2023 Appropriation Bill Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

The 2023 Appropriation bill presented by the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the State House of Assembly has scaled the second reading.

Consequently, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa committed it to a joint committee on Budget and Finance with a mandate to report back to the House on December 12.

Governor Sanwo-Olu had on Thursday, October 29 presented the 2023 Appropriation Bill of ₦1.6trn themed, ‘Budget of Continuity’ to the House.

2023 Appropriation Bill Scales Second Reading At Lagos Assembly

Commenting on the proposed Budget during plenary on Tuesday, the lawmakers said it is achievable while suggesting other areas through which the government could generate more funds.

Chairman, House Committee on Economic Planning and Budget, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu, gave details of the Appropriation Bill while some of his colleagues commended the Executive Arm over the proposal.

Meanwhile, the House of Assembly has summoned the Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Moruf-Akinderu Fatai, to appear before it alongside the Managing Director of the Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC), Mr. Oluwatobi Lawal, over the planned demolition of some buildings in the Jakande Estate, Eti-Osa Local Government.

Also summoned are the affected residents of the Estate.

The issue was raised under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ by Hon. Noheem Adams, Deputy Majority Leader of the House.

Hon. Adams told his colleagues that the residents, aged between 70 and 80, stormed his house in the early hours of Tuesday pleading that the government should be stopped from demolishing their houses.

He recalled that majority of the residents lived in Maroko before their houses were demolished in the 1990s and they were relocated to the Jakande Estate.

He said the residents had lived peacefully until recently when they started facing threats of their building being demolished.

He said the residents had written a petition addressed to the Speaker and that their collective grievance was already being addressed by the House Committee on Public Petitions headed by Hon. Victor Akande.

He added that on September 23, 2022, some members of the House led by Hon. Akande visited the Jakande Estate with some officials from the LBIC, who had promised that they would not demolish buildings in the area.

“However on October 12, officials of the LBIC went to the estate to mark houses for demolition,” he said.

In his contribution, Hon. Rotimi Olowo said the situation with the residents was pathetic. He said the parties are supposed to reach mutual understanding because the owners of the estate had invested heavily in the place.

Olowo was supported by his colleague, Hon. Adewale Temitope, urged for an amicable resolution of the issue.

Speaker Obasa, before approving the invitation of the commissioner and the LBIC boss, noted said there was need to understand the position of the government before a decision is taken on the issue.

He also agreed that there should be collaboration and understanding between the property owners and the government.

BY IYABO AINA

Publisher Of News Rain Nigeria