Ondo Assembly Reopens For Legislative Activities
After seven weeks of closure by the police, the Ondo State House of Assembly on Monday reopened for legislative activities.
The Assembly complex was sealed off by the police following the leadership crisis that rocked the House of Assembly few weeks ago.
After the opening of the Assembly complex on Monday, the lawmakers went into the chamber of Assembly to hold plenary session.
The plenary session, which commenced at 11:36 am, was attended by 12 out of 26 lawmakers and presided over by Malachi Coker and the other two new principal officers that were elected after the impeachment of the embattled speaker, Hon. Jumoke Akindele .
Coker who presided over the sitting ordered the police and other security agencies to retrieve the Assembly’s properties with the impeached principal officers.
However, the other 13 lawmakers loyal to the impeached Speaker, Jumoke Akindele faction, boycotted the session and attempts made to reach them as at press time proved abortive.
The lawmakers, who had the proceedings in the presence of the Clerk, Mr. Bode Adeyelu and security agencies, reiterated the election of Coker, George and Ayodeji Arowele as the duly elected Speaker, Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly respectively.
Coker announced that the former and first female Speaker, Akindele, Fatai Olotu, the former Deputy Speaker and Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, the former Majority Leader remained impeached and suspended.
He ordered the police to withdraw their security details and retrieve all government properties attached to them immediately.
The new Speaker also dissolved all standing committees of the Eighth Assembly, but maintained that Mr. Ayodeji Iroju remained the spokesperson of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the embattled speaker, Rt. Hon. Jumoke Akindele and other principal officers of the Assembly on Monday resigned from their respective positions.
It was learnt that the resignation is coming on the heels of reconciliation between the two warring factions of the Assembly.
It was also gathered from a reliable source that their letter of resignation was officially received on Monday morning by the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
