IG Orders Closure of Ondo Assembly

Acting Ondo State House of Assembly Speaker Malachi Coker yesterday said the police have sealed the Assembly.

Coker told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure, the state capital, that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, ordered indefinite closure of the Assembly.

The Assembly, on January 27, impeached the Speaker, Ms Jumoke Akindele, and other principal officers over allegation of N15 million fraud.

The money was allegedly found on the Assembly’s Pay Master, Makanjuola Adesina, who told the lawmakers that it was withdrawn on Akindele’s instruction for a project, which he failed to disclose.

Coker said the Assembly adjourned sitting indefinitely, following the police action.

“For now, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has directed that the Assembly should be locked.

“Last Friday, the police brought a warrant that the Assembly should be locked indefinitely and that was after the House adjourned its sitting at a plenary held on Thursday.

“We hope the police will not be bias in their actions by allowing the Akindele faction to have access into the Assembly,’’ he said.

On the impeachment of the Speaker and other principal officers, Coker said 20 of the 26 members of the Assembly signed the impeachment notice.

“For clarification, it takes 18 members to sign the impeachment notice.

“Ten members can sit in the Assembly to pronounce it and this time around 20 members signed the impeachment notice.

“About seven members backed out after they signed, following pressure from external forces.

“We planned the impeachment together, but as human beings, some claimed they were not in the Assembly when the impeachment was carried out,’’ the acting speaker said.

He appealed to his colleagues to unite and work for the state’s interest.