Budget Defence: Osun Assembly Suspends Consideration Of Estimates Of Two Ministries

Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly Rt Hon. Timothy Owoeye has put on hold the consideration of the 2020 budget estimates for the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy and that of Rural Development and Community Affairs till the status of Rural Water and Environmental Sanitation Agency (RUWESA) is determined.

This is coming from the ongoing budget defense by MDA’s to get clarification on the parent ministry of the RUWESA following controversies sorrounding it.

Rural Water and Environmental Sanitation Agency RUWESA came on board from the State of Osun Water and Sanitation Programme established in 1994 and was backed with an edict in 2005.

Initially RUWESA was under the Ministry of Environment and Sanitation later with the then Ministry of Rural and Water Resources and now it claimed it has been taken to thebMinistry of Rura Development and Community Affairs other than Ministry of Water Resources and Energy.

This is the reality, the lawmakers were faced with at the resumption of the ongoing 2020 budget before defence by MDA’s.

Aware of the controversies of where RUWESA belongs, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon. Taiwo Adebayo-Olodo along with other members subsequently put on hold the defence of the estimates of the agencies.

Earlier the house considered a budget estimate of #4.03B meant for the State of Osun Water Corporation with a call on the agency to step up its revenue generation strategies while government is to repair obsolete equipments and pipes as well as dams for optimal production.

Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Olubukola Olaboopo appeared along with the officials of the ministry to also defend #244.68m estimates for 2020 fiscal year.