Ogun Speaker impeached, bond approved
By Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji


The political crisis in Ogun State c,imaxed yesterday, as nine of the 26-member House of Assembly said it has removed the Speaker, Tunji Egbetokun. He was immediately replaced with Soyemi Coker.

We reliably gathered that the nine lawmakers, who are said to be loyalists of the governor, Gbenga Daniel, slept within the Assembly complex on Sunday night, to enable them carry out the impeachment, which they did as early as 7am.

They were alleged to have made use of the mace belonging to the Abeokuta South Local Government legislative arm, to carry out the operation, having burgled the Assembly’s chambers.

It can’t be

But Mr Egbetokun, in a swift response, described the purported impeachment as illegal and part of a plot to scuttle the proposed debate of the N100 billion controversial bond slated for Wednesday. He reaffirmed his leadership in the House of Assembly.

However, Mr Coker later told journalists that the reign of his predecessor was over and that the House under his leadership has approved the bond requested by the governor.

“After due consultation with our various constituents, traditional rulers and chiefs, labour unions, clubs and associations, prominent Ogun stakeholders, we hereby, approve the House resolution that the state government should proceed to the bond market immediately to source for N100 billion in tranches of N26 billion, N34 billion and N40 billion for various outstanding and developmental projects evenly spread across the three senatorial districts of the state,” he said.

To create a conducive atmosphere for the lawmakers to carry out their plot, a private security official attached to the complex, identified as Nureni, was said to have been held hostage and his mobile phone seized by the lawmakers while the operations lasted.
[b]
At 8.30am when we visited the Assembly complex, the lawmakers who claimed to have impeached Mr Egbetokun, were sighted. Also on the premises were Titi Oseni (former Speaker) and Omosanya Solaja who are known supporters of the governor and who had been suspended by the House. Staff of the Assembly were not allowed in by policemen guarding the premises.

The commissioner of police in the state was said not to be aware of the deployment of a new set of police officers to complement efforts of those already assigned to the Assembly before yesterday’s incident.

A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was sighted at the Assembly questioning the presence of a large number of police officers there. In response, one of them told him that they were deployed there on alert, that there was a plot by some people to bomb the Assembly.

Lingering crisis

The nine lawmakers, in a statement, said their action was necessitated “by the cry of our various constituents to bail out Ogun State from the lingering crisis that has beset us for the past two to three years.”

He equally read out a riot act that all the other factions of the Assembly, known as G-15, have been suspended “for gross misconduct against the institution of the Ogun State Legislature, the government and people of Ogun State”. Mr Soyemi, in addition, said he had reviewed the suspension of Titi Oseni and Omosanya Solaja and found it wholly unnecessary, unjust and overdue, and lifted the suspension with all legislative privileges restored and all losses to be paid in full.

Other resolutions reached by them ,according to him, include: approval of the 2010 supplementary budget of N26 billion, appointment of Yemi Akinwonmi as the new Commissioner of Education, confirmed the nominee of the governor into Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission and dissolution of all existing committees.
[/b]
He said the principal officers for the House include: Ayo-Odugbesan (Deputy Speaker), Bankole Durotolu Oyebode (majority leader), Musa Maruf (Chief Whip), Abiodun Oluseyi Moses (Deputy Majority Leader) and Adeleke Salmon (Deputy Chief Whip).

Mr Egebtokun, in his reaction said, “They know the debate will open everything. The governor did not know we will go for the debate. Four days ago, he called the clerk of the House to know whether we are serious about the debate, and when the clerk told him that we are going ahead and even armed with documents, he became more apprehensive.”

“The commissioner of finance is on the run, the accountant-general is nowhere to be found. They cannot impeach me. They are just nine and two of them are still under suspension. They are wasting their time. I don’t want to join issues with them. They are acting under some spell. We are on top of the situation.” Meanwhile, there were reports last night that Mr Egbetokun’s house in Akute, Ogun State, was invaded by armed bandits yesterday. He was not at home when they came. The former Speaker said his landlord called him to confirm the incident.

The stupid media is the institution lending the comedic act legality with headlines like "Speaker Impeached". If the journalists are a little more sensible than the lawmakers, headlines would read "speaker supposedly/controversially/questionably impeached"

Friends, IBB is truly screwed.

Fhemmmy:

So in a nation that has unemplyment off the roof, how do you classify some jobs for students and some for a married man.
7$$ an hour, worked 40hours a week = 280$$ a week and do the math for a month, many Nigerian Father and mother will kill to have such compared to 17K a month, for a man with family in a nation where no other choice.

