A member of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Balogun, representing Ogun Waterside State Constituency, has denied initiating the bill on ‘Traditional Rulers Installation and Burial Rites’, currently before the State Assembly.
Hon. Balogun, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said in an interview with Great Achiever Magazine, that a bill in respect of Installation and Burial Rites of Traditional Rulers was brought to the Assembly.
He said in the tradition of the Assembly, a bill can come from the Executive arm of government, a member of the Assembly or from members of the public.
Balogun disclosed that the bill in question relates essentially to installation and burial of Obas according to their religion.
The lawmaker said: “Let me put it on record that I am not the initiator of this bill. But by virtue of my position as the Chairman of House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, it is within my purview to present the bill to the honourable members of the Assembly during our plenary session.
“When the bill was brought, we studied it and felt that some portions of the bill need amendment, but not in its entirety.
Therefore, members gave their consent that we should amend some aspects of that bill, so that it can be in tandem with the current realities”.
Hon. Balogun said members thereafter allowed the bill to go through first and second reading, and the stage is now set for the public hearing where the Assembly will invite stakeholders and members of the public to come and give their opinion on the bill.
He said if at the end of the day, members of the public are of the opinion that the Assembly should not go ahead with the bill, that will be expressed at the public hearing. But if on the other hand the people want the bill to go through, they will give their consent at the hearing.
The lawmaker said: “I’m aware that the proposed bill has generated some hues and cries within the society, and more importantly, I’ve received a lot of calls on the bill.
“We’ve told them that the bill was brought to us, and we are equally aware of public outcry against this bill. But that may not be sufficient enough until we call for a public hearing where we will collate public opinion on the bill. It is then that we will take a decision on whether to go ahead or jettison it”.
Hon. Balogun emphasised that critical stakeholders like the Obas, traditionalists and religious leaders will be invited to the public hearing to make their submissions, while a joint decision will be taken at the end of the day.
He assured that the Assembly will not foist the bill on the public, and appealed to the people of Ogun State to be patient and wait for the opportunity of the public hearing to say their opinion on the bill.
