Ondo Assembly Crisis: Police Quize Lawmakers

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By; Odeyemi Samuel, Akure.
Following the crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly last week, the state police command has invited some of the warring lawmakers for questioning.
The crisis erupted in the assembly on Friday following the purported indefinite suspension of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, Mr. Fatai Olotu and Mr. Ifedayo Akinsoyinu respectively by 14 of the lawmakers over allegation of financial mismanagement.
The ‘rebel’ lawmakers who comprised members of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress, took the decision after catching the paymaster of the assembly, Mr. Majekodumi Adesina with a Ghana-must-go bag containing a sum of N15 million in the premises of the assembly complex.
When asked about the owner of the money, Adesina was said to have told the lawmakers that the Speaker allegedly ordered him to take the money to her residence.
The lawmakers were furious about the development and convene a meeting at the floor of the House to take the punitive action against the Speaker and other officers.
After suspending the principal officers, the rebel lawmakers appointed Mr. Malachi Coker representing Ilaje Constituency I, Mr. Ayodele Arowele from Owo Constituency I and Olamide George, representing Akure North Constituency as the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Majority Leader respectively in acting capacity.
Akindele, who denied the allegation and condemned the action of her antagonist colleagues insisted that she was still the speaker, saying the rebel colleagues had no power to take such action against her.
The mace of the House was allegedly  taken away by the rebel lawmakers who insisted that the status quo must remained.
To this end, it was gathered that the police command invited Arowele and other rebel lawmakers over the whereabout of the mace.
The police was also said to have invited the paymaster and the Clerk of the assembly, Mr Bode Adeyelu on their roles in the crisis.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph denied arresting any lawmaker. He explained that the police was just making effort to prevent the matter from degenerating to a full-blown crisis.
He said, ” We did not arrest any lawmaker, the matter was an internal crisis in the House of Assembly, it doesn’t concern us but our own is to prevent the crisis from degenerating to serious crisis. ”
A source said the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has waded into the matter and has met with both factions of assembly members in a bid to end the crisis.

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