Court Order: Assembly Committee suspends sitting on Ambode's probe indefinitely

Former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode

Akinwunmi Ambode

Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State House of Assembly Committee probing the administration of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for procuring 820 buses has adjourned indefinitely following the Lagos High Court’s ruling which ordered both parties to maintain status quo.

This is coming as lawyer to Ambode appeared for the sitting of the joint committee of the state House of Assembly probing expenditures of the past governor but was not allowed into the committee room.

The court had earlier on Wednesday ordered the Assembly to halt the probe pending the determination of the suit filed by Ambode challenging the legality of the House to probe him.

Addressing newsmen after adjourning till further notice, Chairman of the Committee, Fatai Mojeed said the House sent its legal team to represent it in the court.

“We started late because before we commenced sitting we had to get feedback from our legal team that went to the court and from the feedback from our lawyers, we have to adjourn the sitting till further notice in respect of the court ruling.

“We are lawmakers, we are not law breakers, we have to respect the court opinion, so that is why we adjoin till further notice. Lagosians should be expecting more from us,” he said.

Mojeed, however, said the governor’s lawyer was not allowed into the committee room, because it was against the business rule of the House, adding that “We invited the former governor not his representative, we want him to come and clear himself, that is why they were not allowed in and it is even against our business rule.”

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Also, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu said that the House was not trying to witch-hunt anybody or put anybody on the spot for any reason, saying that the Assembly was not being pushed by any individual on the matter, while recalling that the issue dated back to 2017, when it was included in the appropriation law but was not approved by the House.

Earlier, Olaniran Obele from the chambers of Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Counsel to Ambode protested that they were not allowed into the committee meeting.

Obele told newsmen that, “we came to represent Ambode but the officials of the House of Assembly in a military manner prevented us from entering the committee room.

“We brought processes from the court and letters to serve on the committee chairman and the speaker but they refused to accept validly issued court document, letter containing what the court has said to them but we were not allowed to go in.

“The former governor respects the House, he has sent his lawyer to inform the committee set up by the House that this is what transpired in the court, it is out of courtesy that we have come”, Obele said.

“We were around, while the preliminary of the proceeding was on, but we were not allowed in. We didn’t come here to submit court proceedings alone, but we came to represent the former governor. If they didn’t take any step, we don’t have problem with that, but it would be very sad if they took any action,” he said.

 

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