Mind you in Nigeria the people on minimum wages are not even asking for comfort but basic things.

There is bracket of taxing, no one making minimum wages pays 40% taxes

Your numerical comparison is only valid on the assumption that purchasing power parity holds. . .

EzeUche:

When people spew this rubbish, I have to laugh. Niger Delta oil is the lifeline of Nigeria. When a nation is dependent on ONE resource, then it is bound to fail. Lagos would be no where without oil. If the Niger Delta did not have share its oil revenue, the East in general would be likened to Kuwait. However, we have to share our natural resources to parasites that contribute nothing to the national pot. Lagos has been run by brilliant state governors. ONLY one governor is worth mentioning. The rest was crap and they allowed the city to grow uncontrollably. Frankly, I don't see what is so special about Lagos besides the amount of people in that city. Sooner or later Lagos is going to have to prepare for the rising sea levels.

You must be naive to think that Lagos' infrastructure for the last two decades has been financed by the federal government's revenue from oil, which is allocated to all states. Of course its historical development is rooted in the fact that it is a former capital--the seat of the federal government--and the same can be observed of Abuja today (or any capital of the world). In the contemporary sense however, Lagos' development has been driven by its population, industries, location etc. Recently, its budget have been mostly financed by IGR through more efficient tax collection systems, PPP, and access to long term financing in bonds.

Your idea that the eastern states have been "sharing" its resources, and in the process depriving itself of the kuwait style development it would have achieved is juvenile. The east would be exactly what it is today if its revenue was tripled retrospectively because of the terrible state governments and the more cancerous federal government.

" For the umpteenth time, Akwa Ibom and Rivers have continued to top the list of states receiving highest revenue allocation from the federation account.

Out of the sum of N313 billion shared among the three tiers of government in July, Akwa Ibom was again the highest recipient of N10.80 billion, followed by Rivers State with N10.34 billion.

Lagos State got the third largest allocation of N9.118 billion, followed by Delta State with N9 billion.

Kano State received N6.2 billion.

The former oil-producing Cross River State received N2.8 billion.

The lowest recipients in July included Gombe, N2.8 billion; Ekiti, N2.8 billion; Nasarawa, N2.7 billion; and Ebonyi, N2.7 billion.

EzeUche:


Their North is predominately Muslim, including some Hausa, but the majority of the North is other Muslim groups.

In addition, when the west, especially Lagos becomes self-sufficient without using the oil revenue from the East, then you should boast about this. Until then, Lagos is not the most important nerve in this country, it is the entire Niger Delta. Lagos would not be what it is today, without Niger Deltan oil.

Opinion and stipulation. No state in Nigeria would be what it is without Niger Delta's oil, Kano's groundnuts, or whatever resources Nigeria has. Lagos does not have any special treatment from the FG. It's position today is the result of its historical status as an industrial and financial hub, and brilliant state governors as well. Rivers has all it takes to be a Lagos (with special FG treatment).

EzeUche:

Why must Nigeria try to compete with Ghana?

In Ghana, all parts of the country are improving. Even their NORTH! But in Nigeria, are we only worried about Lagos? I could care less about Lagos.

Improve Enugu, Kano, Port Harcourt and Benin City and I shall be happy!

Is their north a demographic mirror of Nigeria's north?

When those state governors in the east (or north) achieve an 80% budget performance, we'll post it here and make you happy.

Paddy shouldn't even bother opening threads here.

Ikengawo:

thats why i like SSC, but im ban for life from there i guess lol!

Oh yeah I noticed you were missing. Why did u get banned?

less money flying around at people's signatures for siphoning.

Henry46:

SILLY THREAD. @POSTER shey na rich AJEBOTA u be b4, way turn KPAKORORO over nyt due to conditions of lyf, ahyaaa! 4rm mr biggs 2 mama put. I WISH U HAPPY KPAKO LYF. Such is lyf, now u go taste d other side of lyf.

Mama put get levels. Mr biggs is the new kpako, like kfc in newyork.

smile11s:

what is mama put food?

Only the best tasting food in the freakn world

FL Gators:

What does that even have to do with this? I was in Naija this decade.

what is OMO [the soap]. . . maybe they werent any in Oshodi/ Ikeja Market

Or maybe you were not looking to buy one. I'm pretty sure you'll get a mop in any Nigerian market if you asked for it, especially Ikeja.

FL Gators:

Well am not.

