The issue cash crunch that has deep root many state in Nigeria has got to a new height as no fewer than 20 lawmakers of the Oyo State House of Assembly boycotting plenary in protest of their unpaid allowances on Thursday, November 19, 2015.
The decision was reportedly as a result of to an SMS that circulated among the lawmakers few days ago, mandating them to boycott all legislative activities until their allowances were paid.
Subsequently only 12, including the Speaker, Michael Adeshina Adeyemo, other principal officers and few members were present at plenary yesterday.
Some of the absentee-lawmakers were, however, sighted in their offices.
Reports have it that, the move to boycott the plenary was instigated by some members of the majority All Progressive Congress (APC), supported by their Labour Party and Accord counterparts.
But, Segun Olaleye (Ibadan North II) said Governor Abiola Ajimobi has ordered the payment of their salaries.
Fatai Adesina, an Accord member representing Ibadan South East 1, said their action was purely about the lawmakers’ welfare.
He said: “You are all aware we have not been paid our salaries, our furniture allowances, we are yet to receive our official vehicles and we don’t want it to be as if these are the main reasons why we are here. We are here to serve the people.
“The boycott is a subtle way of passing a message to the governor.
“In August we used bailout funds to pay salaries and outstanding salaries, are we expecting another bailout?
“The governor has been travelling abroad at will. As I mentioned in the House last week, we had a governor who never travelled out during his tenure.
“We have another governor who did not travel more than 120 times during his tenure.
“We cannot count the number of times the governor has travelled out of the country.
“He needs to assess the situation. We can’t hide under the fact that the economy is bad and we will not be doing what is expected of us”.