NSE INDEX - N100bn Bond: Utomi to Moderate Ogun Debate

Thursday 02 September 2010
- Culled from The PunchOgun State Government has nominated the former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Prof. Pat Utomi, to moderate the debate between the executive and legislature over the controversial N100bn bond being sought by the state administration.A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Sina Kawonise, in Abeokuta on Wednesday, indicated that the debate, to be televised live on the state-owned Gateway Television and Gateway Radio, would hold at 10am on September 8.The house of assembly, through the Speaker, Mr. Tunji Egbetokun, had demanded a public debate between both arms of the state government on the contentious bond, saying this would ensure that some noticeable contradictions in the information supplied by the executive were clarified.The lawmakers also said that the public debate would serve as a forum for the executive and legislature to speak at the same time on the bond issue.The executive, speaking through Kawonise, alleged that the refusal of the legislators to approve the bond had crippled the running of the state. It claimed that the lawmakers had perfected plans to destabilise the government before defecting to other political parties to contest the next elections.But Egbetokun told our correspondent on Wednesday that the house agreed to the nomination of Utomi, a man he described as credible.The speaker, however, asked for police protection, “to guarantee our safety at the venue.”Egbetokun told our correspondent the members of the house that would participate in the debate would need police protection.Egbetokun, who said the lawmakers were ready for the debate “even within 48 hours,” stated, “We cannot forget what happened at a public debate in the same venue before the 2007 election and what happened to the opposition.“So, we will write the police commissioner for police protection and tell him to guarantee our safety.” He described Utomi as a credible and respected personality.“We respect him a lot. He is a respected and responsible person. The moderator is there to coordinate, not to participate,” Egbetokun said.Attempts to get a reaction from Utomi failed, as he did not pick calls to his phones. He did not also respond to an SMS sent by our correspondent.