Never used a mop and never seen one in Nigeria.

Maybe I'm just in the wrong places.

When was the last time you were in Nigeria? I hope it's over 20 years, cos all my life the mop stood right by the OMO in the market. . .

FL Gators:

Really no. aha kinda true.

We usually use broom and water to clean the floor. Then water to wash it off. Oga o


But since Lagos is so advance, it's hard to believe that a basic home tool like that is not available.

I really do hope you guys are just kidding.

bk/babe97:

Dont expect a lot of people on here to get the joke u just made.lol. Have u seen the episodes "Fund Raiser" or "Homies ova hoes"?lol. no? u gotta see it! R.I.P Bushido!

"I'm a fundraiser; I raise funds. You can't raise funds and give away funds at the same time!" Riley- Real nigga

Maga- by Lagerback

Missing Glory- by Yakubu

Unheard Motion- The house Progressives

Impeached- by Bayelsa reps

Killer squaD- by OGD

Wow!!

Slightly off-topic here. Anyone noticed how his subjective rantings eclipsed his literary genius? It brought me to one profound realization that has escaped me most of my college life: In the eyes of the reader, quality does not beat content. I've always submitted essays and projects stuffed with controversial views, with creating bitter dissonance in the lecturer's mind as my objective. Well, now I think I know why that 'A' seldom comes with a plus.

PapaBrowne:

This Sanusi of a man is at it again!! Just when I thought I should cut him some slack, the guy comes up with another blunderous pronouncement.

How can you consider holding our reserves in a currency that is pegged and as such undervalued by at least 40%. What if the Chinese Goverment heeds to pressure to free the Yuan? This is like running from frying pan to fire.
The Chinese Yuan is not a reserve currency, hence the thought should not even come up.

First for the Yuan to serve as a reserve currency, it would have to be turned into a convertible currency whose value would be dictated by the market, with traders, investors, governments, and companies around the world freely buying and selling it. Such a loss of control would never be allowed by the authoritarian Chinese. Never.

Secondly, China doesn't have an open bond market. Currently Chinese Bonds are sold only by Chinese banks and only in Chinese Markets. That is a no-no! How do you get your money out in the event that you need it fast??

Sanusi should spare us all these silly ideas. China itself, has 2 trillion dollars in foreign reserves domiciled in USD. They haven't converted theirs yet into the Yuan and here is Sanusi coming up with outlandish ideas just to satisfy his anti western stance.

It really is ridiculous. I don't believe the yuan is pegged though, its floating but just highly managed and terribly undervalued for the advantage that presents for an export based economy like china's. I agree with the governors attempt to diversify. I was a bit panicky at the rate the value of the Euro part of our reserves eroded in the wake of greek's woes. However, the Australian dollar is a much less naive idea for a currency. It's relatively strong and stable. Almost like the CAD, but less attached to the USD,  .

what? I'm still trying to get my hands on this new documentary shot in Lagos by some Jonathan guy from BBC. Good obsession. Like China, you get it when you're booming.

mekuszyx:

And you helped me remember.
I do not fault exporting food, but I do know that thousands if not millions of Nigerians do not have enough to eat. Is the yam market in Nigeria saturated? How different is the unit price of exporting a tuber of yam compared to selling it locally? I guess the yams in the UK will be consumed principally by people of African descent? I have seen many of the imported African foods tending to rot away in European shops because of low patronage. I do not know, so these are questions that I am asking.

You're missing the point. There would be a problem if a Nigerian goes to the market to buy yams, and finds them unavailable because it's being exported. As long as there are enough yams in the local market to BUY, there's noting wrong with exporting. The thousands or millions of Nigerians that don't have enough to eat don't have enough because they can't buy. You can blame the government for not providing jobs for them and all that, but don't blame the farmers and the exporters. As far as I know, yams are ridiculously cheap in Nigeria compared to most countries.

He also forgot that the farmers are businessmen not charity workers.

@OP

Most naive logic ever.

chidichris:

@moneyleyleg,
if u are from delta as u claim, who was the gov before ibori and who is after him?before the criminal(ibori) came to office and since he (ibori) left office, what did and have the other govs done for u?
in the other states, who among the govs is a not a criminal.

This logic really freaks me out. That the past and present leadership is criminal means it's okay to support and worship certain criminal leaders?

This is the new joint right here: www.naijatraffic.com
Register and enjoy folks!

This man didn't answer one question.

That is a horrible looking website, and an equally horrid looking candidate.