By Ayodele Oni
The removal of some Principal Officers of the Ondo state House of Assembly, on Monday, including the deputy Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji, is still generating heat. Nine members of the House have rejected the move.
Those against the move are mainly members that were opposed to the impeachment of Mr Agboola Ajayi, as the Deputy Governor of the state.
Twenty Lawmakers, according to the Assembly’s Speaker, approved Ogundeji’s removal, and replaced him with Samuel Aderoboye.
Citing relevant sections of the law about impeachment of Principal Officers of the Assembly , the Lawmakers described the impeachment as unlawful.
“The same provision for the removal of Speaker and Deputy is provided for in section 9 (sub 1-IX) of the standing order of the house.
“It requires two-thirds majority for their removal. It must be known that there was no place where the Assembly, either at the Plenary or Parliamentary, sat to take the decision to remove Rt Hon Iroju Ogundeji took place.
“It must be noted that impunity reigns supreme in the Assembly where Rt Hon Bamidele Oleyeloogun presides.”
Describing the exercise as impunity taken too far, the Lawmakers noted that it was unfortunate that this was happening in a state being governed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Rotimi Akeredolu.
