Fayose presents N80.774 billion budget to House of Assembly of only 7 PDP members

The “Unorganised” seems to be continually “disorganised” in Ekiti State. The State governor, Ayodele Fayose has presented N80.774 billion budget estimates to a House of Assembly made up of only seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2015 fiscal year.

The 19 other members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were absent from the sitting as their party has labeled the presentation illegal. Non-legislators however filled the chamber to witness the presentation of the budget christened “Budget of Reality”.

Those present included politicians, traditional rulers and heads of industries.

A report by the Vanguard however has it that the APC in  the state has condemned Fayose’s action of presenting the 2015 Budget to seven of the 26-member of the House of Assembly in less than 20 minutes.

The paper quotes the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Taiwo Olatunbosun, as saying that the manner of the presentation of the budget by the Governor was constitutional breach, illegal and absurd.

He said:

“Monday’s illegal sitting with a full house of thugs was a new dimension to the constitutional breaches and lawlessness by the Executive.

“We never knew that Ekiti people could be brought to this low record in decency and respect for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by herding thugs to the House of Assembly to join seven members to present state budget.

“The standard practice is for the governor to present the state budget to members in full session while the public sit at the gallery to watch proceedings. But in this instance, thugs intermingled with the lawmakers in a plenary in such a way that you cannot differentiate a lawmaker from a thug,”

“What is the use of calling reporters you intentionally barred from covering the main budget presentation to a post-budget presentation briefing if not to cover up the thugs that sat with the seven members to conduct that illegal sitting? This is time for activism in journalism. Reporters must begin to ask questions on the abnormality and breaches of the Constitution in governance process.”

But in a swift reaction, Fayose advised the APC lawmakers to return, saying that: “No individual, group or political party can hold the State to ransom.”

Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka said in a statement: 

“It is shameful and wicked for the APC and its leaders to think that they can hold the entire people of Ekiti down just because they lost power.”

“The court of law is there for the loud-mouth in the APC to approach if they have any genuine complain to make.

 “Today is December 15 (yesterday) and the APC lawmakers know that 2015 Budget must be presented as provided by the 1999 Constitution. Yet, some of the APC lawmakers refused to report in the House of Assembly, except three of them, who are interested in the progress and development of the State.”