By: Aduwo Ayodele
Tuesday, 7th May, 2024 Plenary Sitting
The plenary sitting of the Legislative Council, Great Independence Hall of Residence, University of Ibadan, on Tuesday, 7th of May, 2024, culminated into a debate, following the uncovering of a claim that the Administrator General of the hall, Samuel Ogunremi, refused to disburse a grand sum of one hundred and forty four thousand, three hundred and ninety six naira (#144,396). The amount as approved by the Hall Assembly had been earmarked for the use of the hall’s 2024 election activities since Sunday, 7th of April, 2024.
While the Administrator General of the hall claimed that he withheld the ‘power to execute budgets’, while maintaining an unchanged refusal to disburse the electoral commission’s funds, the Hall Assembly displeased noted the overbearing attitude of the AG.
The Legislative Council moving forward motioned for a next sitting where ‘a comprehensive report be written and all KRIEC members be present’.
The Assembly also directed ‘all Executive members to be present at the next sitting’.
Other resolutions of the Assembly on Tuesday, 7th May included that ‘the prize money for the KEFA Inter-Floor Competition be disbursed to its winners before the next plenary sitting’ of Wednesday, May 8th, 2024.
Also, the Administrator General of the hall was mandated to refund the sum of twenty-four thousand, five hundred and fifty naira (#24,550) to the Social and Buttery Commissioner, while a separate sum of ‘twenty thousand, two hundred and fifty naira (#20,250) be reimbursed to the Hall’s account’ as an unused amount earlier budgeted for.
This resolve as above was made after the discovery that the approved amount for the Hall Week ‘Ewa Night’ during the occasion of the hall week was partly diverted to other activities and a fraction of the approved budget supposed to be handed over to the Social and Buttery Commissioner for the organization of events as it concerns him was not adequately dissbursed.
With regards to the roll of honour or a personality lecture event held during the hall week, the Assembly expressed its concern as it was not duly informed of the idea before it was set out.
The Speaker of the Hallowed Chamber, Rt. Honorable Olaoye Samuel noted it had no foreknowledge of the event, while expressing doubt over the metrics used to gauge the awardees or personalities at the event.
Adding to the concerns, the Assembly also mandated that the ‘amount approved for Sports Day should be also refunded, since no Sports Day was held’.
Wednesday, 8th May, 2024 Plenary Sitting
Following the previous day’s sitting and a string of concerns like the electoral body report, hall week budget report, as well as the final income and expenditure report of Ogunremi Samuel-led administration, the Great Independence Hall Legislative Council motioned that all reports be moved to the Audit Committee for appropriate scrutiny.
Friday, 10th May, 2024 Plenary Sitting
Partly, the Assembly at its Friday sitting rescinded the financial figures of the Audit Committee, due to identified miscalculations, which, according to the Assembly, ‘could not be ignored‘.
The Assembly led by Rt. Honorable Olaoye Samuel, who moved the agenda with a step forward, directed members of the Audit Commit to redress possible errors before the occasion of the next sitting.
The Council however embraced the recommendations of the Audit Committee, as regards the debt incurred during the hall week.
The House resolved that a sum of #34,600 be paid to the executive to clear the debt incurred during the Hall’s Week.
The House fined the Administrator General a sanctioning sum of five thousand naira (#5,000) for financial mismanagement and not disbursing approved funds.
The Legislative Council in its proceedings also moved for the dissolution of the Katanga Republic Independence Electoral Commission, after it was cleared of no drawbacks or misconducts.
With the latest resolve to move the report of the Audit Committee to the Council’s next sitting, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 11th of May 2024 at the hall JCR, the Assembly is equally set to hold its valedictory legislative sitting, which would usher in the next Assembly for the forthcoming 2023/2024 academic session.
