Apparently
worried that the bill for another N19b which Governor Ibikunle Amosun
has place before the Ogun State House of Assembly may not fly as
expected, some lawmakers believed to be loyal to the Ogun State governor
are said to have gone back to the drawing board to re-strategise.
The
lawmakers were said to have met over the last weekend on two separate
occasions to plot on how to ensure the passage of the bill whiich will
give approval to the loan request. Gathered that part of their new
strategy was to suspend three of the mebers of the House of Assembly
perceived to be strongly opposed to the loan request which would
therefore put the Amosun lawmakers in clear majority to effect a change
in the law requiring two-third majority to 'simple majority' so as to
make it easier for them to pass.
At the plenary session of the House of
Assembly on Tuesday, Speaker Suraju Adekunbi refused against all
entreaty to list the matter of the loan as part of the House
proceedings. A source at the Oke-Mosan's Governor's office also revealed
that mum was the word during the weekly Executive Council meeting, as
the loan request was not even discussed at all.
According to the source
"Governor Amosun has been apprehensive and particularly worried about
the negative publicity and comments which the matter has generated. It
was like he seem to be coming to terms with the reality that this is a
very unpopular decision and the people of Ogun State are totally against
it". Another source disclosed that Former Speaker Tunji Egbetokun is
actually Governor Amosun's thinking cap, and he was the one who
suggested that everything should be allowed to look as normal again
before they strike with the new plot.
From the documents supplied to the
House of Assembly by both the Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun
and his Works counterpart, Lekan Adegbite, Ogun State will be paying N3b
every month to service debt when the loan is accessed.
The Ogun State
lawmakers are however asking questions about the debt exposure of the
state which is currently put at N293b.
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