Osun State House of Assembly on Monday, approved an executive bill for the amendment to the State Local Government Administration Amendment Law No 5.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the session on the floor of the House, the Chairman House Committee on Information, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said the bill, passed by the parliament, seeks the reduction in the number of management committees in the Local Government, Local Council Development Authority and Area Council from 10 to a maximum of five.
The passage of the amendment followed its first, second and third reading through a motion by the leader of the House, Timothy Owoeye at the plenary.
The original amendment law, being re-amended had empowered the governor to appoint caretaker management committees of five persons to administer the council, pending the election of democratically elected management.
Oyintiloye said the speaker of the Osun state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Najeem Salaam, while announcing the passage of the amendment of the bill said, the passage of the bill would guarantee reduction in the cost of governance in the local councils.
He said, according to the bill, management committee would be headed by Executive Secretary and the management would administer the council for a period of six months.
Noting that it has become impossible to conduct election into the councils now due to the economic recession, Salaam said, the new amendment would enable the governor to appoint caretaker management into the council.
According to him, by the passage of the bill, the governor could go-ahead to appoint the management committee to administer the councils after assenting to the bill.
Describing the appointment of caretaker committees to the councils as an abberation and not in tandem with democratic system, he said, it was the economic situation that had forced the state to resolve to the option.
He however expressed optimism that by 2017, the state government would have the wherewithal to conduct council polls.
