Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill of N21.7 billion presented by the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has passed through the second reading at the state House of Assembly, as the lawmakers held their first sitting after the death of its Speaker, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye.
Afuye died last week after a brief illness at the state Teaching Hospital in Ado Ekiti.
Subsequently, the Assembly had committed the bill to the Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, for further scrutiny.
The Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, Hon. Hakeem Jamiu, who presided at the plenary yesterday, informed the lawmakers of the Oyebanji’s request to secure approval for the supplementary budget.
When passed into law, the aggregate of the budgetary estimate will now be N121.7 billion, as a total of N100.7billion had earlier been approved.
The motion for the bill’s committal was moved by the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, and seconded by Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu, with the duo branding the estimate as money bill that needs quick attention.
Lawmakers at the plenary agreed with the submission, and passed the bill to Committee on Finance and Appropriation for clause-to-clause considerations.
The committee had a mandate of one week to work on the bill and report back to the Assembly.
Earlier, at the plenary, the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Tola Esan, formally announced the demise of the Speaker, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, with a minute silence observed in his honour.
The announcement led to the suspension of the House Standing Order 2 Rule 10, which stated that: “Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker during a session, the Clerk shall report same to the Assembly at its next sitting and the Assembly shall either forthwith, or at its next sitting, proceed to the election of a new Speaker or Deputy Speaker in the manner herein before provided.”
Speaking at the plenary, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Hakeem Jamiu, appealed to the public to be compassionate by stopping spreading unfounded rumour about the scramble for speakership position.
Jamiu appealed to the public to allow members mourn the demise of the Speaker in peace by desisting from spreading fake news about the Assembly.
