Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Twenty two members of the Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday endorsed the election of Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, a member representing Odeda State Constituency, as the new Speaker.
This follows the impeachment notice served on the Assembly by 25 out of the 26 members.
At the plenary headed by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bolanle Ajayi, members present unanimously elected Elemide as the new Speaker of the state legislature.
His election at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the State capital, followed his nomination by Hon Adegoke Awoso, seconded by Ademola Adeniran and supported through physical voting by all the 22 lawmakers present at the plenary.
The Deputy Clerk, Barr. ( Mrs.) Funmi Adeyemi, administered the oath allegiance and that of office on the new Speaker Oludaisi Elemide before all the State lawmakers.
The Assembly had passed a resolution for the adoption of a report of the Ad-hoc Committee set up by the House for the consideration of the impeachment notice served on the former Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, on the allegations bothering on embezzlement of funds, high handedness and other related offences held yesterday, Monday 29th January, 2023 at the Assembly Complex
Oluomo, who was said have walked out of the committee and declined to answer some sensitive questions claiming that the matter on his removal was still in court and that some members have no right to interrogative him since they were among the 18 lawmakers that who sighed the impeachment notice
The report reads “at the commencement of interrogation, the Chairman made it clear to the embattled Speaker that the Committee is not on a witch hunting mission. However, the sitting is an avenue for fair hearing on the allegations levelled against him. The Rt. Hon. Speaker raised an observation that some of the Committee members do not have the right to be a member of the Committee to investigate him, since they were among the 18 Members who originally signed the impeachment notice.”
In response, the Committee then established the fact that Order 2, Rule 9(vii) he referred to had been stepped down during the Plenary Session held on Monday 29th January, 2024.
It was stated that the action was necessary in view of the fact that all the 25 Honourable Members are in support of the exercise, hence any Member could serve in the Committee.
In the course of further cross examination of the Speaker, he insisted that the Chairman of the Committee must excuse him but his request was turned down since it was crystal clear to the Committee that the embattled Speaker wanted to cleverly evade questions from members of the Committee. Rt. Hon. Olakunle Taiwo Oluomo, having observed that the Committee turned down his request, walked-out on the Committee to avoid responding to further questions from the Committee.
The Committee observed that, the arrogance attitude of the Rt. Hon. Speaker as displayed before it, wishes to state as follows, that: (i) the attitude of the Speaker shows that he has no regard for the Committee and by extension, the House of Assembly; and (ii.) His attitude is a clear admittance of the allegations contained in the impeachment notice served on him
The Committee considering the above stated observations, found him guilty of all allegations levelled against him and consequently recommended that he should be impeached”, the report stated.
Consequent upon the presentation of the Adhoc Committee report by the Chairman, Musefiu Lamidi, who also moved the motion for its adoption, and was seconded by Hon. Oluseun Adesanya, all the 22 lawmakers present unanimously supported the impeachment during a physical voting supervised by the Clerk/Head of Legislative Service, Deji Adeyemo.
The Majority Leader, Yusuf Sherif, thereafter moved the motion turning the submission to the resolution of the House for the impeachment of Olakunle Oluomo as the Speaker of the House, seconded by the Minority Leader, Adeleye Lukman with the support of all other lawmakers, after which the Deputy Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to communicate all concerned stakeholders on Oluomo’s impeachment with immediate effect.