Oyo State lawmakers elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform were all missing during plenary on Thursday as the State House of Assembly consented to Governor Seyi Makinde‘s new loan request.
OsunDaily News understands that Makinde’s request to secure a fresh N50 billion loan was approved during the plenary yesterday. The state assembly sitting was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Abiodun Fadeyi (Ona Ara).
The Speaker of the assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, whose mother, Mrs Justina Ogundoyin, died recently, did not attend the plenary.
However, the likes of the Minority Leader, Asimiyu Niran Alarape (Oyo East/Oyo West), Isiaka Kazeem Tunde (Atiba), Olawumi Oladejo (Ogbomoso North) and Seyi Adisa (AFIJIO), were all conspicuously absent during the decision making yesterday.
The reason for their absence was not revealed as of Friday when this report was given.
OsunDaily News understands that all the APC lawmakers who boycotted the meeting lost their re-election bids in their various constituencies during the just concluded 2023 general election.
Since his swearing-in in 2019, Governor Makinde had forwarded no fewer than five loan requests to the house, which were approved.
In July 2019, the House of Assembly endorsed the request by the Governor to take an N10bn infrastructure loan. The lawmakers also, in October 2019, approved the request of the governor to access an N7 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) loan to boost farm settlements in Akufo in Ido Local Government Area and Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the state.
In August 2021, another N6bn credit facility was approved for the governor. In October 2021, the Oyo state lawmakers approved the request of the state governor to access the N18.7bn Federal Government Bridge loan facility.
The lawmakers also, in June 2022, approved an additional loan request of N2bn for the governor.
Governor Makinde had in a letter addressed to the lawmakers, said that the decision to take the latest loan was to complete ongoing projects and execute new ones in the state.
The letter from the governor was read by the Deputy Speaker, Abiodun Fadeyi, who presided over the plenary on Thursday.
In his presentation, majority Leader of the house, Sanjo Adedoyin Onaolapo, said the fund would go a long way in enabling the current government to execute contracts for infrastructure development projects.
The lawmakers who were present during the plenary then unanimously approved the governor’s request.
