By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

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The Ondo State House of Assembly has promised legislative backing towards the implementation of decisions, policies, and programmes, as well as the operations of the government for overall development.

The House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Multilateral Relations, led by its Chairman, Tiamiyu Atere, stated this during a visit to the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the State Emergency Agency (ODSEMA) in Akure.

According to him, the visit became imperative to ensure a symbiotic relationship and maximum cooperation for the development of the State.

The Committee appreciated both offices for delivering on their mandates, charging them to do more in achieving the set goals.

The lawmakers noted that it is their statutory function to interact with and supervise MDAs for a seamless process, especially in terms of budget performance towards efficient service delivery in every sector.

At the office of the SSG, the lawmakers stressed the need for security council meetings to be resuscitated to further strengthen security in the State.

At ODSEMA, the committee charged the management to intensify efforts to prevent flooding through advocacy and meetings, pointing out the need to involve each of them during the distribution of relief materials to the people of their constituencies.

Earlier, the SSG, Mr. Tayo Oluwatuyi, while welcoming members of the Committee, informed them that the office has three basic departments: general administration, political and economic affairs, and cabinet services.

The Permanent Secretaries in each department detailed the functions, achievements, and challenges of their departments, pointing out a paucity of funds in procuring vehicles and office accommodation as the major challenges.

The SSG sought the assistance of the House to get approval for funds to run the office activities when the budget is reviewed or recorded.

Also, the Acting Permanent Secretary of ODSEMA, Idowu Ojo, called for all hands to be on deck towards mitigating the effects of disasters in the State.

Briefing the Committee, the Secretary of the Agency, Mr. Frederick Orunko, said that the Agency is directly under the office of the State Deputy Governor with a vision to ensure effective collaborative partnerships committed to saving lives and properties and reducing the impact of disasters.

He informed that so far this year, the Agency has provided humanitarian assistance to 345 victims of rainstorm disasters while on-the-spot assessments have been conducted in some communities, awaiting approval for the release of funds.