Olushola Omogbehin
Following the protracted leadership crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly, some lawmakers have alleged that the Assembly has held only four plenary sittings in the last seven months under the leadership of Speaker Olamide Oladiji.
Some lawmakers revealed that the absence of regular plenary has affected legislative activities and contributed to different levels of frustration among members.
The lawmakers also revealed that the Assembly has been unable to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively because the Speaker allegedly avoided convening plenary whenever tensions arose within the House.
“We have had only four plenary sittings since January. Ask the Speaker. We are not on recess, yet the House has hardly sat. This issue has been going on for more than three or four months,” a lawmaker revealed while another claimed that the Speaker usually delayed legislative sittings whenever disagreements came up.
“Whenever he notices there are issues, he will not call plenary. He waits until the tension has died down before calling the House to sit, sometimes after a month. That has been his pattern. Sometimes, he travels and no meeting is called at all. We are not on recess, but the House remains inactive,” the source said.
“When issues came up in November and December, we barely had meetings. Once there was a disagreement, the House effectively went quiet until members resumed much later,” one of the lawmakers claimed.
Already, 21 of the 26 lawmakers have allegedly signed an impeachment notice against Speaker Oladiji over allegations surrounding the handling of ₦44 million in connection with the Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).
The aggrieved lawmakers have also suspended plenary indefinitely, insisting that legislative business will not resume until the Speaker vacates office.
