News
Oyo Lawmakers Queries Speaker Over Neglect, Fund Denial
The atmosphere of peace and oneness in the 10th Oyo State House of Assembly may be under threat, given a rumpus over some members’ grievances, which is attracting a suspension decision.
Seventeen members of the House are said to be unhappy with the House leadership, particularly the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin.
The aggrieved members, who are largely first-timers, are said to be angry over how Ogundoyin is handling their welfare. Ogundoyin is a second-term Speaker.
The Nation investigation revealed that the 17 aggrieved members adopted the name “10th Assembly New Members Unity Group.” There are 32 members in the Assembly.
The Assembly is made up of members elected on the platforms of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
While PDP won 28 seats, APC won four seats.
Fifteen members of the 9th Assembly returned to the current 10th Assembly, while 17 are new members.
The Nation gathered that the 17 aggrieved lawmakers sent a petition to the governor over purchase of cars for them by the Speaker, though some members denied their involvement when contacted. They said their signatures were appended by proxy.
But their action (petition) attracted a backlash from the House leadership with a threat of suspension of concerned lawmakers.
A source told The Nation that the formation of the Unity Group was in contravention of the Assembly’s rules and as such is springing up heated debates of potential disciplinary actions.
The development further heightened tension among the lawmakers and the entire Assembly, as the Assembly complex has been enveloped by graveyard peace.
According to sources, the number of lawmakers who signed the letter forming the Unity Group, initially reported as 11, has now been confirmed to be 14, with some of the House leaders also involved in the signing of the petition.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family residence in Kogi was reportedy invaded by gunmen around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, leaving damaged windows but no injuries.
The incident happened at her hometown residence in Obeiba-Ihima, located in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Sources familiar with the event said the attackers arrived around 1:00 a.m. Armed with cutlasses and guns, they damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area. At least three men were involved in the attack.
Senator Natasha’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched a preliminary investigation.
The reason behind the attack is still unknown, and as of now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not released any official statement. She represents Kogi Central in the Senate and is known as a vocal figure in Nigerian politics.
According to Zagazola Makama, police are still trying to figure out what motivated the attackers and are working to find those responsible.
The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
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