WHY ONDO'S GROWTH SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY: FORMER DEPUTY SPEAKER, OGUNDEJI URGES ASSEMBLY TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT AND NOT IMPEACHMENT

Former deputy speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Iroju Ogundeji, speaks about the move by the state lawmakers to impeach the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa among other issues.

There are divergent views on the ongoing impeachment process against the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, by the State House of Assembly. What is your position on this?

As far as I’m concerned, for now, I’m not a member of the 10th Assembly, but I was a member of the 8th and the 9th Assembly and this similar issue happened during the 9th Assembly and you know the position I took then. I believe what should be uppermost for every individual in Ondo State, most importantly the elected representative, at this time is the development of our state considering the current economic situation we are facing in this country. It should not be impeachment.

This 10th Assembly has just been sworn in not more than three or four months or thereabouts. I discovered that their major assignment is to go and make law and do other functions that are within the oversight, not primarily to go and impeach an elected deputy governor or elected governor.

However, it is within their power as given to them by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. But to me, at this time, what should concern the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly is the development of Ondo State.

Look at what is happening; the entire state has been neglected. Look at the state capital, Akure. Also, take a look at the neglect, look at refuse everywhere, look at how dirty the state capital is, and look at how the state is neglected. There is no governor and there is no deputy governor. Why is it that what concerned the Assembly now is impeachment? What do they want to benefit from the impeachment? Is that the major reason why they were elected? They were elected primarily to go and make laws that would better the lives of the people who elected them. This is beyond partisan politics.

Are they (House of Assembly members) wrong to begin the process of impeachment following the allegations of gross misconduct against the state deputy governor?

Gross misconduct is what is entrenched in the Constitution. What is the meaning of gross misconduct? To what extent have they been able to prove gross misconduct? I am not saying it is not within their power to do so, but what I’m saying is that at this particular time when the people are suffering, at this particular time when it is like there is no government in the state, at this particular time when there is no governor in the state, is it the right time for them to say they are now going about impeachment of a deputy governor who is supposed to have been in charge of the government of Ondo State when the governor is not around? I’m not saying it is not within their constitutional power to begin an impeachment process.

At the time, we were aware that they said the deputy governor was involved in fraudulent activity of about N300m through an alleged purchase of a bulletproof car. And at another point, that bulletproof car that they alleged he bought was not included in the allegations levelled against him. What is happening? Who is fooling who?

Are you seeing this as a witch-hunt against the state deputy governor?

For me, whatever way they see it, I’m not been partisan. I’m talking generally as an Ondo State citizen and as a stakeholder. What I’m saying is that this is not the best time for them to go about the move to impeach the deputy governor. We should ask where our governor is. Who is controlling Ondo State for now? For more than two or three months now, no State Executive Council meeting.

Council of States was held in Abuja, and Ondo State was not represented at a crucial and critical time like this. The way they are going, it is like there is something fishy.

As a former leader of the House, you still have some of your colleagues there. What should they have done on the issue?

We are in a serious mess in this country. When the former deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, was to be impeached, you remember the role I played. The executive led by the governor concocted unfounded allegations against this man, and when I looked at the allegations, I discovered that the allegations against him were concocted, I said I had to dislocate myself and I did, and some other members joined me. The deputy governor couldn’t be impeached. We will not get it right in this country until the legislature is given autonomy.

People are talking about the independence of the judiciary. Where is that independence? People are saying legislature should act separately. Yes, we have three arms of government and the three arms must work separately. Where is that separation? A situation whereby it is the governor who suggests the person that will represent each constituency in an election in his party; tell me, who will now rule that person? Who will dictate to the person?

Do you think the legislators will succeed with the impeachment of the deputy governor?

I only read on the newspaper and I read on social media. The state Chief Judge has been restrained in line with what I read because I’m not particular and I don’t want to meddle in the affairs of anybody there. But I’m aware in line with what I read in the newspaper and social media that the state chief judge has been restrained from setting up a panel to investigate the deputy governor. When the matter is in court, nobody can take any action until the order of the court is vacated. So, at this point, everybody is in a fixed.

So, what do you think is the way out now?

The way out is that already, parties have maintained the status quo. They are in court; let’s wait till the final determination of the matter in court. But I will be quick to add that to an average Ondo State citizen, more especially to our representatives who we believe can represent us well, they (lawmakers) should do things right and should represent the people well. It should not be about impeachment. By the time they were campaigning, going about telling people to vote for them, impeachment was not part of what they told the electorate that they were going to do. If they told the electorate that they were going there to impeach people, I believe that the majority of them wouldn’t have got the mandate.

Source: Punch