*Passes elevation of SA on widow to cabinet member
The Ekiti State House of Assembly, on Tuesday passed another important bill into law, just as it screened and confirmed the
former Special Assistant (SA) to the State Governor on Widows Matter, Mrs. Funmilayo Oguns, for cabinet-rank appointment.
A statement by Stephen Gbadamosi, Special Assistant (Media) to the House Speaker, Right Honourable (Pastor) Kola Oluwawole, said the bill, Ekiti State Tourism, Arts and Culture Endowment Fund (EKSTACEF), after having been thoroughly debated by members, was passed for second and third readings, thus becoming a law.
Speaking after the contributions of members who anonymously prayed for accelerated passage of the law, Pastor Oluwawole, said, “this bill, among other objectives, seeks better funding for tourism, arts and culture of our people. Apart from this, it is important at this time that the economy needs diversification as a result of drop in the nation’s oil revenue. It will also generate employment for our teeming youths.”
Sponsor of the bill, Honourable (Mrs.) Titilayo Owolabli-Akerele, representing Ikole Constituency II, noted that apart from the many benefits of the bill that she considered, another factor that made her push for the enactment of the law was to disabuse the minds of critics of the House and prove to them that it consisted of intelligent and honourable people.
“The passage of this bill will show those who criticize us that we are not rubber stamp as they say. It is not only executive bills that we pass here. We are learned, honourable and intelligent people capable of coming up with bills that will promote development of our people. Revenue generation is also key here. These are the gains of this bill.
“The only United Nations (UN)-recognised tourism site in Ekiti is the Ikogosi Spring. Some states have more. And there are institutions that sponsor and invest heavily in culture and tourism in other states, such as the Eyo festival, the Ojude Oba etc. We have cultural heritages and tourism potentials we can showcase here too,” she said.
Earlier, the House, which has scrutinized Mrs Oguns’ credentials at parliamentary on Monday, listened to her profile read by Leader of House Business, Honourable Olatunji Akinyele, debated her nomination for the appointment and ratified it.
Oguns had been the driving force behind the Ayo Fayose-led government’s policy of empowerment of widows and vulnerable women in the state, especially at the grassroots.