Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, has called for enhanced legislative collaboration in the South-west region to foster rapid development in the region.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olamide Tiamiyu, the speaker while playing host to the duo of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye and the Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, who were on a courtesy visit to Osogbo, said that the cooperation of the region’s legislative bodies is crucial for its development.
According to him, South-west has a proud history of democracy, and it is the collective responsibility of its leaders to ensure that this tradition is upheld, adding that the challenges of insecurity, economic stagnation, and social inequality that are currently plaguing the country, can be tackled through legislative collaboration.
He said: “By working together as legislative arms of government, we can make a real difference in the lives of our people,” the speaker reiterated.
Egbedun further stressed the importance of a unified front in addressing these issues, saying that the synergy would yield a greater development for the region and make good impact in the lives of the people.
He said: “We must not allow ourselves as legislators to be divided along party lines or other lines of division. It is only by working together that we can truly advance the interests of our people.”
In his remark, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who doubled as the chairman, Conference of Speakers for the South-west, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, noted that the challenges facing the region are numerous and complex, and required a concerted and coordinated effort from all stakeholders, hence the need for legislative collaboration.
Aribasoye added that there is much to gain by the states if there is collaboration, adding: “There is nothing that stops us from having a rail line that will connect the South Western states. There is also a lot to be done in the DAWN Commission.”
He said that the speakers of the various Southouldest states have been working together on how the region can have regional legislative agenda and have made significant progress in recent months, adding that there is still much work to be done.
On his own part, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, expressed the importance of legislative synergy to the development of the region.
He also spoke about the importance of legislative autonomy and how it would benefit the people of the state, noting that when the legislature could operate independently, it could be more effective in representing the interests of the people hence the need to speak in one voice.
he entourage also included the majority leaders and other members of Ekiti and Ondo legislative assemblies.
