By Dayo Johnson

Akure — BARELY 21 days to the end of the eight year tenure of the present administration in Ondo state , the legislative arm of government is in disarray over a paltry N15million “gift”

Kitting up to fight over the  loot by the 26 members in the 8th assembly showed the sign of the time. The recession knows no bound.

Interestingly, not minding that the amount involved was meagre, the lawmakers preferred to fight dirty and bring down the roof top  ostensibly because of the carrot dangled to them by the incoming administration of the All Progressive Congress APC. They have reportedly been assured of re-election in 2019.

Rt. Hon. Jumoke-Akindele,

Meanwhile, the state Police command has sealed the assembly complex following a show of shame by both factions who wrestled over the speakership seat and the leadership of the Assembly.

The state Police Commissioner Hilda Harrison personally led a team of top Police officer in the command to seal the complex when lawmakers literally turned to law breaker  as the speaker Jumoke Akindele was manhandled in the middle of a plenary and forcefully dragged off the speakership seat by the other warring lawmakers and thugs who invaded the complex on Monday by 6am.

Disruption of proceedings

Vanguard gathered that the other faction got wind that the sacked Speaker and others were at the plenary and they mobilized to disrupt the proceeding insisting that she had been impeached and had no constitutional right to preside in the capacity. That was when hell was let loosed and members from both divide threw caution overboard.

The present assembly could best be described as a house of commotion as allegations and counter allegations of fraud, high handedness, insincerity, anti-party activities, governments rubber stamp amongst others have created a wedge in the 26 member of the legislative arm.

In March last year 18 of the Lawmakers staged a coup against their Speaker Jumoke Akindele who is the first female speaker the over40 year old state  have ever produced. Timely intervention of the governor, Dr Olusegun. Mimiko save her neck from the guillotine.

Exactly 10 months after, 13 riotous lawmakers abandoned their legislative duties and turned to “thieves catchers”.

Vanguard gathered that last Friday, the lawmakers led by Ogundeji. Iroju trailed the pay master of the assembly Sina Makanjuola from the bank after he and other were hinted that a N15m cheque has been issued by the leadership of the house without parliamentary approval.

The pay master was pounced on on getting back to the assembly complex and before he knew what was happening he was made to carry the “gift” his photograph went viral courtesy of the “rebel” lawmakers  who alleged that the money was withdrawn by leadership of the assembly without legislative approval.

Consequently, like a movie, the 13 lawmakers including eight PDP members and five APC members hurriedly held a meeting and impeached the principal officers of the assembly accusing them of fraud.

With the presence of the clerk of the assembly Bode Adeyelu and the mace, the lawmakers effected a change in its leadership but because they failed to form a quorum, the leaders were thereafter suspended. They alleged that the Speaker “forced” both the clerk and Director of Finance and Administration DFA to sign two separate cheques amounting to N15m from the account of the Assembly without members approval.

Reports had it that because the members do not sit on Fridays, all the principal officers including the Speaker  had travelled out of the state for the weekend when the coup was hatched.

Those elected as replacement are Hon Coker Malachi as the acting  Speaker, Hon Ayodele Arowele as Deputy Speaker and Hon Olamide George as Majority Leader.

But tongues are, however, wagging as the warring parties preferred not to go public on the politics behind the N15m and what it was actually meant for.

Vanguard gathered that the controversial money was a “gift” to some of the lawmakers while those shut out of the largesse decided to  cry foul and use the opportunity to do the biddings of their “pay masters” by crying out.

Reliable sources hinted that those shut out of the largesse were said to have been romancing with the incoming administration  for their survival after the tenure of the present administration must have lapsed and have reportedly constituted a clog in the passage of some crucial bills that needed the approval of the assembly before February 24 handing over date.

With the assistant of some assembly top officers, the movement of the “gift” to other  cooperating lawmakers was exposed to those that have switched their loyalty to the incoming APC government.

While the sacked principal officers insisted that the N15m was for some on-going projects which they failed to name, the “rebel” lawmakers also said the money was withdrawn from the running grant account without parliamentary approval.

But while the “rebel” lawmakers are insisting that the money would be used to pay temporary staffs owed salaries in the assembly, the sacked faction said it should be kept  in the safe of the assembly until otherwise decided after the resolution of the matter. The decisions of the warring lawmakers on what should be the fate of the N15m speaks volumes.

Findings by Vanguard showed that both factions do not have the constitutional number to either impeach or convey a plenary which makes the whole exercise a futility.

However, while some chieftains of the incoming All Progressive Party APC administration are lobbying members loyal to the sacked Speaker  faction to the other side, the out going Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are equally poaching from the “rebel” faction to ensure the passage of those “important bills” that needed the legislative endorsement before February 24.

No going back on sack

Speaking on behalf of the “rebel” lawmakers,Hon Ogundeji Iroju  said that there was no going back on the sack of the principal officers of the assembly.

Iroju alleged that the sacked leaders are involved in “massive looting of the funds of the assembly and this is becoming an embarrassment to other members.

He said that those who signed the impeached notice of the principal officers were  20 members but six were later wooed by the sacked officers. Another lawmaker has equally crossed over to the side of the sacked officers depleting the anti Akindele faction down to 13. The “buying” over of the lawmakers from both sides continued as at press time.

Iroju called on the Inspector General of Police IG and other security agencies in the state to accord the new leadership of the house recognition while he warned. Backs to stop further financial transactions with the former principal officers.