Federal character default:Oyo Assembly summons council chairman

Federal character default:Oyo Assembly summons council chairman

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Written by Charles Akinsete Friday, 05 November 2010

The Oyo State House of Assembly has summoned the chairman, Ogo Oluwa Local Government Area of the state, Mr Ezekiel Sanjo Akintola, to appear before the Assembly on Tuesday next week, following the allegation of default in exercising the principle of federal character in terms of spreading the dividends of democracy equally to all parts of his council area.
This development followed a motion on Matters of Urgent Public Importance moved by Honourable Matthew Adegboyega Abioye, during the assembly’s plenary session on Thursday.
Presenting the motion, the lawmaker, representing Ogo Oluwa/Surulere State Constituency in the assembly, said the council chairman had failed to spread the dividends of democracy evenly to all the areas, saying that he  concentrated solely on his village to the detriment of other places in the local government.
Honourable Samuel Popoola, in his response on the issue, said that “the observation raised by Honourable Abioye is in order,” adding that as contained in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 14 (4), the dividends of democracy should be spread evenly across the local government areas.
While responding, Honourable Mufutau Tella, said that the invitation of the council chairman in question was also in order, as this would serve as a deterrent to other erring local government chairmen who had also not lived up to expectations.