Ogun Assembly Supports Building of New Legislative Quarters

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Ogun State House of Assembly said yesterday that it would support building of new legislative quarters for state lawmakers either at the present location or elsewhere if it is in the overall interest of the state.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, stated this at a media parley commemorating two years that he became the speaker of the House.

Elemide, who was supported by some principal officers of the Assembly, said the legislative quarters, built by the military regime preparatory to the begining of the Second Republic, was no longer befitting for the current situation in the democratic dispensation.

According to the Speaker, the two bedroom apartment at the legislative quarters was then meant for a lawmaker and his driver while members of their families live elsewhere.

He said the situation then was acceptable because legislative duties then was part-time.

The clarification came amidst controversies that greeted the state government’s decision to demolish the quarters and build new legislative quarters in the state.

Elemide said lawmakers have not been served any notice to quit their quarters, which was not even adequate for the current legislators because of their sizes.

He said the lawmakers have not been paid any money for proposed relocation adding that they would request that government should pay them in lieu of alternative accommodation.

Elemide said, “We shall not object to demolition of new legislative quarters in the interest of the state. The current quarters cannot stand the test of time again.”

The Speaker said the Assembly within two years that he assumed leadership had passed 60 bills in which some had been signed by the governor of the state while some were yet to be signed.

He said the Assembly had passed several resolutions, which had been used to settle many issues.

Elemide stated that legislators believed more in resolutions because it is easier to enforce and applied unlike bills which will have to wait for the governor’s action and assent.

The Speaker disclosed that the legislature has successfully resolved about 55 per cent of land grabbing-related petitions received in the last two years, describing the intervention as critical to sustaining peace across the state.

He said land disputes and cases of alleged land grabbing remain the most frequent complaints brought before the House, reflecting the seriousness of the challenge in many communities across Ogun State.

He explained that the Assembly has often adopted mediation and dialogue as its primary approach, inviting both complainants and defendants for amicable settlement.

“Most petitions received by the Assembly border on land grabbing. The House has intervened by inviting both complainants and defendants to resolve disputes amicably,” Elemide said.

He added that about 55 per cent of such petitions had been successfully settled, contributing significantly to the relative peace currently enjoyed in the state.

The Speaker stressed that while the legislature plays an important role in addressing conflicts, long-term resolution depends largely on the political will of the executive arm of government.