Mr Malachi Coker, the Acting Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly,
on Monday said the police had sealed the Assembly over its leadership
crisis.
Coker told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure that the
Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, ordered indefinite
closure of the Assembly.
The Assembly, had on Friday, Jan. 27, impeached the Speaker, Ms
Jumoke Akindele, and other principal officers over allegation of N15
million fraud.
NAN reports that the sum of N15 million was allegedly found on the
Assembly’s Pay Master, Mr Makanjuola Adesina, who told the lawmakers
that it was withdrawn on the instruction of the Speaker for a project
which he failed to disclose.
Coker told NAN that the Assembly had adjourned sitting indefinitely
following the police action. “For now, the Inspector General of Police,
Mr Ibrahim Idris, has directed that the Assembly should be locked.
“On Friday, Feb, 3, the police brought a warrant that the Assembly
should be locked indefinitely and that was after the House had adjourned
its sitting at a plenary held on Thursday, Feb. 2.
“We hope the police will not be bias in their actions by allowing the
impeached Speaker’s faction to have access into the Assembly,’’ he
said. On the impeachment of the Speaker and other principal officers,
Coker said that 20 out of the 26 members of the Assembly signed the
impeachment notice.
“For clarification, it takes 18 members to sign the impeachment
notice, while 10 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 had signed the impeachment notice following pressure from the power that be.
“We all plan the impeachment together, but as human beings, some
claimed they were not in the Assembly when the impeachment was to be
carried out,’’ the acting speaker said.
He appealed to members of the Assembly to come together and work for
the interest of the state and not for individual’s interest or pecuniary
gains.
NAN

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