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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The lawmaker representing Obafemi-Owode State Constituency, Kayode Soneye, has spoken on the chain of events that led to the impeachment of Olakunle Oluomo as the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly.
On Tuesday, 18 of the 26 members of the assembly removed Oluomo as Speaker during Tuesday’s plenary.
Oluomo was impeached over allegations bordering on embezzlement of funds.
Oludaisi Elemide representing Odeda State Constituency was subsequently elected as the new Speaker of the assembly.
Speaking with journalists after the chaotic plenary, Soneye said members of the assembly did not want to elect Oluomo as Speaker, but the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) felt that he should be made Speaker because of his experience.
The lawmaker accused Oluomo of embezzling money meant for members of the assembly.
“The situation is that Oluomo will go everywhere; he will come to us as members and tell us that the governor has not approved any money… that we should manage things.
“We kept managing. We later found out that the governor had been giving us money. He takes a memo to the governor and gets money, but siphoned our money,” he said.
Soneye added that the impeachment of Oluomo has nothing to do with Governor Dapo Abiodun, adding that the governor does not interfere in the affairs of the legislature.
The lawmaker asked Oluomo to focus on his alleged money laundering trial.
In September 2022, Oluomo was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial malfeasance.
He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
After his arrest, he was taken to the Lagos office of the anti-graft agency for questioning, over his failing to honour invitations by the commission.
Subsequently, Oluomo was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged money laundering to the tune of N2.475 billion.
He was arraigned alongside three others on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and money laundering.
The EFCC had told the court that removed Speaker stole the sum from the coffers of the Ogun State House of Assembly.