Ondo Assembly serves impeachment notice on deputy gov

Akure—LAWMAKERS in Ondo State,
yesterday, served impeachment notice on
the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi,
for alleged gross misconduct.

Alhaji Olanusi defected to the opposition All
Progressives Congress, APC, 48 hours to the
last presidential and National Assembly
elections in the state.

Some of the seven allegations levelled
against him included financial
misappropriation, absenteeism from official
duties and allegedly causing political
disaffection in the cabinet of the state
government.

The deputy governor’s impeachment notice
was signed by 20 out of 26 members of the
house.

Motion for his impeachment was moved by
the Majority Leader of the house, Hon.
Ifedayo Akinsoyinu from Ondo West
Constituency II and was seconded by one of
his kinsmen, Hon. Yinka Banso, from Akoko
North West Constituency I.

The lawmakers said that their action was in
compliance with Section 188 of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.

At yesterday’s plenary, the Speaker, Rt. Hon
Jumoke Akindele, said the deputy governor
should be served personally, through the
office of the Deputy Governor or through his
official residential quarters.

Other allegations against Olanusi include
false allegation against the state governor,
absenteeism and truancy from official
assignment and engagement among others.
They allegations include: “That Alhaji Alli
Olanusi, being the holder of the office of
deputy governor, permitted and condoned the
perpetuation of fraudulent activities in the
office of deputy governor in that one Alhaji
Bola Idris Olanusi, the younger brother and
Special Assistant in the office of the deputy
governor procured false LPO with the
knowledge of Alhaji Alli Olanusi and obtained
from ESHO Resources International Limited,
two trucks of AGO with forged documents
and for personal benefits, thereby putting the
office of the deputy governor into disrepute.
“That Alhaji Olanusi being the holder of the
office of deputy governor of Ondo State and
having full knowledge that his younger
brother, Alhaji Bola Irish Olanusi, who at all
material times was his personal staff had
engaged in activities unbecoming of an
official of government, refused to sanction,
query or discipline the said staff, thus
bringing the office of the deputy governor
into disrepute.
“That Alhaji Olanusi, being the holder of the
office of deputy governor of Ondo State
engaged in absenteeism and truancy by
regularly assenting himself from office, place
of work and all other official engagements
specifically between April 13 to 17 April and
April 20, 2015, without lawful excuse or
authorisation but generally acting in a
manner inconsistent with the dictates and
expectations of the high office of the deputy
governor of a state, thus undermining the
governance process, an act which amounts
to gross misconduct under the constitution.
“That Alhaji Olanusi, being the holder of the
office of deputy governor, at various dates,
collected various sums of money, N39.9
million between 2009 and 2014, for the
purpose of travelling and medical bills when
in actual fact, the said Alhaji Olanusi did not
travel on the said specified dates or did not
travel at all, and or did not expend the
approved medical bills as appropriate,
thereby unlawfully enriching himself and or
causing loss to the state government. “
They also alleged that he undermined the
office of the governor by causing political
disaffection and deliberately working at
cross purposes with the governor and the
state EXCO, with a view to destabilizing the
government by openly canvassing for the
impeachment of the governor.
The impeachment notice is a nullity —Dep
Gov
The embattled deputy governor has
described the serving of impeachment notice
on him as laughable.
A statement by his Publicity Secretary,
Abayomi Adesanya in Akure, said: “We are
aware of the purported impeachment notice
served on the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali
Olanusi, by the Ondo State House of
Assembly.
“The Deputy Governor had written to the
Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Friday,
April 17, 2015, with Ref. No. OBG/A/136/67,
that he will be going on routine medical
check up outside the country.
“Baba had since travelled out on Saturday,
April 18, 2015.
“So it is laughable for the rubber-stamp
House of Assembly to have claimed it has
served the Deputy Governor an impeachment
notice knowing that, the law does not permit
it to serve impeachment notice in absentia.
The notice is therefore a nullity.
But Alhaji Olanusi while personally reacting
to the impeachment notice via a text
message, said the Assembly was famous for
making resolutions without proper
documentation.
The embattled deputy governor who is not in
the state, however, promised to react fully if
he is officially informed.
He said: “ The Ondo State House of
Assembly is noted for making laws and
passing resolutions without sitting and
recording. There are many repetitive events
in this regard.
“A case in point was the passage of the
OSOPADEC budget last year. You will get my
full reaction if and whenever I am officially
and lawfully informed.”