How Ogun Deputy Speaker was impeached

By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

The ad-hoc committee of the Ogun State House of Assembly constituted last Tuesday to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Deputy Speaker, Oludare Kadiri, submitted its report on Thursday with a verdict of guilty passed on him.

The house led by the Speaker, Kunle Oluomo, and guided by the Committee report, proceeded to remove Kadiri as Deputy Speaker for alleged “acts of gross misconduct.”

The Ad-Hoc Committee on the “Petition for Removal of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Dare Kadiri from Office for Gross Misconduct” was chaired by the Majority Leader, Hon. Yusuf Sheriff.

The process was kick – started when a member representing Ijebu-North East, Hon. Abayomi Fasuwa moved the motion for adoption of the Committee’s report, it was seconded by his Ijebu-Ode counterpart, Hon. Kemi Oduwole and supported by 19 other lawmakers at the Thursday plenary presided over by the Speaker Oluomo at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Reporting how their assignment was carried out, the Chairman, Yusuf said “the committee gave all the parties involved ample opportunities to make their presentations with relevant evidences including; documents, phone recordings, CD Rom and printed photographs to establish their facts.”

Continuing, he stressed that : “On the involvement of a lawyer, Hon. Kadiri Oluwadamilare failed to explore all internal mechanisms of getting information sought before calling a lawyer. To this end, the committee considered that: as the Vice-Chairman of fund management Committee, he has direct access to all the information; as the Vice Chairman of the Principal Officers body, he never reported the matter for discussion; as the Vice-Chairman of the House, executive meetings held every plenary day, he never raised the issue for discussion.

“On the petitions submitted by Adebiyi Odugbesan & Co. after listening to both parties, the Committee observed that, the matter is neither here nor there. The Committee is of the opinion that Hon. Kadiri, as an Honourable Member and Deputy Speaker of the House, should have exhibited some caution. However, since the matter is still pending and awaiting further investigation by the Nigeria Police, the Committee will not make any pronouncement on the issue.”

Read Also: Impeached Ogun Dep Speaker: My removal grossly unconstitutional, llegal

Afterwards, Fasuwa submitted a report endorsed by 19 lawmakers conveying their unanimous confirmation in support of the recommendation of the ad-hoc committee’s report, which they noted had found Kadiri guilty of acts of gross misconduct and therefore endorsed his removal from office as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

The ad-hoc Committee had in the previous day held its preliminary/ fact-finding sitting, where it examined the petitions on the allegations leveled against Kadiri on their merit with all petitioners, witnesses and respondents as well as representative of the Nigeria Police, CSP Joshua Adewalehinmi in attendance.

Clarifying the voting pattern, Speaker Oluomo explained that the Assembly’s Standing Order specified that voice vote shall not be used in determining the removal of principal officer, thus the submission of the endorsement by nineteen (19) signatories (lawmakers) who demanded his removal from office which was equally read before the lawmakers by the Clerk, Mr. Adeyemo.