By Abolaji Adebayo
The Leader of the Legislative arm, Isolo Local Council Development Area LCDA), Hon. Remy Shittu has disclosed the reason why the councillors refused to attend the council 2020 Budget Retreat held at Palm Beach, Ibeju-Lekki despite being invited by the executive arm.
In a chat with ECHONEWS, Shittu said it would be a waste of time for the legislative arm to follow the executive arm to the budget retreat, saying the standard at the federal and state levels is that the executive holds its own budget retreat, prepares the budget and presents it to the legislature while the legislative arm thereafter holds its own retreat and invites the HODs of each department to defend their own portions of the budget.
But this assumption may not be correct as one of the established pre-budget practices at the Lagos state level is the inauguration of an executive-legislative committee to comb through the budget proposals and resolve possible conflicts.
Shittu, however insisted that joining the executive at the retreat would be a waste of time:“It is not necessary for the legislative arm to go with the executive on budget retreat since the executive is still coming to present it to us. If we were there, it is no more necessary they present it to us again. The National Assembly does not follow the president and his executive members to budget retreat; the state House of Assembly does not follow the governor, so we are trying to build the standard for the institution of legislature even at the local government level”.
Asked how speedy the legislative arm would be in considering the budget when it is presented to the House, Shittu said: “There is nothing like speedy, we have to follow the process. Our institution – the legislators will proceed on our own retreat to look at the budget holistically but we will invite the HODs to defend their portions of the budget.”
Analysing their achievements last year, the council leader said the councilors were able to make some byelaws for the development of the community and growth of the council, saying the residents should expect more in 2020.
Enumerating their legislative activities for the year 2020, Shittu said: “There are about 15 bills already been sponsored and considered by the House. We want to organise Public Hearing on the Bills before they are passed to laws. We are being delayed by fund as we expect the executive arm to release the fund for us to be able to carry out the public hearing. As soon as the fund is released hopefully this January or February, we will organise the programme.
“For our oversight functions, we are going to inspect whatever projects contained in the budget. Whatever projects the executive plans to do, we’ll go and inspect to make sure that they conform to standards.”
