Ondo Lawmakers Suspend Speaker, Deputy, Majority Leader

Thirteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly on Friday suspended indefinitely the Speaker, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Fatai Olotu and the Majority Leader, Mr. Ifedayo Akinsoyinu for their alleged involvement in financial misconduct.

The leadership of the House was alleged to have been involved in N15m fraud. A source in the Assembly said the decision was taken on the floor of the House.

The lawmakers, who reportedly gathered on the floor of the House at about 5pm on Friday, moved that the leadership under Mrs.  Jumoke Akindele had failed them as they were not aware of the approval of the said sum.

It was gathered that the 13 members comprised eight members of the Peoples Democratic Party and five All Progressives Congress members.

The source said, “The Assembly’s principal officers were suspended because some other members of the House caught the paymaster of the Assembly with N15m at the premises of the Assembly complex.

“When they asked the paymaster, he said he was acting on the instruction of the Speaker. He said the Speaker ordered him to take the money to her residence.”

The source added that the lawmakers’ intention was to impeach the Speaker and other erring officers but they did not form the two-third majority to do so.

To this end, an acting Speaker, Deputy Speaker and majority leader were appointed.

Mr. Malachi Coker, representing Ilaje Constituency 1, was appointed as the acting Speaker; Mr. Ayodele Arowele from Owo Constituency 1 was appointed as the Deputy Speaker while Mr. Olamide George, who represents Akure North Constituency, was appointed as the Majority Leader.

When contacted, the embattled Deputy Speaker said he had been informed about the development but he was not around when the decision was taken by his colleagues.

He said, “I have been informed but as I’m talking to you, I’m not in Akure. When I’m back tomorrow (today), I will get the details of the development, but for now, I don’t know what to say because I don’t have the details.”

PUNCH