N30b loan: ODHA debunks non-approval allegation

By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
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Ondo State House of Assembly has debunked a report that it has resolved not to approve the N30bn loan brought to it for approval by the state Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, if the state House of Assembly complex is not renovated.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Bamidele Oleyelogun who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media ,Mr Ojoawo Abidemi Joshua yesterday described the claim as false.

According to the Speaker, none of the principal officers, member or the spokesperson of the assembly made such a statement.  He said the statement was the handiwork of fifth columnist who was out to destabilise the state.

“The statement is not from the House of Assembly and the spokesman of the House, Mr Gbenga Omole has debunked it, everybody knows his name and that he is one of the committee members of Finance and Appropriation. This is the reason they quoted him, he did not say that, he cannot as an individual stop it and there is nowhere anybody from the House said it, nobody has such in mind.

“If after thorough analysis, it passes through, of course the House will do the needful, we are not after slowing down the development of the state, Ondo State is our state and that is what we are elected for”, he stated.

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr Gbenga Omole, was reportedly quoted in some dailies that the weak ceiling of the hallow chamber caved in and as a result, the House adjourned its sitting indefinitely and would not attend to the governor’s loan request.

According to the news report, Omole was quoted to have said: “they want to borrow money now. I am a member of the Appropriation Committee. They want to borrow N30b. If they do not do what we want, we will not allow that to happen.

“Out of the money, they said they want to rehabilitate Accountant-General’s office,  they don’t want to repair an independent arm of government. It is not going to happen. The worst is that they will not give us second term but we will do what the people of Ondo State like.”

In his reaction, Mr Gbenga Omole who is the Chairman, House Committee on Information however denied the statement credited to him on loan request by the state government.

Omole insisted: “this is not correct, I never said that. It is obvious a fifth columnist is at work here. Whoever is behind this, whatever he is trying to achieve has failed.

“How could just one member of the Finance and Appropriations Committee stop the approval of funds meant for developmental work in Ondo State.”

“I am not the Chairman of the Committee. So, I don’t have the power to stop this. And even if I do, I won’t do this.”

“I am an Aketist till tomorrow but I won’t shy away from my responsibility of representing my people very well and stand for what is just.”

“The newspapers that published such wanted to sell their papers. So, they can write anything. This time shall pass,” the House spokesman said.