Date: 2018-04-04

The Kwara House of Assembly on Wednesday summoned the State Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole, and three other officials over the relocation of Ministry of Housing and Bureau of Lands.

The House also invited the Permanent Secretaries in the state Ministries of Housing, Finance and Planning.

This followed its resolution after considering a motion on the need to halt the movement of the state Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Bureau of Lands to the premises of the state College of Midwifery in Ilorin.

The motion, moved by AbdulRahman AbdulRafiu (APC, llorin North West), enjoyed the support of all members who contributed to the debate of the motion.

The Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, while reading the resolution of the House, directed Oluwole and the permanent secretaries in the said ministries to appear before the House on the matter.

The four officers, according to the speaker, are to appear before the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation to explain the source of fund for the relocation of the ministries and agencies.

He said such fund was not appropriated in the signed 2018 state budget.

The lawmakers urged the state government to halt the relocation forthwith in the best interest of the people of the state.

AbdulRafiu, while leading a debate on the motion, urged the House not to allow any state ministry or agency to be relocated to the premises of the state College of Midwifery.

He said the College of Midwifery, established in 1933, was one of the six leading Colleges for the training of midwives in Nigeria and one of the health legacies of the state government.

In his contributions, the House Leader, Hassan Oyeleke, kicked against the decision of the state government to relocate Housing Ministry and Bureau of Lands to the premises of the College of Midwifery.

Also, during Wednesday's plenary, the House called on the state government to assist the victims of March 28 petrol tanker fire incident in Jebba, Moro Local Government Area of the state.

The plea followed a matter of urgent public importance on the plights of the victims raised by the Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare (APC, Lanwa-Ejodongari).

Okedare told the House that property and other valuables worth over N100 million were lost to the incident.