The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Princess Jumoke Akindele

  • Ondo Assembly Speaker, deputy impeached

    The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Princess Jumoke Akindele, was impeached by the lawmakers on Friday.

    Akindele, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, is representing Okitipupa in the Assembly.

    A lawmaker representing Ilaje 1 State Constituency, Hon. Coker Malachi, has been elected the new Speaker of the House.

    The House also impeached its Deputy Speaker, Fatai Olotu from Akoko division in the Northern District, and elected another person to replace him.

    The plot was reportedly hatched outside the Assembly premises and at odd time.

    The Nation gathered that the Assembly had been in crisis since March last year when Akindele and Olotu were first impeached

    They were impeached by 18 out of the 26 members of the House for alleged highhandedness but the intervention of Governor Olusegun Mimiko helped in reversing the impeachment.

     

     

  • ‘Fake’ Ondo PDP lawmakers may be arraigned soon

    ‘Fake’ Ondo PDP lawmakers may be arraigned soon

    •Assembly Speaker, Clerk in trouble

    TWO Ondo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers – Abayomi Akinruntan and Malachi Coker representing Ilaje 1 and 11 State Constituencies – may be arraigned in court soon for alleged assumption of office without Certificate of Returns from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The arraignment followed the conclusion of their interrogation by the police.

    Sources said the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Princess Jumoke Akindele, and the Clerk, Bode Adeyelu, may also not be spared.

    The  two lawmakers, who were allegedly sworn in illegally on June 1, had earlier being invited to the Force Headquarters for interrogation over the matter.

    It was learnt that investigation was concluded last Thursday by the police from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Abuja.

    The probe, sources said, was delayed till last week to enable the clerk make his statement, which he eventually did last Wednesday.

    It was learnt that the investigation, which started on July 8, took the FCID operatives to Akure, the Ondo State capital, on two occasions.

    It also involved the questioning of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Segun Agbaje, and the two Returning officers for Ilaje I and II in the April 11 House of Assembly election, which was adjudged inconclusive by the INEC.

    INEC had declared that the election was marred with widespread irregularities.

    Sources added that the inability to arraign the four persons involved in the matter last week was because the Assistant Inspector General(AIG), who was in charge of criminal investigation at the FCIB, Mr. A. Adeniji, has been promoted to Deputy Inspector General(DIG) and moved to the Force Headquarters.

    It was learnt that the officer deployed to replace him was “yet to be fully briefed” as at yesterday.

    The police started their probe after the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC), through its lawyer, Charles Titiloye, petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) that the Speaker and the clerk allegedly conspired to fraudulently swearin Akinruntan and Coker without the Certificates of Return from the INEC.

    The two lawmakers escaped arrest when detectives from the Force Headquarters stormed Akure to pick them few weeks ago.

    They eventually made themselves available for interrogation.

  • Ondo Assembly calls for military points

    The Ondo State House of Assembly yesterday called for the establishment of military check points at boundary towns to curtail robbery in the state.

    It urged the Army and other security agencies to strengthen operations in the state to ensure security of lives and property.

    Fatai Olotu ( Akoko North East ) said there was the need for the establishment of military check points at boundary towns in the state.

    The lawmaker said last Tuesday’s robbery, where 21 persons were reportedly killed in Ikare Akoko, was the third in the town in the recent times.

    He added that economic and commercial activities have been paralysed in the town as a result of the incident and called on the government to facilitate the posting of army officers to the town.

    Olotu said the town is close to Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara and Edo states, a situation which he said made it easy for robbers to use it as an escape route.

    The Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele, called on security operatives to be proactive.

  • Ondo caretakers’ tenure extended

    Ondo caretakers’ tenure extended

    The Ondo State House of Assembly extended yesterday the tenure of the Caretaker Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Councils, was to avert any vacuum in the local government administration.

    The Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele, who presided over the sitting, said the extension was to ensure that the local government councils were not left without leaders.

    Moving the motion for the extension of the tenure, Afolabi Akinsiku(Ondo West 1) noted that polls could not be conducted at the local government because of legal obstacles.

    Adetoro Gbemibade observed that such extension would afford the council chairmen to continue the projects they had initiated at the grassroots.

  • Why women are lagging behind in politics- Ondo Speaker

    Why women are lagging behind in politics- Ondo Speaker

    THE Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, Princess Jumoke Akindele, has blamed inadequate education and finance, among other reasons, as major hindrances preventing the womenfolk from effective participation in politics.

    Speaking at the 2014 International Women’s Day Celebration organised by the Women Studies and Development Centre (WSDC) of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Akindele said women constitute a large proportion of the illiterate group in Nigeria as a result of many parents’ preference for educating their male children.

