Ondo Gets New Dep Governor....

James Sowole Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo yesterday emerged the new Deputy Governor of Ondo State, following the impeachment of Alhaji Ali Olanusi by the state House of Assembly. Oluboyo, who is from Akoko North East Local Government Area, was the state Commissioner for Agriculture.

He was confirmed by the assembly and consequently sworn in by the state Chief Judge, Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi.

Olanusi’s impeachment was sequel to the submission of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by Justice Kumuyi.

At the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Jumoke Akindele, the motion for the impeachment of Olanusi was moved by the Majority Leader, Hon Ifedayo Akinsoyinu of Ondo West II and seconded by Hon Oyebo Aladetan of Ilaje I Constituency.

Akinsoyinu said he based his motion to remove Olanusi on the conclusion of the report of the investigative panel which investigated allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor by the assembly.

The panel’s report presented by Akinsoyinu read: “Having found all the seven allegations established against Olanusi, and placing reliance on the meaning of gross misconduct as defined in Section 188 (11) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, we hereby find that the allegation of gross misconduct has been proved against Olanusi the holder of Office of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State Nigeria.”

After the presentation of the majority leader and the motion seconded, the Speaker asked the lawmakers present at the plenary to rise up, raise their hands to express their support for the action of the assembly.

The 22 members thereafter announced their support through a voice vote after counting the number of those present.

In her remarks, the Speaker of the assembly, Jumoke Akindele, directed the impeached deputy governor to hand over all government properties in his custody to the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office.

She directed the permanent secretary to use all lawful means to retrieve those properties should the removed deputy governor fail to hand over the properties immediately.

The process for the impeachment of the former deputy governor started barely a week ago with the serving of the impeachment notice on him by the assembly, citing allegations of gross misconduct.

The assembly, the following day, directed the Chief Judge, Justice Kumuyi to set up an investigative panel on the allegations against Olanusi.

The panel, which has Olatunji Adeniyan as the chairman and inaugurated by the Chief Judge, concluded its assignment on Friday, April 24.

The report of the committee was submitted to the assembly yesterday after which the assembly, leading to the deputy governor’s removal. The approval of the new deputy governor was sequel to the letter written to the assembly by the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, asking the assembly to screen the nominee.

The speaker, after the clerk of the assembly read the letter of the governor, directed the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dare Emiola, to supervise the House Committee on Selection to screen the nominee.

In its report presented to the assembly, the Deputy Speaker said the selection committee found Oluboyo competent and worthy of the new selection as the deputy governor.

All the lawmakers who attended the plenary thereafter approved the appointment of Oluboyo as the new deputy governor of the state.

After his confirmation, Oluboyo moved to the Cocoa Conference Hall in the Governor’s office where he was sworn in by Justice Kumuyi.

At the swearing in, Mimiko said it was the first time a new deputy governor would be sworn in after an impeachment of number two citizen of the state.

He said the executive respected and supported the action of the lawmakers, saying the synergy among the three arms of the government would be sustained.

While congratulating the new deputy governor, Mimiko noted that there was joy in the land immediately the name of Oluboyo was mentioned.

In his remarks, the new deputy governor who pledged his allegiance and 100 per cent loyalty, said the fact that one Akoko man disappointed the governor should not be seen as all Akoko people are bad.

He promised to be efficient in the discharge of his duties, saying he would correct the inefficiencies of the former deputy governor.

However, in his reaction, the state chairman of the APC, Isaac Kekemeke, described the impeachment as unconstitutional, unacceptable and a show of desperation by the governor and the PDP

Kekemeke said the governor by this action has “consolidated his emperorship of the state where he is the head of the judiciary, executives and legislature where individuals who are heads of these department do things at his whims and caprices.

Kekemeke queried the appointment of a retired Chief Magistrate as the head of the probe panel where there are “retired high court judges, and Supreme Courts while membership of the committee are unknown entities.

He pointed out that the governor has by his action disturbed the peace in the state. “This is unacceptable, we will challenge this unconstitutional impeachment and lawlessness appropriately in court.”

On its part, the PDP in the state described the impeachment of Olanusi as the verdict of the people of the state.

The PDP Publicity Secretary, Banji Okunomo, who spoke in an interview with journalists, said it was the verdict of the people because the lawmakers in the state assembly are representatives of the people of their different constituencies

Okunomo said it was the constitutional responsibilities of the assembly to check any political office holder who had committed any offence or offences to order.

He said all the issues raised against the deputy governor are impeachable offences and that the assembly did what was required by asking the chief judge to raise a panel to investigate the alleged offences.

The publicity secretary said it was on record that Olanusi was represented at the sitting of the panel by his counsel, Dr Benson Enikuomehin.

He said the assembly would not have done anything if the panel had not found him guilty of the allegations of gross misconduct.

“The development was in tandem with the wish of the people of the state and this had been demonstrated as there was no single protest since the commencement of the impeachment process.

“As a party in government, we shall continue to work in harmony with the people of the state and to provide more dividends of democracy for the people,” Okunomo.