Najeem Out; Owoeye In As 7th Osun Assembly Begins

NAJEEM OUT, OWOEYE IN As 7th Osun Assembly Begins

At the maiden plenary of the 7th Osun State House of Assembly held on Thursday 6th of June, 2019, Hon. Timothy Owoeye from Ilesa-East State Constituency emerged Speaker to succeed Najeem Salam.

The newly elected members of the state assembly sworn in, followed by a leadership election conducted by the Clerk of the House at the Osun State House of Assembly complex in Osogbo the Osun State Capital.

It was allegedly reported earlier that the speakership contest was between Timothy Owoeye, a loyal member of the former Governor Aregbesola’s camp, and Tunde Olatunji from the incumbent Governor Oyetola’s camp.

Owoeye emerged speaker unopposed following the tradition in the All Progressives Congress (APC) where house leadership positions are determined by the party, the Ife-North State constituency representative, Tunde Olatunji had denied his ambition in an interview, saying the party will determine the leadership of the house among the honourable members.

The 7th assembly comprises 26 members is currently led by Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye (Ilesa East State Constituency) as Speaker, while Hon. Femi Popoola (Boripe State Constituency) as Deputy Speaker

Other principal officers are, Hon. Babatunde Olatunji (Ife-North State Constituency) as Chief Whip
– Hon. Morufu Olarewaju (Irewole State Constituency) as Majority Leader
– Hon. Moshood Kunle Akande (Olorunda State Constituency) emerged the Deputy Majority Leader
– Hon. Gbenga Ogunkanmi (Ayedire State Constituency) as Deputy Chief Whip
– Minority Leader from PDP goes to Hon. Babajide Kofoworola (Ede North State Constituency)
– Hon Nasiru Olateju (Irepodun State Constituency) as Central Senatorial Whip
– Hon. Babatunde Komolafe emerged East Senatorial Whip
– Hon Babatunde Ibirogba as West Senatorial Whip

In his valedictory speech, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salam who is the speaker of the 5th and 6th Osun Assembly, thanked Hus colleagues and the state executive led by Ogbeni Aregbesola and Governor Oyetola for their support.

He said; “Through our collaborative efforts in legislative governance, Henry Ford’s saying kept resonating in me that: coming together is the beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. It is on this premise that I would like to state that despite our challenges, we actually achieved some sterling feats. A few of these achievements include: the Staff Autonomy which became more efficient through the State House of Assembly Commission; the facelift of the Assembly Complex; the Assembly Chapel; and the Assembly Electronic Library which facilitates Honourable Members’ access to quality information resources on legislative procedures and democratic governance. All these are aside the invaluable Bills enacted by this parliament under my stewardship which, for instance, have helped to strengthen our security system as well as enhance access to healthcare facilities and other developmental polices in our great State.

“It should also be borne in mind, Respected Colleagues, that your judicious understanding which became manifest in letting go of some statutory benefits as lawmakers was fascinating. Specifically, I would like to appreciate your cooperation in the regard that we deprived ourselves entitlement to official cars in a bid to cut the cost of governance and ensure the meagre resources the State had were channelled to infrastructural development, youth employment and the school feeding programme. I must commend you all because this selflessness was instrumental to the replication of the State noble programmes at the national level; for example, the N-Power could be likened to the O-YES; and the school feeding programme which has endeared many of our children to schools began in this Land of Virtue.”

The 7th Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye in his inaugural speech promised synergy between legislature and executive for the smooth running of the state.

He said, rancour-free operations and cooperation between the two arms of government which had been the secret behind the success of the immediate past government would be sustained.

“The new Speaker, however, assures that the assembly shall not be a rubber stamp, a yes organ or a willing tool in the hand of the executive but a critical stakeholder in taking the State to a higher level. He stressed further that, in the overall interest of the State, the assembly shall perform its lawmaking activities and oversight function without unnecessarily heating the polity.”

LIST OF THE 6TH OSUN STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES

OSUN WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT
Ayedire LGA – Hon. Gbenga Ogunkanmi APC
Ola Oluwa LGA – Hon. Hadirullai Adegbile APC
Iwo LGA – Hon Halil Uzamot APC
Ede North LGA – Hon Babajide Kofoworola PDP
Ede South LGA – Hon. Niran Atidade PDP
Egbedore LGA – Hon. Babatunde Ibirogba APC
Ejigbo LGA – Hon. Adekunle Oyekunle APC
Irewole/Isokan LGA – Hon. Marouf Olanrewaju APC
Ayedaade LGA – Hon. Taiwo Adebayo APC

OSUN CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT
Osogbo LGA – Hon. Taofeek Badamosi APC
Olorunda LGA – Hon. Kunle Akande APC
Irepodun/Orolu LGA – Hon. Nasir Olateju APC
Ifelodun LGA – Hon. Mulikat Abiola APC
Odo Otin LGA – Hon. Michael Adetoyi APC
Boripe/Boluwaduro LGA – Hon. Femi Popoola APC
Ila LGA – Hon. Adebisi Jayeola APC
Ifedayo LGA – Hon. Elizabeth Abioye APC

OSUN EAST SENATORIAL DISTRICT
Ilesha West LGA – Hon. Wale Adedoyin APC
Ilesha East LGA – Hon. Timothy Owoeye APC
Atakumosa East/West LGA – Hon. Babatunde Komolafe APC
Oriade LGA – Hon Desmond Ojo APC
Obokun LGA – Hon. Adewumi Adeyemi PDP
Ife East LGA – Hon. Olajide Adeyeye APC
Ife Central LGA – Hon. Taiwo Adebusola APC
Ife North LGA – Hon. Tunde Olatunji APC
Ife South LGA – Hon. Benjamin Ogundipe APC