Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly on Wednesday asked Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to grant them financial autonomy.
The lawmakers, rising from a plenary session, said financial autonomy would address the hardship they experience in the course of discharging their duties.
They lamented that they could not spend on any project without the approval of the executive arm of government and decried the deplorable condition of the assembly complex.
The assembly complex was built by the civilian administration of late Pa Adekunle Ajasin over four decades ago.
Iroju Ogundeji, the deputy speaker, urged Akeredolu to release fund for members of the Assembly for them to embark on projects in their various constituencies.
“No doubt about that, we all know this, it is a thing of public knowledge that we don’t have financial autonomy. The state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria depend on the executive before we can get our financial problems solved.
“This is the situation we find ourselves in this country, and we have said this times without number. This is part of the lacuna that is still existing in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We also decry the deplorable condition of the entire House of Assembly complex and we appeal to the executive governor, who is also the financial custodian of the state resources to assist us,” Iroju said.
Sola Ebiwonjumi, majority leader, who represents Okitipupa Constituency I, debunked reports that the state government had procured utility vehicles and gave them constituency allowances.
Bamidele Oleyelogun, the speaker, begged Akeredolu to attend to the lawmakers’ needs in the interest of representative democracy, saying the little contributions to their constituents were from personal efforts through loans.
