UPDATED: Pandemonium As Ondo Assembly Removes Speaker, Deputy

PANDEMONIUM broke out in the Ondo State House of Assembly as
hoodlums suspected to be political thugs invaded the State Assembly
complex over the removal of the Speaker and his deputy, Hon
Bamidele Oleyelogun and Iroju Ogundeji respectively.

About 18 lawmakers who accused and signed the impeachment
process of the impeached Speaker and his deputy accused the two
officials of gross misconduct, incompetence, financial
misappropriation, high handedness and enriching themselves through
corrupt means, and called for their impeachment.

Trouble started when the Speaker arrived at the Chamber and
ordered for the commencement of the proceedings but was faced with
the impeachment process.

He, however, tried to stop the process but he was overpowered by
the lawmakers who elected the former Speaker of the House, Rt Hon
Jumoke Akindele as the potential chairman to direct the affairs of
the house.

Drama ensued when the embattled Speaker punched the female
lawmaker who sprawled on the floor of the House, while they
struggled with one another and tore their cloth to shred and took
the intervention of the female staff of the House to cover the
first female Speaker out of the gallery.
The 18 lawmakers were not however deterred as they carried on with
the impeachment process and removed Oleyelogun and Ogundeji while
they subsequently elected new officers.

Hon. Olumide George from Akure North constituency was elected as
the Speaker while Hon Bimbo Fajolu from Ile Oluji/ Okeigbo was
elected as his deputy.

Hoodlums suspected to be members of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers (NURTW) led by its Chairman, Jacob Adebo,
however, invaded the Assembly Complex with armed objects such as
cutlass, canes, knives and stones.

The hoodlums who were misinformed about the lawmakers plan to
impeach the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, stormed the House,
beating journalists, officials of Directorate of Security Service
(DSS) staff of the state at Assembly and some lawmakers were beaten
blue-black while their vehicles were also destroyed.

Security operatives led by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr
Gbenga Adeyanju and others security outfits were seen folding their
arms and looking the other way while the hoodlums operated without
any hindrance.

The new Deputy Speaker, Fajolu, Former Speaker Jumoke Akindele
received a serious beating from the thugs while a journalist in the
state, Abiodun Taiwo of AIT station was beaten to coma and rushed
to a hospital where he was revived.

The hoodlums also destroyed a Lexus Jeep belonging to the new
Speaker before he escaped from the complex.

Speaking with newsmen, the Chairman House Committee on
information, Hon Fatai Olotu said the impeachment of the Speaker
was done in good faith and in the interstate of the state.

Olotu said: “the two-faced third of the members of the Ondo
State House of Assembly today removed the Speaker and his deputy
over their incompetence to run the affairs of the House.

“I want you to know that changing leadership is an inherent
right of members of the House. The two officials have shown great
incompetence in running the affairs of the House.

“They ran the House aground financially and committed a lot of
financial impropriety that members can no longer condone.

“As at June this year, they have exhausted all the budgetary
allocation for the house which runs to the tune of N1.5b without
the knowledge of the House of Assembly.

He disclosed that the suspension of the two principal officers
would not affect the relationship between the members of the House
and the Executive.

He denied plans to impeach the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu,
saying “the governor has not committed any impeachable offence and
there was no justification for us to impeach the governor.”

The lawmakers however suspended four members of the House of
state Assembly which included: the two impeached officer,
Oleyelogun and Ogundeji, with Abayomi Akinruntan and Suleiman
Maito.

However, the impeached Speaker described the exercise of the
members of the House as an effort in futility saying “I remain the
Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly.”

He expressed optimism that the action of the 18 members of the
House would be reversed saying, “I will be reinstated as the
Speaker of this great House.”