Aregbesola’s impeachment: Group warns speaker against intimidation

…says Assembly under Salaam is rubber-stamp

CHIKA NWABUEZE

A human rights activist and Executive Chairman, Centre for HumanRights and Social Justice (CHRSJ), Comrade AdeniyiAlimiSulaiman hascautioned the speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, NajeemFolasayo Salaam to stop intimidating the good citizens, particularly,the stakeholders over Justice OlamideFolahanmiOloyede’s petitioncalling for the impeachment of Governor RaufAregbesola and hisdeputy, Mrs. Grace TitilayoLaoye-Tomori for maladministration.

 
Speaking on the recent statement credited to Osun Assembly speaker,calling the concerned citizens in the development of governance of thestate as “impeachment hawkers”, cautioned Salaam against turninghimself and the Assembly to counsel to Governor Aregbesola, who neverdenied the allegations raised in theJudge’s letter calling for his removal.
He maintained that the development shows the level of compromised ofthe fifth and sixth
Assembly under Salaam’s speakership, where Aregbesola committed the saidimpeachable offences, adding that “It is terrible that to speak thetruth to Aregbesola by the members of the state House of Assembly hasposed serious challenge to the acclaimed independent lawmakers”.

 
Describing the “impeachment hawkers’ statement” as parochial, partial,anti-democratic and uncalled for on the part of Salaam, he stressedthat the House of Assemblyshould be seen as an unbiased organ of government, as good and genuinerepresentatives of the people.
The rights activist restated his group’s (CHRSJ) position in supportingJustice Oloyede’s impeachment petition letter, saying that OsunAssembly became Aregbesola’s rubber stamp with impunity, whichmade Aregbesola to be spending the meager resources of the staterecklessly without approval from the state Assembly and in defiance tosome sections of the amended 1999 Constitution.
Sulaiman added that the recent passage of creation of new localgovernment law by the Assembly points to the fact that they are rubberstamp Assembly given that the bill was passed into law when Aregbesolacould not pay salaries of local government staff and primary schoolteachers as at when due from the Federation Account.