Ogun lawmakers sack Deputy Speaker
By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Ogun State House of Assembly on Thursday removed the embattled Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dare Kadiri Oluwatimileyin from office having found him guilty of acts of gross misconduct.
The police had in a statement said that the Deputy Speaker, Kadiri was culpable of allegations of invasion and destroying of private residences of a former lawmaker in the state, Hon. Kayode Adegbesan, the incumbent Secretary to the State government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi among other acts of lawlessness levelled against him.
Kadiri’s removal followed the presentation of the report of the ad-hoc Committee on the ‘Petition for Removal of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dare Kadiri, Oluwatimileyin from Office for gross misconduct’ by the Committee Chairman and Majority Leader, Hon. Yusuf Sheriff.
Shortly after, a member representing Ijebu-North East, Hon. Abayomi Fasuwa moved the motion for the adoption of the committee’s report, seconded by his Ijebu-Ode counterpart, Hon. Kemi Oduwole and supported by nineteen other lawmakers at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
According to the Chairman, “the committee gave all the parties involved ample opportunities to make their presentations with relevant evidences including; documents, phone recordings, CD Rom and printed photographs to establish their facts.
“On the involvement of a lawyer, Hon. Kadiri Oluwadamilare failed to have exploited all internal mechanisms of getting information sought before calling a lawyer. To this end, the committee considered that: as the Vice-Chairman of fund management Committee, he has direct access to all the information; as the Vice Chairman of the Principal Officers body, he never reported the matter for discussion; as the Vice-Chairman of the House, executive meetings held every plenary day, he never raised the issue for discussion.”
On the petitions submitted by Adebiyi Odugbesan & Co. after listening to both parties, the Committee observed that the matter is neither here nor there.
“The Committee is of the opinion that Hon. Kadiri, as an Honourable Member and Deputy Speaker of the House, should have exhibited some caution. However, since the matter is still pending and awaiting further investigation by the Nigeria Police, the Committee will not make any pronouncement on the issue,” the report partly stated.
Thereafter, Fasuwa submitted a report endorsed by nineteen lawmakers conveying their unanimous confirmation in support of the recommendation of the ad-hoc committee’s report, which they noted had found Kadiri guilty of acts of gross misconduct and therefore endorsed his removal from office as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
The ad-hoc Committee had in the previous day held its preliminary/ fact-finding sitting, where it examined the petitions on the allegations leveled against Kadiri on their merit with all petitioners, witnesses and respondents as well as representative of the Nigeria Police, CSP Joshua Adewalehinmi in attendance.
Clarifying the voting pattern, Speaker Oluomo explained that the Assembly’s Standing Order specified that voice vote shall not be used in determining the removal of principal officer, thus the submission of the endorsement by nineteen (19) signatories (lawmaker) who demanded his removal from office which was equally read before the lawmakers by the Clerk, Mr. Adeyemo.
Reacting to his impeachment, Kadiri said, “I just received the news of my purported impeachment based on the report of an ad-hoc committee set up by the Ogun State House of Assembly.
“The development, to say the least, was grossly unconstitutional and illegal.
“However, I have initiated consultation with my lawyers to fashion out the best possible way to address this infraction.
“I urge my teeming supporters, constituents and members of my political party in Ijebu North II State Constituency to remain calm as the issues that threw up this unwarranted action are sorted.
“In whatever capacity I find myself now or in the future, I remain committed to the ideals of a functional legislature, tenets of democracy and good governance,” Kadiri said.
