The Oyo State House of Assembly has mandated the state Chief Judge to inaugurate a seven-member-panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct leveled against Rauf Olaniyan, the Deputy Governor.
The motion was, on Wednesday, moved by Sanjo Adedoyin, Majority Leader of the House, representing Ogbomoso South and Akintunde Olajide, representing Lagelu State constituency.
The House directed that the panel should make its report available to the Assembly in three months.
A petition dated June 17, citing gross misconduct against Rauf Olaniyan, the deputy governor, was read at the plenary.
It read that the deputy governor committed gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, abandonment of office and insubordination.
Adedoyin said that up till now, the deputy governor has not responded to the allegations served him by the assembly.
The motion read: “With this development, the House needs to invoke the provision specified in Section 188 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“In accordance with the provision of Section 188 (4) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to request the Chief Judge of Oyo State to appoint panel of seven persons of unquestionable integrity to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Mr. Rauf Olaniyan.
“And the panel is to report its findings to the House within three months of its appointment.”
The Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, said that the issue was no more with the Assembly, as it had been handed over to the Chief Judge, Justice Muntar Abimbola.
“We have no say, whether Olaniyan is guilty or not. The issue will be determined by the seven members to be constituted by the state Chief Judge.
“We are only working in line with the Constitution. Once the report is submitted within or at the expiration of the three months that is what we are going to act upon.
“We are not in a position to judge in this case. We will ensure due process is followed. The vote was unanimous and we shall wait for the outcome of the report and investigation of the panel,” Ogundoyin said.
The motion was passed barring the fact that the deputy governor had taken the state House of Assembly, the Speaker and the Clerk of the House to court over the impeachment move against him.
Counsel to the claimant, Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), said that he earlier filed an application for an interim injunction restraining the House from taking any step on the impeachment suit.
Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), Counsel to the House, said that he served his response to the claimant’s application on Friday.
According to Kalejaiye, adjourning the case for a long time would delay the House from performing its constitutional duties.
Justice Ladiran Akintola adjourned the case till Wednesday with a ruling that the Assembly should continue to maintain status quo on the impeachment process.
