The Oyo State House of Assembly has passed a vote of no-confidence in the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adeniyi Olowofela, for his “rudeness and arrogance,” when he met with lawmakers.
The Assembly invited the commissioner, permanent secretary, federal coordinator of the School Feeding Programme, and representatives of food vendors from all zones, pursuant to a resolution of November 7.
The resolution followed a motion by the lawmaker representing Irepo/Olorunsogo, Oseni Ganiyu, on the “need to address the abnormality going on in the School Feeding Programme in Oyo State”.
When he met with the others, Olowofela gave details about the allegation levelled against his ministry.
The commissioner queried what the Assembly meant by “anomaly in running of the School Feeding Programme”.
He averred that “in the immediate future, we want to advise that a mover of a motion should carry out elementary investigations, not statements that will mislead the citizenry and portend the House as being hasty in decision-making”.
The lawmakers were angry at Olowofela’s statement, describing it as barbaric and disrespectful.
Lawmakers moved that the commissioner be suspended or removed for alleged incompetence, disrespect to the Assembly and alleged ignorance.
Addressing reporters, Prof Olowofela said: “The Assembly has the right, as an institution, but there was an allegation that the Ministry of Education was dividing the money of Home-grown School Feeding Programme into two. But the ministry has no power over account of the vendors and the administrators.
“I was not allowed to express myself. Yet, they said I was rude. Even in a court of law, you must give fair hearing. You invited somebody but you did not allow him to talk. You reacted to the issue you raised and you were saying you were passing a vote of no-confidence. There are two sides to a coin. That’s the way they see it. But what I am saying is that the Ministry of Education did not divide the money of Home-grown School Feeding Programme into two because we don’t have power over the account of the vendors.”