega Aribisogan

(Ikole 1), however, described the action as a “ploy by Fayose to legitimise fraud which will be resisted through legal and constitutional means.”

Those at the meeting were the speaker, Oluwawole, Sina Animasaun, Samuel Omotoso, Samuel Jeje, Tope Fasanmi, Dayo Akinleye and Wale Onigiobi, Dare Pelemo, Cecilia Dada, Musa Arogundade, Sanya Aladeyelu, Olayode Omotoso, Dele Fajemilehin, and Olanrewaju Olayanju.

Responding, Aribisogan said: “The APC lawmakers and some members are not in support of the bill because it has been discovered that the outgoing governor wanted to use the House to legitimise fraud.

“The proposed Appropriation Bill is the handiwork of Governor Fayose and his cronies to cover up massive fraud in some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

“The Appropriation Bill is not meant to improve the lives of our people in the state but to cover up some unapproved spending of the governor. It is a fraudulent Bill to cover fraudulent spending. That’s why the governor wanted the bill to be passed without proper scrutiny.

“The Appropriation Committee did not sit on the Bill. The Bill was back dated to August 30 to give an impression that the Appropriation Committee had since been deliberating on the Bill.

“The Speaker was given the Bill last Friday when he was summoned to the Governor’s Lodge. As usual, he was given a marching order to call Hon. Jeje Samuel, the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, to make a public statement on the Revised Budget.

“It is ridiculous to hear that a government that has less than 32 days want to spend 10 billion Naira. The governor is yet to tell us how he had managed the finances of this state.

“We have not been told the position of the state IGR, but the executive wanted us to pass a budget. We shall resist this latest attempt by Fayose to further plunge Ekiti State into financial mess.