Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun
- Oladimeji heads for court, says: ‘My suspension is illegal’
- Six councillors kick, say their signatures were forged
Ondo State House of Assembly on Thursday suspended the chairman of lfedore council area of the state, Alex Oladimeji over alleged gross misconduct.
But Oladimeji, who has headed for the court, faulted his suspension as illegal while six councillors distanced themselves from the petition to the house, alleging that their signatures were forged by those desperate to get at the chairman.
Oladimeji said that he was suspended for committing no offence.
Specifically, six of the councillors including Hon. Olakitan Akinsola, Deputy Leader; Hon. Kehinde Oluwajana, Majority Leader;
Hon. Abiodun Aladegbohungbe, Deputy Majority Leader; Hon. Mrs Omolola Alabi, Chief Whip; Hon. Omojowo Adodo, Member and Hon. Adebayo Adefila, ex Leader of the House, denied signing any impeachment letter.
In their counter petition to the Ondo State Assembly House Committee Chairman on Local Government, the Deputy Governor and the APC leadership in the State, the six Councilors called for an immediate investigation into the forgery allegation.
It read: “We got information that we signed a petition against the Chairman of Ifedore Local government to the Ondo State House of Assembly.
“We say categorically that we did not discuss any wrongdoing of the Chairman at any point in time not to talk of signing a petition against him.”
Some councillors in the council, led by the Vice-Chairman, Hon. Sogo Ajikiola, had petitioned the assembly stating reasons why the council chairman should be removed from office.
In the petition, dated November 5, this year, and forwarded to the leadership of the assembly, they had alleged the chairman of gross misconduct.
Consequently, the Assembly committed the petition to the Ad- hoc committee on local government and chieftaincy affairs to investigate its veracity and make appropriate recommendations to the house.
Chairman of the eight-member committee who is the deputy speaker, Rt Hon Samuel Aderoboye while submitting its report, recommended that the chairman be suspended for three months.
The committee in its finding said that the funds released to the chairman ” were not appropriately utilized for the project as proposed.
” That some of the projects which the chairman claimed on paper to have been completed 80 percent were discovered to be at barely 40 percent completion and even poorly executed.
” That judging from the testimonies of member of the house of assembly representing the benefiting constituency, it was found that the chairman did all the disbursement of funds and execution of projects in isolation, without carrying along his legislators, local government officials and even the legislature representing the state constituency.
” That the Head of the local government administration of lfedore local government be transferred with immediate effect.
” That the chairman of lfedore local government, Hon Alex Oladimeji should be suspended for a period of three months in order to give for further investigation.
” That the affairs of the local government be handed over to the Vice-Chairman forthwith.
The recommendations were signed by seven out of the eight-member committee.
