Ondo assembly dissolves committees

Sequel to the internal crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly, the leadership has dissolved all the standing committees.

The speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun, who led other eight lawmakers to plenary yesterday, appointed three new principal officers and justified the 2018 appropriation bill sent on Monday by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for amendment.

The new principal officers are: Suleiman Maito, to replace the majority leader, Olugbenga Araoyinbo; Abayomi Akinruntan, to replace the deputy majority leader, Mukaila Musa, and Kazeem Suleiman, the parliamentary secretary.

Meanwhile, 18 out of the 26 lawmakers allegedly impeached the speaker and his deputy, Ogundeji Iroju, yesterday, but the impeachment was faulted by the duo alongside eight others, that it did not comply with the constitution.

Others at the plenary included Sunday Olajide and Olusola Oluyede, who claimed that their signatures were forged, Bankole Felemu, Abayomi Akinrunruntan, Jamiu Sulaimon Maito and Kuti Towase.

They stressed that the purported impeachment did not satisfy the constitutional requirement of the house, as signatures collated were not up to 18, which represents the two-third requirement.

The lawmakers added that the essential authorities of the house such as the original mace or gavel, standing order, book of oath and proceedings “were not honoured and followed in the purported impeachment.”

Oleyelogun, who insisted on the suspension of the 15 lawmakers, dispelled the impeachment as null and void, urging the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to arrest them and charge them for forgery.

He said that the amendment of the 2018 appropriation law became imperative to allow the state government execute some projects and implement new policies to the benefit of the people.

According to the speaker, the house took the decision after considering recommendations of its committee on finance and appropriation.

The house, he disclosed, resolved that approval be given to the pooling of N10 billion from the capital expenditure component of the 2018 budget and re-allocation of the funds without any alteration to the budget.

Speaking at the plenary, the deputy speaker observed that the house had not committed any offence by suspending the lawmakers, explaining that the nine that sat formed two-third majority of the assembly.