The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, gave the assurance during an advocacy visit by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) led by the Chief of Lagos Field Officer, Celine Lafoucriere at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan.
The Speaker said that for the State to retain its pride of place in the sector, it was imperative for all hands to be on deck to address the prevalent issue of school drop-out students in the South west and the country at large.
He noted that as lawmakers, part of their commitment was to embark on intervention/ constituency projects through donation of educational facilities including blocks of classrooms, organizing summer classes, facilitating donations to schools from philanthropists to complement the efforts of the State Government at providing conducive environment for teaching and learning in schools across the State.
Other Lawmakers who contributed including Honourables Adebisi Oyedele, Babatunde Tella and Lukman Adeleye, assured UNICEF of sustained synergy with government and non- governmental organizations to further enhance access to educational opportunities by pupils in their constituencies.
They ascribed the high statistics of dropout and out of school pupils in the country to the rising spate of insecurity and eroded cultural values occasioned by the influx into the country by people from neighbouring countries.
Earlier, the Chief of Lagos Field Officer, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Celine Lafoucriere, who reeled out the statistics of out of school children and drop-out across levels of education in the country attributed it to various factors, including inadequate evidence-based policies, limited budget allocation, shortage of teachers and classrooms, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health and safety concerns as well as child labour amongst others.
She reaffirmed UNICEF's readiness to develop models for reducing the number of out-of-school children and increasing the retention, transition, and completion of adolescents from primary to secondary school levels; while advocating the need for parents to have a firm belief in educational system.
In her remarks, the UNICEF Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti sought for strategies to increase enrollment to boost the interest of school children, while working assiduously with all stakeholders in the Legislative arm to ensure seamless access to quality education.
OGUN ASSEMBLY APPROVES 2025- 2027 MEDIUM TERM EXPENDITURE FRAMEWORK
Ogun State House of Assembly has approved the 2025-2027 State Medium Term Expenditure Framework (2025-2027 MTEF) earlier transmitted to it for consideration and passage by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
The approval of the financial framework by the lawmakers at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Oludaisi Elemide, followed the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation by its Vice Chairman, Hon. Wahab Haruna, who thereafter moved the motion for the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Hon. Lukman Adeleye and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote.
The MTEF report was later read and adopted sector by sector before the Committee of the Whole House, which saw to the adoption of sectoral allocations comprising of the personnel, overhead and capital expenditures of the State’s different sectors for the Years 2025-2027.
Thereafter, the Majority Leader Yusuf Sheriff, later moved the motion for the passage of the House Resolution seconded by Hon. Adeleye Lukman and supported by the Whole House.
Elemide, therefter directed the Clerk of the House and Head of Legislative Services, Sakiru Adebakin, to convey the House Resolution to the concerned authorities including the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Olaolu Olabimtan for the preparation of the State Year 2025 Budget.
It would be recalled that the lawmakers had earlier in the day engaged the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Olaolu Olabimtan, where they sought for a more budgetary allocation for the education and agriculture sectors with a view to improving food security through mechanized farming.
The lawmakers who spoke at the session including Hon. Yusuf Amosun, Damilare Bello, Adebisi Oyedele, Lukman Adeleye, appealed to the State Government to ensure increased investment in mechanized farming and rural development; while improving on the funding of key sectors that would contribute to the ease of doing business.
Responding, the Commissioner explained that funding of other areas linking the sectors including infrastructure, transportation, security and other statewide intervention programmes were part of the strategies meant to fulfil the mandate in some of the sectors referred.
He also underscored the need to embark on agro- business and take advantage of its value chain to empower the people.
OGUN ASSEMBLY PASSES POWER SECTOR LAW 2024, RESOLVES LANDS ISSUE AT ILARO
Ogun State House of Assembly has passed the State Power Sector Law 2024, to allow for an improved electricity generation, transmission and distribution within the State, thereby addressing the energy consumption challenge being confronted by the people and business owners in the State.
The passage of the bill followed the presentation of the Report of the Whole by the Deputy Speaker, Bolanle Ajayi, who also moved the motion for its adoption, seconded by the Minority Leader, Lukman Adeleye, and supported by other members through a voiced vote during today's plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The bill was later read and adopted clause-by-clause before the Committee of Whole, after which the motion for its third reading was moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, seconded by Hon. Adeleye and supported by the Whole House through a unanimous voice vote.
Thereafter, the Clerk of the Assembly, Sakiru Adebakin, took the third reading of the bill before the lawmakers, following which the Speaker directed that the clean copy of the bill be transmitted to the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his assent.
In another development, the Assembly has considered the report of the Committee on Lands and Housing on a petition from Ifedapo CDA on behalf of Olorungbemileke CDA in Oke-Ela and Akede Isale Osoba, Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area written against Phillip Otegbeye Family in Ilaro in respect of an expanse of land in Oke-Ela.
According to the Chairman of the Committee, Damilola Soneye, who rendered the committee report, the Assembly recommended that: "all occupants within Philip Otegbeye family land should pay a sum of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N350,000.00) as ratification fee on a plot of land, including developed and undeveloped land, to the family of Philip Otegbeye as agreed by both parties through the intervention of Olu of Ilaro, His Royal Highness, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, the Paramount Ruler of Yewa land on Friday, 22nd March, 2024"
