In response to an earlier directive from the Osun State House of Assembly that institutions of state should quickly provide the House with the most recent information regarding the State’s debt, the Assembly on Wednesday established a committee to investigate the debt profile.
The Osun House of Assembly’s Speaker, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, formally established a 10-person ad hoc committee at a plenary session to conduct an urgent and in-depth study of the state’s precise debt profile.
Owoeye in a statement by his media Aide, Mr. Kunle Alabi stated that the figure that the House of Assembly has is different from what was reeled out by the executive arm of government.
The committee has the Speaker as the Chairman, the Chairman House Committee on Public Account, and the Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Gbenga Ogunkanmi and Hon Adebayo Olodo respectively as the Co-Chairman.
Others are the Minority leader, Hon. Kofo Adewunmi, Hon. Tunde Olatunji, Hon. Michael Adetoyi, Hon. Babatunde Ibirogba, Hon. Lateef ADEBISI, Hon. Babatunde Komolafe, Hon. Adieu Abefe and the Clerk, Mr. Simeon Amusan as the Secretary.
The Speaker noted that the situation if not carefully handled may affect investors and people who want to have transactions with the state.
The Speaker while relying on sections 128 and 129 said, “For any investigation under section 128 of this constitution and subject to the provisions thereof, a House of Assembly or a committee appointed by section 103 of this constitution shall have power to.
“(a) procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter.
“The only institution that can clear the air on this is the House of Assembly, government is a continuum, this exercise is going to be transparent, that’s why we have co-opted the Minority leader into the committee.” The Speaker emphasized.