“Osun Assembly has not lived up to expectations in both legislative and public conduct” – Group tells Egbedun

The Osun Renaissance Project has accused the Osun State House of Assembly of not living up to expectations in both legislative accomplishments and public conduct of its members.

The group also called on the Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Adewale Egbedun to refrain from actions that could tarnish the integrity of the office he holds.

The counsel is coming at the backdrop of the alleged assault on a lawyer by security officers attached to the speaker over a land matter.

The Group in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Olakekan Fagbemi, emphasized the need for public conduct training for public office holders as to protect the integrity and honour attached to the office they occupy.

The statement reads,” The Osun State House of Assembly as currently constituted has not lived up to expectations in both legislative accomplishments and public conduct of its members.

“Public office holders must conduct themselves in ways that are not only dignifying but also reflective of the honor ascribed to the office they hold,” the statement read.

The Osun Renaissance criticized the Speaker’s recent involvement in a land dispute in Osogbo, while urging him to avoid actions that could question his integrity.

While addresskng the broader development needs of Osun, the group emphasizing the importance of adequate funding for critical sectors such as agriculture, food production, youth development, women and children welfare, and healthcare delivery.

The release condemned the current budget allocations, noting a significant difference in funding between productive sectors and the House of Assembly.

“While the Osun State House of Assembly spent a whopping sum in Quarter 1 of 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security received a paltry sum in comparison.

“For example, the Osun State House of Assembly spent a whooping sum of Six hundred and eleven million, Ninety-One thousand two hundred and Eighty Naira, Forty-Eight Kobo (611,091,280.48) in Quarter 1 of 2024, the entire Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security got a paltry One Hundred and Sixty-Four million, Nine hundred and Ninety-Seven thousand, Nine hundred and Sixty-Nine Naira, Fifty-Five kobo (164,997,969.55) in the same period”, TORP pointed out.

However, the group called for a more balanced approach to development, advocating for a focus on revenue-generating sectors like tourism.

“Osun State has many important tourist attractions with cultural and spiritual significance, yet the state has persistently failed to harness these potentials, a quick look at the Budget Performance report for Quarter 1 2024 also revealed that the Culture and Tourism Ministry received a paltry sum of 172,460,603.60 in three months.

“This figure will most likely have gone into servicing recurrent expenditure in the Ministry, instead of adequate financing to turn around the tourist attractions.”