Shina Abubakar Osogbo

The State of Osun House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Yemi Lawal to appear before the House on Thursday over plans by the state government to disburse palliatives to the people.

This is just as the state lawmakers on Wednesday resumed legislative activities in-spite of the ravaging coronavirus.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye said at plenary, “We are aware of plans by the state government to disburse cash palliatives to residents of the State. It is important for the Honourable Commissioner for Youths and Sports to appear before the house tomorrow and intimate us on the beneficiaries and the modalities for disbursement.”

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Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, had recently ordered the payment of stipends due to 25,907 vulnerable citizens in the state as part of palliative measures to cushion impacts of the state-wide lockdown.

The beneficiaries include people living with disabilities and the aged. They are 15,289 and captured under the Special Grant Transfer (SGT). Also, there is Public Work Fare (PWF) which is designed for the youths and the beneficiaries under this category are 10,618.

Owoeye said the house resumed to provide the necessary support to the state government in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

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He admitted that the state is in a dire situation and can only achieve more with a functional House of Assembly, saying the assembly is rising up to the challenge by supporting the state government to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Assembly read for the third time the “Osun State College of Health Technology Ilesha Establishment Bill 2020”.

The motion to pass the bill was moved by the majority leader, Mr. Moruf Olarewaju and seconded by Mr. Babatunde Ibirogba from Egbedore State Constituency.

The bill, according to the Speaker, would upgrade the status of the school to a College of Health Technology with autonomy to run quality educational programmes.

The bill was sponsored by the Speaker was first presented to the House on October 15, 2019.

Vanguard