The Chairman of the House Committee on Information in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Qosim Olayanju has charged journalists to at every point in time seek clarifications on any report or speculation before going to press.
Olayanju, who is representing Irepo/Olorunsogo state constituency, described the reports in the media claiming that the state’s House of Assembly accounts were frozen by the Economic Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, as not only a baseless but also a misleading.
The lawmaker in a statement signed and made available to journalists, stated neither the Oyo State Assembly account nor that of any director was frozen by the anti-graft agency.
He charged journalists to always seek clarification of any information before publishing their contents.
Hon Olayanju emphasized that the report is not only misleading, but also discrediting the principles and values of the 9th Oyo State House of Assembly.
“Recently EFCC invited some top staff of the House over a petition on how we bought our official cars as state lawmakers. They appeared, answered all questions and all necessary documents were presented for accountability sake and that was all.
“The assembly has been running all its legislative duties in line with the laid down procedures, we hold plenaries, perform oversight functions to the best of our ability, and ultimately doing our best for the entire state. Where do will get fund to run the day to day activities if the account of the Assembly had been frozen?
“We want to appeal to journalists and every media practitioner to be more professional and always put the ethics of the job first. They play a crucial role in our democracy and should always do it in the best interest of the people.
“The House is open, the Office of the Speaker is opened and our lines are always available for clarification of any information just to ensure their reports are objective, balanced and factual,” Hon. Olayanju said.
