Gov. Gbenga Daniel Summoned to Abuja

Details

Category: Politics

Published on Tuesday, 07 September 2010 09:37

Written by ThisDay

Hits: 1301

Following the crisis rocking the Ogun State House of Assembly over yesterday’s purported impeachment of the Speaker, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun, there were indications last night that the Presidency might have invited Governor Gbenga Daniel to Abuja.

Presidency sources disclosed that the governor was invited to Abuja “after the discovery that the policeman that led the operation to break into the House of Assembly by the G11 legislators is one Ali Baba Kings with Force Number 360558 from the Ogun State Government House Security Corps”.

Following this discovery, the source said, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President ordered the state Commissioner of Police “to stop whatever is going on in the state House of Assembly”. The governor has however denied being summoned to Abuja.

He told THISDAY in a telephone interview last night that “there is nothing like a summons. I am coming to Abuja tomorrow (today) on a pre-scheduled visit for a meeting at 1.00 p.m. at the PDP National headquarters. There is nothing like a summons and anybody saying so is ignorant of the workings of government. And in any case, the President is not in town”.

Also, the state Commis sioner for Information, Mr. Sina Kawonishe, corroborated the governor’s statement, saying the governor did not have any hand in what happened at the state House of Assembly. “In any case, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 has waded into the matter and everything is calm in Abeokuta now and there is no cause for alarm,” Kawonishe said.

Early yesterday, 9 members of the Ogun State House of Assembly held an unscheduled sitting after which it was announced that the Speaker had been impeached and suspended with the remaining 14 members opposed to the state governor. The development came at a time citizens of the state were preparing for a public debate over the proposed N100 billion bond, which the state government wanted to take.

The House of Assembly under the leadership of Egbetokun, especially the Group of 15 members not on good terms with Daniel’s administration, had consistently opposed the bond on the basis that the state does not need to commit itself to such indebtedness.

Opponents of the bond issue however gave a caveat that they would support it only if the state government would agree to an open debate during which it would explain to the people what the bond being sought would be used for. It was then agreed that a public debate to be moderated by Prof. Pat Utomi be held tomorrow.

Only two weeks ago, members of the G15 Assembly members wrote to the Presidency complaining of intimidation and under-funding of the assembly by the executive arm of government.

In the letter dated August 24 with reference number HA.225/T/1 and sent directly to President Goodluck Jonathan, the House members drew the president’s attention to what they called “certain ugly developments which for long have been brewing in Ogun State but which have assumed a very worsening and dangerous dimension”.

The letter signed by Egbetokun, Hon. Remmy Hassan (Deputy Speaker), and Hon. Sewendo Fasinu (Majority Leader) lamented that “governance has become barbaric, irresponsible, defiant, riotous, chaotic and largely undemocratic”.

• < Prev
• Next >