BILL SEEKING CHANGE OF NAME FOR TASCE, TWO OTHERS SCALE SECOND READING IN OGHA

Three bills including the Ogun State Fiscal Responsibility Commission (Amendment) Law, 2021, that which seeks the change of name of Tai Solarin College of Education to the Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu-Ajose Law, 2021 as well as Oba and Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council Law of Ogun State, 2021 have scaled through second reading on the floor of the State House of Assembly.

Opening debate on the State Fiscal Responsibility Commission (Amendment) Law, 2021, the Sponsor, Hon. Kunle Sobukanla, as well as his colleagues  Honourables  Modupe Mujota and Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, who took turn to lend their voices in support for the speedy passage of the bill, stated that when operational, the bill would be assist government in putting in place mechanism to determine its capacity to obtain credit as well as ability plan towards meeting the yearning of the people especially during emergency.

Honourables Ademuyiwa Adeyemi, Adeyanju Adegoke, Kemi Oduwole, Abayomi Fasuwa, Sola Adams and Yusuf Sheriffwho deliberated on the basis of the Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu-Ajose, Law 2021, unanimously stated that the change of nomenclature for the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu in Ijebu became imperative to address the identity challenge being faced by the institution in accessing intervention funds.   

They posited that there was need for collaborative efforts between government, developmental partners and public-spirited individuals to improve on the existing infrastructural facility on the campus of the institution, saying that the choice of proposing a new name in honour of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebu-land was a well deserved recognition for the paramount ruler especially in recognition of his untiring efforts towards the development of the State.

On “H.B. No 069/OG/2021- A Bill for a Law to provide for approved method for the Selection, Appointment and Recognition of Obas, Chiefs and Traditional Council in Ogun State and for purposes incidental and supplementary to them”, members who took turn to contribute to the debate opined that it was hightime the various inadequacies contained in the old law were addressed through the enactment of an all-inclusive legislation that would spell out the process of installing monarchs in their various categories.

Condemning the irregularities that had characterized the selection process of traditional rulers, including controversial court rulings on facts and family histories, the lawmakers submitted that the bill poised to put the traditional institution in its pride of place; thereby encouraging charismatic and responsible individuals to ascend the thrones.

In his separate responses on the change of name of (TASCE) to the Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology, Omu- Ajose law, Speaker Oluomo eulogized Awujale for being a worthy monarch of class, who remained reputed for discipline and promotion of education in his individual capacity, enjoying stakeholders in education to evolve more educational reforms and enabling measures to serve as a bridge to higher academic attainment with a view to accommodating more students in tertiary institutes across the State.

This he noted would take more secondary school leavers off the streets for a more productive academic attainments.

He thereafter charged the three bills to the House Committees on Finance and Appropriation, Education, Science and Technology as well Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for further legislative actions.

STUDENTS’ CLASH: OGUN ASSEMBLY CHARGES EDUCATION MINISTRY ON STAKEHOLDERS’ INTERVENTION 
Concerned by the need to address the spate of violent clashes involving secondary schools students in the State, Ogun State House of Assembly, has called on the State Commissioner for Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to as a matter of urgency interface with other stakeholders including security agencies and the Parents- Teachers Associations towards curbing the menace.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, made the call while responding to the submission of a member representing Abeokuta North State Constituency, Hon. Modupe Mujota and her Odeda counterpart, Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, under Personal Explanation at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. 

Condemning the clashes which often disrupted economic activities of residents in the affected areas, Oluomo challenged the Commissioner to brainstorm with leadership of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), security agencies and community leaders with a view to taking drastic steps to forestall the reoccurrence of such act; advising parents to improve on the monitoring of their wards to have a first hand information on their activities while outside the home.

The Speaker equally tasked the State Government on the issue of insecurity at Olokemeji-Olowo area, a border community between Ogun and Oyo States through a more coordinated joint security operation to dislodge bandits  from the forest reserve in the area.

He further noted that security challenge bedevilling the nation, especially the South West, remained a collective effort of all residents, including the local security outfits in collaboration with government and other security agencies, lamenting that some unscrupulous elements were taking advantage of the bandits’ invasion to unleash terror on the people.

Earlier, Mujota had reported the fracas that broke out in Saje area of her constituency, where some students were alleged to have used dangerous weapons in a rivalry clash among students in the area, a situation that had been generating fears among the residents.

On his part, Hon. Elemide intimated the Assembly on the unlawful invasion of Olokemeji- Olowo, a boundary village between Ogun and Oyo State by some herdsmen, who allegedly killed a resident, while raising an alarm on their presence near a forest reserve. 

In another development, Speaker Oluomo in his response to the member representing Yewa North II State Constituency, Wahab Haruna,  challenged the State Attorney General to explore all necessary legal mechanisms including international treaties and protocol of the ECOWAS Court to secure the immediate release of a resident of Igbokofi, a border town in the State with Republic of Benin, Dr Kunle Garb, who was unlawfully arrested on a boundary-related dispute between Nigeria and Republic of Benin and was already arraigned before a Beninoire court the previous day.