The National Association of Seadogs, aka Pyrates Confraternity, Ash Montana Deck, has faulted suspension of the Ogun State House of Assembly over the trial over the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, for alleged financial fraud.
Oluomo was arrested last week Thursday by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos over allegations of corruption.
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Our correspondent reports that immediately the news of his arrest filtered in, the lawmakers suspended the sitting indefinitely.
Oluomo was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, for allegedly diverting N2.5 billion belonging to the Assembly.
Others arraigned alongside the Speaker were the Clerk of the House, Taiwo Adeyemo, and Oladayo Samuel, the Director of Finance.
In a statement in Abeokuta signed by Montana Deck of NAS, Mr. Ayodele Adebesin, the Association expressed dismay at the suspension of the sittings of the legislative arm of government in the state, describing it as a breach of trust.
“As an organisation monitoring and promoting good governance and the development of democracy, we are dismayed by the news that the state’s legislature is shutdown over the arrest of the Speaker by a legitimate agency of government whereas the constitution is clear about what should be done in the absence of the principal officer when there exists a Deputy Speaker.
“We view this as a breach of the social contract and warrant disrespect to the people of the various constituencies who repose legislative trust in the law makers. Suspending legislative activities over allegations of corruption against a member of the house is a corruptible solidarity without circumspection and an expression of disdain and disrespect to the structure of government and the good people of Ogun State,” it said.
The association asked the assembly “to resume sitting immediately and tender an unreserved apology to the good people of the State that they promised to serve.”
The body also asked the house “to allow EFCC to do due and unhindered prosecution of all officers that were suspected to have been involved in the previous allegations to wash the legislature clean of the unsavoury stain.”
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