Apparently worried that
the bill for another N19b which Governor Ibikunle Amosun has place
before the Ogun State House of Assembly may not fly as expected, some
lawmakers believed to be loyal to the Ogun State governor are said to
have gone back to the drawing board to re-strategise.
The lawmakers were
said to have met over the last weekend on two separate occasions to
plot on how to ensure the passage of the bill whiich will give approval
to the loan request. Gathered that part of their new strategy was to
suspend three of the mebers of the House of Assembly perceived to be
strongly opposed to the loan request which would therefore put the
Amosun lawmakers in clear majority to effect a change in the law
requiring two-third majority to 'simple majority' so as to make it
easier for them to pass.
At the plenary session of the House of Assembly
on Tuesday, Speaker Suraju Adekunbi refused against all entreaty to
list the matter of the loan as part of the House proceedings. A source
at the Oke-Mosan's Governor's office also revealed that mum was the word
during the weekly Executive Council meeting, as the loan request was
not even discussed at all.
According to the source "Governor Amosun has
been apprehensive and particularly worried about the negative publicity
and comments which the matter has generated. It was like he seem to be
coming to terms with the reality that this is a very unpopular decision
and the people of Ogun State are totally against it". Another source
disclosed that Former Speaker Tunji Egbetokun is actually Governor
Amosun's thinking cap, and he was the one who suggested that everything
should be allowed to look as normal again before they strike with the
new plot.
From the documents supplied to the House of Assembly by both
the Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun and his Works counterpart,
Lekan Adegbite, Ogun State will be paying N3b every month to service
debt when the loan is accessed. The Ogun State lawmakers are however
asking questions about the debt exposure of the state which is currently
put at N293b.
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