    Early marriage plans for female gender and religious and socio-cultural rating of male gender to be more valuable than their female counterparts, according to the speaker, also constitute a major barrier for women in taking part in Nigerian politics.

    Speaking further, Akindele also identified lack of enabling legislation which guarantees women rights in Nigeria as another factor militating against women’s participation in politics.

    Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Oluwafemi Mimiko, said the university has been a forerunner in the task of addressing the inequalities manifest in the social and political structure of the society.

    Mimiko, who was represented by the Dean of the Postgraduate School, Prof. Francis Oyebade, affirmed that the university, in its bid to give an academic face to the advocacy of this development, has established a Women Studies and Development Centre with a mandate to research into gender issues and to provide research and data support for gender equality.

    Speaking on the theme of the event, “Inspiring change: Equality for Women is Progress for All,” the Acting Director of WSDC, Dr. Nireti Duyilemi, urged women to take the issue of education more seriously, while adding that the centre is striving to improve the lot of the female folk in education.

     

  • Crisis looms in Ondo Assembly

    Crisis looms in Ondo Assembly

    The dissolution of Ondo State House of Assembly committees by the Speaker, Princess Jumoke Akindele, shortly after her election last week Tuesday indicates that all may not be well.

    It was learnt that ‘G9’lawmakers, who voted for Mr. Oyebo Aladetan against Princess Akindele are being victimised.

    Sources said the ‘G9’ lawmakers in Cash Allocation, Finance & Appropriation, Tender, Works and Human Capital Committees may be removed and replaced with “loyal members as ordered from above”.

    A stakeholder in the state sued for peace, noting that such action may heat up the polity.

    He said majority of the opposition lawmakers were “strong and understand politics”, adding that most of them are second timers in the Assembly.

    A ‘G9’ member said: “We are awaiting the announcement of the new House committee members. It is after then that we will know whether there will be reconciliation among lawmakers in the parliament or not.

    “We are no push-over. No matter the involvement of the powers that be in the Assembly’s affairs, it will have no effect on our resolutions at the hallowed chamber.”

    It was learnt that one week after her election, Princess Akindele has yet to get in touch with those in the opposing camp (G9 members).

    A lawmaker, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “We wonder how the new leadership can do it alone. The late Speaker, Samuel Adesina, used his wide experience to move the House forward for four years without hitches. I advise the new speaker to learn from his administrative acumen, which gave him a peaceful tenure.

    The lawmaker appreciated efforts by the Deputy Speaker, Dare Emiola, to reconcile the two camps, urging Princess Akindele to carry all members along.

  • Ondo Assembly gets first woman Speaker

    Ondo Assembly gets first woman Speaker

    •House committees dissolved

    The Ondo State House of Assembly elected yesterday Princess Jumoke Akindele as the Speaker.

    Princess Akindele, a lawyer, represents Okitipupa Constituency 11.

    She is Ondo State’s first woman Speaker since its creation in 1976.

    The former Speaker, Chief Samuel Adesina (Odigbo 11), died on February 25 after a protracted illness.

    Princess Akindele polled 13 of the 25 votes. Mr. Oyebo Aladetan got nine votes and Mr. Soji Akinkuro, nil.

    Mr. Iwalewa Afolabi stepped down before the election.

    Two lawmakers did not vote.

    Mrs. Akindele was nominated by Alhaji Fatai Olotu, a lawyer representing Akoko North East.

    The Deputy Speaker, Dare Emiola, declared Princess Akindele as the Speaker and the Clerk, Mr. Bode Adeyelu, administered the oath of office on her.

    In her acceptance speech, the Speaker said: “I am overwhelmed by the support received from my colleagues, constituency and every stakeholder, including women in politics and market women. I promise to defend the womenfolk and run a vibrant and responsive assembly. I promise to do better than my predecessors and seek your support, loyalty, guidance and direction to guarantee quality representation.”

    She urged the executive and legislature to sustain the cordial relationship between them.

    The Speaker dissolved the Assembly’s principal officers and standing committees.

    She directed the Clerk to retrieve the House’s properties from its former leadership.

    The Assembly extended the tenure of the 18 local government caretaker committee chairmen by six months.

    It condemned the abduction of the Chibok school girls by Boko Haram, urging the state government to declare three days fasting and prayer for their safe release.

    The Assembly called for a social security scheme for graduates and adjourned for two weeks recess.

    It will resume on June 10.

    It was gathered that Princess Akindele is loyal to Governor Olusegun Mimiko and did not shun the 2014 budget presentation, which was attended by only nine of the 25 lawmakers on December 31, last year.