Ogun House Of Assembly in crisis as lawmakers move to impeach Deputy Speaker, others

The Ogun State House of Assembly is enmeshed in a fresh crisis as some members have demanded for immediate change in leadership of the House.

According to the lawmakers in a letter dated 14th June, 2022 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Olakunle Oluomo, the change of House leadership would allow other members rare privileges of leading the House and enhance their respective profiles.

The letter which was signed by over 10 aggrieved members and obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday demanded change in leadership in position of Deputy Speaker, Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Majority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip.

“We the under-listed Honorable Members of the 9th Assembly, hereby demand for a Change of Principal office holders of the House. This is to allow other members of the 9th Assembly for the rare privileges fo also leading the House, and enhance their respective profiles for the remaining tenure of this 9th Assembly,” part of the letter read.

SaharaReporters had reported that the Speaker of House was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with the clerk and some former lawmakers.

“The Speaker and others are under probe for different allegations. First one is financial misappropriation. About N85,000,000 monthly for running cost of the Assembly cannot be accounted for since June 2019 till date by Mr Speaker and Clerk, the approving officer and accounting officer respectively,” a lawmaker had told SaharaReporters.

“This led to a rift between the Speaker and the recently impeached Deputy Speaker after the latter demanded accountability and transparency. Even doing Covid-19 lockdown, running costs such as local/international travel, cost for fuelling the generator were diverted to private accounts.

“Diversion of constituency allowance funds (each member of the 8th Assembly collected N20,000,000 twice between 2015-2019. Most of the retired receipts were forged and fictitious pictures of purported ghost projects were filed by members. The current Speaker and 3 other current members were part of the 8th Assembly under investigation. A current Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun State who also has a school certificate scandal case over him, was part of the 8th Assembly under the EFCC radar.

“Forgery of Financial Bills (i-The House passed a resolution to approve only N75 billion Bond for the State Government sometime in June 2020, but Speaker secretly falsified the content of the resolution letter in favour of the Executive, changed it to N200 billion after members had already passed and signed resolution for just N75 billion on the floor of the House before the camera.

“Speaker falsified some contents {S.7(4)} of Ogun State Legislative Funds Management Bill, after passage, for personal/selfish grounds. After the passage on the floor of the House, he falsified the contents in his favour before sending a clean copy to the Government for assent.

“Speaker in connivance with Mr Clerk, also falsified the current Standing Order of the House before the commencement of the 9th Assembly, to favour his election as the Speaker and disqualified others to contest, amongst other contents.”