By Adeola Badru

THE Oyo State House of Assembly on Friday approved the extension of the tenure of Chairmen of local government areas and administrators of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) for another six months.

The approval which was unanimously agreed upon by members of the house was a sequel to a letter from Governor Seyi Makinde requesting for a tenure extension for the council bosses.

Also read: FG, States, LGCS share N547.309 billion for month of May 2020

Recall that the House approved the appointment of all the 68 caretaker chairmen and administrators on December, 19, 2019, hence their six months tenure expires on the June, 19, 2020.

With this approval, their tenure will now end on December 19, 2020.

The speaker said the extension was to avoid any vacuum in the administration of the local councils in Oyo State.

The chairman House Committee on Local Government Matters, Mr. Ademola Popoola, Ibadan South East 2, who read the committee’s report on financial activities of the LGAs and LCDAs in the last six month, said the caretaker chairmen and the sole administrators had done well to deserve the tenure extension.

Popoola, in the report, urged the house to direct the LGAs and LCDAs to forward their proposed list of projects to the House for approval in line with section 19 (2) and (3) of the Local Government Law, 2001.

Meanwhile, the Public Defender Bill, 2020 passed through second reading during Friday’s plenary.

The bill sent by the executive council is seeking for the establishment of the Office of the Public Defender and it is to provide appropriate legal aids services and advice to residents of Oyo State among other functions.

The House equally received a letter from Governor Seyi Makinde requesting the passage into law of the Oyo State Sexual and Gender-Based Response team and Referral Center bill,2020.

After much deliberations, the house agreed to fuse the bill into related bills already before the legislature to ensure synergy and avoid duplication of laws.

The bill was later referred to the Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development headed by Olawumi Oladeji.

Vanguard