The Oyo State House of Assembly has defended its approval of the N300 billion loan to the state government, stressing that members considered it carefully.
Hon. Ibrahim Shittu, who represents Saki West State Constituency, accused the Assembly of secretly approving the loan during an emergency plenary without proper notice. The Assembly dismissed his claim as false and misleading.
In a statement signed by Majority Leader Sanjo Adedoyin and Waheed Akintayo, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Media, Public Affairs, and ICT, the lawmakers described Shittu’s allegations as deceptive and a sign of his disengagement from legislative duties.
“The Oyo State House of Assembly strongly rebut Hon. Ibrahim Shittu’s baseless claims that the recent emergency plenary secretly approved a N300 billion loan request without proper notification to members.
“A screenshot of the message from the majority leader clearly indicates that all Honourable members were informed of the session, a notification acknowledged by some members.
“It is not only unfortunate but shameful that a serving member of the Assembly would resort to falsehood for cheap political relevance.
“Emergency plenaries are not illegal; they are constitutional and practiced in all serious legislatures across Nigeria, including the National Assembly,” the statement noted.
The statement clarified that the N300 billion loan includes N149 billion to refinance an existing facility with UBA, while N151 billion is for infrastructure and contractors’ financing.
The Assembly also accused Shittu of poor attendance, noting his participation in plenary sessions stands at only 20%, making him the least active member of the 10th Assembly. It claimed he missed critical sittings, oversight visits, and committee assignments, leaving no record of motions or bills.
The lawmakers urged the public to ignore what they called Shittu’s “politically motivated antics,” reaffirming their commitment to transparency, accountability, and legislative responsibility.
