Pages

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Meet Oyo State First Elected Female Speaker!

For the first time in the history of Oyo State, a female legislator, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu, yesterday emerged the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Mrs Sunmonu, who emerged unopposed, is representing Oyo East/Oyo West State Constituency in the House. She is a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Her emergence came as reporters who went to cover the inauguration were assaulted by a police officer attached to the police station in the Assembly.

Specifically, a reporter with The PUNCH newspaper, Mr. Olalekan Adetayo, was tear gassed by the overzealous policeman who stood his ground that reporters would not gain access into the Parliament compound on the grounds that they came late for the ceremony.

Silverbird Television reporter, Tade Oludayo, also received a mild assault before their colleagues from other media took them away. The policeman, identified as Mr. Goddy Sylvester, went away unrepentant.

The new Speaker, who took over from a kinsman from the same Oyo town, Hon. Moroof Atilola, is the only female member of the 32-member House.

A member of a minority party, Accord Party, Mr. David Olaniyan, emerged the Deputy Speaker, while another ACN lawmaker emerged the Majority Leader of the House. An Accord Party lawmaker was elected the Chief Whip.

A member representing Egbeda State Constituency on the platform of the Accord Party, Mr. Ibrahim Bolomope, nominated Sunmonu for the exalted position while the nomination was seconded by another member representing Atiba Constituency, Mr. Ganiyu Adekunle. Her nomination was unopposed.

When it was clear that there was no other nomination, the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Samuel Adebolu, declared nomination closed, paving the way for Sunmonu to emerge as the Speaker.

Before the election, Adebolu had read the proclamation on behalf of the state governor.

In her acceptance speech, Sunmonu expressed the readiness of the Assembly under her leadership to collaborate with the executive to ensure that "dividends of democracy are delivered to the people of the state.


Source:
The Nation

No comments:

Post a Comment