Olamide George, the newly elected Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue him and his colleagues from alleged reign of terror in the state.
The Speaker, alongside 17 other lawmakers, made the call at a news conference held in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday evening.
Bamidele Oloyelogun and Ogundeji Iroju, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were impeached on Friday.
George and Faloju Abimbola were immediately sworn-in as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
George said the former speaker and his deputy were impeached over established evidences of gross misconduct, financial recklessness, abuse of power and incompetence levelled against them.
He alleged that since Friday, family members, he and his deputy were being threatened over the impeachment, calling on the President to save democracy from collapse.
He said: “We are duly elected members of the state assembly, acting within the confines of the constitutional duties at plenary.
“Surprisingly, the impeached speaker led to the assembly Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ade Adetimehin, State APC Chairman, Mr. Jacob Adebo, State Chairman, NURTW, about 50 heavily armed officers and thugs.
“They invaded the assembly and assaulted honourable members, assembly staff, journalists and visitors to the assembly complex.”
George said there were video and pictorial documentations of the alleged vandalization of cars and properties worth several millions of naira by thugs allegedly under the supervision of Adeyanju.
According to him: “It is an open secret that N1.3 billion was approved and released for the 2018 budget of the assembly.
“The former speaker and deputy speaker jointly expended over a billion in the first quarter of 2018 without approval.
“This is the height of corruption.
“We cannot condone it.
“It is unacceptable to the people of Ondo whom we are representing and that’s why we chose the path of honour to partner with Buhari to flush corruption out of Ondo.”
Abimbola corroborated George’s claims and called on Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately redeploy the Commissioner of Police from the state, accusing him of bias.
He said they are not safe with Adeyanju remaining the state CP.
Abimbola said that the impeachment was carried out in line with constitutional provision, which stipulated that such exercise could only be carried out by two-third of the members.
He stated that 18 out of the 26 lawmakers, which represented two-thirds, carried out the impeachment, adding that he has the 18 names and signatures of members who impeached them.
“The impeachment was in order. We have removed the inefficient speaker and deputy speaker from office and this act is completely irreversible,” he said.
A former Apeaker of the assembly, Olajumoke Akindele, who was allegedly assaulted in the mayhem unleashed at the assembly, called on the President and his wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari, to protect women in politics from molestation, intimidation and harassment, which was meted to her on Friday.
Akindele said: “My family members, my colleagues and my dear life is no longer safe.
“I have been marked for assassination for standing against corruption.”
The trio equally appealed to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to allow the legislative arm of government to function independently without interference.
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