The Oyo State House of Assembly, on Thursday, mandated all Chairmen of the 33 local government areas (LGAs) and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) to submit an account of their stewardship by next Friday.
Upon submission of the reports, an Adhoc committee of the Assembly is scheduled to scrutinize the activities of the LGs and LCDAs in terms of their records, accounts, projects and contracts from December 2020 till date.
This move, according to the Assembly, is in recognition of the fact that the current tenure and operation of transition committee Chairmen in LGAs and LCDAs will expire on March 19 in anticipation of the conduct of local government election on May 15.
According to Tribuneonline, in a motion presented by Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Honourable Ademola Popoola, the stewardship report will prevent the caretaker committees from foisting liabilities on the incoming democratically elected government.
After the submission of the report of stewardship, the local government Chairmen are billed to appear before the Popoola led Adhoc committee, which will subsequently present a report of its findings at a plenary before March 19.
This resolution that the stewardship report is brought to the house was reached after objection by Honourable Wumi Oladeji of Ogbomoso North and Honourable Isiaka Kazeem of Oyo East/Oyo West constituency against carrying out another oversight not long after one was carried out last November.
As against going around constituencies doing oversight, Honourable Oladeji, in particular, held that the local government Chairmen simply be asked to present their handover report.
On his part, Honorable Kazeem argued that the Assembly should rather give attention to the security challenges in the state.
However, Honourables Akintunde Olajide of Lagelu and Honourable Dele Adeola argued that it was right that the local government Chairmen, once again, be asked to give an account of the monthly allocations they have got.
Arguing that carrying out oversight cannot be too much, deputy Speaker, Honourable Abiodun Fadeyi posited that it was right that the local government Chairmen render an account of their tenure in the office before leaving on March 19.
