From: Bamigbola Gboalgunte, Akure
The Ondo State House of Assembly complex has been re-opened after one month’s closure occasioned by the leadership crisis in the Assembly.
The Assembly complex was sealed off by the Police on February 2, following the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris. Workers in the House of Assembly, who also vacated the complex during the one month closure, have resumed work.
Although the presence of Police officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was still noticed at the complex, workers in the Assembly were busy carrying out their duties peacefully, on Thursday.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the state Police command, Mr Femi Joseph, said the state Police command was not against the reopening of the complex.
The PPRO said “we will be glad to see that normal proceedings are going on. We went there earlier to maintain law and order when the crisis was degenerating into a brawl and the two factions agreed to leave the place to proffer a political solution.”
It would be recalled that the House of Assembly was embroiled in serious leadership crisis which led to the emergence of two factional Speakers, Mrs Jumoke Akindele and Hon Malachi Coker.
The former Speaker of the House, Mrs. Akindele was alleged of fraud by 13 lawmakers who eventually impeached her and the deputy speaker, Hon Fatai Olotu. The crisis in the House prevented the former Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko from presenting the 2017 budget to the House.