Assembly crisis: OSOPADEC denies role as Speaker’s resignation deadline expires

The Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission has denied involvement in the ongoing leadership crisis rocking the state House of Assembly.

Crisis erupted in the Assembly as 21 out of 26 members signed the impeachment notice of the Speaker, Mr Olamide Oladiji, following allegations of financial misconduct.

The Speaker was alleged to have diverted a sum of N44m for reordering the budget of the OSOPADEC.

The angry members had given the speaker till Sunday to resign or face impeachment on the floor of the House in their next sitting.

In a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Godson Ewata, on Saturday, OSOPADEC denied media reports linking it with the controversy on the N44m allegedly misappropriated by the House leadership.

According to the statement, all interactions between the commission and the state House of Assembly were conducted strictly within the framework of constitutional provisions, statutory obligations, and established administrative procedures, stressing that decisions taken by the legislature remained solely the responsibility of the Assembly

It said “OSOPADEC has absolutely no role in the internal affairs of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

“The commission would no longer tolerate falsehood, blackmail, character assassination, and malicious propaganda targeted at it.”

The commission further cautioned against the use of its name to advance political interests or lend credibility to any agenda, stating that such actions would neither influence the commission’s operations nor compel it to deviate from due process and the rule of law.

In the statement, the commission threatened to take legal action against any media organisation disseminating false reports about it.

It urged parties involved in the ongoing dispute to seek redress through appropriate constitutional and legal channels without involving OSOPADEC in matters unrelated to its statutory functions.

The commission said it was committed to transparency, accountability, the rule of law, and sustainable development.

“The OSOPADEC remains focused on delivering impactful projects and improving the welfare of residents in the oil-producing areas of Ondo State and would not be distracted by politically motivated propaganda or campaigns intended to derail its mandate,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, as the deadline given to the embattled speaker by the angry lawmakers to resign elapsed on Sunday, there was no information that the speaker had resigned.

It was gathered that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had met with some of the lawmakers, pacifying them to reverse their decision, but the legislators were said to have been adamant on the matter.

When contacted on the telephone, the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Olatunji Fabiyi, promised to call back as he was at a meeting, but he never did as of the time of filing this report.