Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly yesterday reversed their decision on the removal of the Speaker, Ms. Jumoke Akindele and her deputy, Fatai Olotu.
Eighteen of the 26 members on Tuesday night signed an impeachment notice at a lawmaker’s house in Alagbaka where they replaced Akindele with Iroju Ogundele (Odigbo) and her deputy with Ayodeji Arowele (Owo).
The Assembly has 21 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and five All Progressives Congress (APC) members.
The impeachment notice said: “Consequent upon the incompetence, highhandedness, drunkenness, easy virtue, lack of focus and lack of transparency, arrogance and poor leadership, we under signed elected members move for the impeachment of the Speaker and all the principal officers in the Ondo State Assembly with immediate effect.”
The signatories include Arowele; Ogundeji; Oluyede Olishile; Akindiose Olusiji; Tuyi Akintimehin; Abayomi Akinruntan; Abimbola Fajolu; Olugbenga Araoyinbo; Olusegun Ajimotokin and Jamiu Slaimain.
Others are Olusegun Felemi; Coker Adeniyi Malachi; Towose Kuti; M.O.S Kazeem, Obedidi Virant; Ade Adeniyi; Olumide George and Mukaila Musa.
Fourteen are PDP members and four are APC members.
They were reportedly angry because they have not been paid for some months; they have no official car and none lives in the official quarters.
Sources said the action shocked Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
It was learnt that Mimiko immediately invited the lawmakers to a meeting on Tuesday night but it all ended in a deadlock as the two sides could not reach an agreement.
Another meeting was said to have been called by the governor yesterday morning where it was gathered that the aggrieved lawmakers finally agreed to reverse the impeachment notice.
A lawmaker was quoted to have said: “We will return Akindele as Speaker if you buy us cars and also provide quarters for us.”
Their decision led to a briefing at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office.
The Chairman, Committee on Information, Olamide George, who was accompanied by Olusiji Akindiose, spoke for two minutes and reporters were prevented from asking questions.
George said the House resolved that the status quo on the leadership as at March 7 should remain.
He said the leadership of the House is its internal affair and has been treated as such.
The lawmaker noted that the House remains united, cohesive and alive to its constitutional responsibilities.
When our reporter visited the Assembly yesterday morning the gate was locked and mobile policemen were stationed with Armoured Personal Carriers (APCs) at the entrance.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the lawmakers for reversing their decision.
The APC asked the people to recall the lawmakers, saying they have failed in protecting their interest and also encouraged corruption.
The statement reads: “We hereby call on our people to recall these set of lawmakers as they have failed us by acting as puppets to the governor.
“We were aware that the lawmakers had been caged and they have no courage to speak up on the challenges facing them and the people they represent.
“Since they were sworn-in, none of them has official car, quarters except the Speaker and other principal officers.
“They cannot complain because they are afraid of Mimiko’s sledge hammer.
“If lawmakers cannot fight for things that will help them in their daily activities, how will such lawmakers fight for things that will benefit the masses?” The Nation
