As the Oyo State House of Assembly resumes tomorrow, Tuesday, for its legislative business after a six-week recess, the All Progressives Congress APC has raised the alarm over alleged plans by those described as loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde to harass, attack and victimize the lawmaker representing Saki West State Constituency, Honorable Ibrahim Shittu.
Hon. Shittu, who is a member of the APC, was recently in the news when he dissociated himself from the controversial decision of the legislative arm to approve a N300billion request which Gov. Makinde sought in a letter reportedly written and addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, but treated by only 13 out of the 32 members in the House of Assembly.
In a statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC saluted most citizens (including the people of Saki town) who have demonstrated rare courage by speaking against the fraudulent loan and the condemnation of Hon. Shittu by the leadership of the State Legislative Arm and the PDP.
“We have uncovered a number of plans by some individuals who are close to Gov. Makinde to get back at a member of the State Assembly on an assumption that he blew the whistle over the latest N300billion loan and alerted the public but the truth of the matter is that the said lawmaker only responded to an inquiry made by his party (APC). It was indeed the leadership of his Party who asked about his involvement in the controversial approval given by the legislative arm.
“Now that Gov. Makinde’s men have found an enemy in the three consistent APC members in the House, they are doing everything possible to frustrate them. Part of the plans is to mobilize some thugs to the entrance of the Assembly Complex on Tuesday with a view to unleashing them on the APC lawmakers especially Hon. Shittu who has been marked for physical assault and public harassment.
“Also, plans have been concluded by the leadership of the House to accuse Hon. Shittu of breaching some rules upon which he would be made to face a kangaroo panel and handed an indefinite suspension from the Assembly Complex. These satanic plans and many more are being sponsored by some unscrupulous elements around the governor who profit from the various sharp practices which the current administration has perpetrated since 2019.
“It is on this note that we call on eminent personalities within and outside the state to prevail on Gov. Makinde to halt every plan being put in place by his agents who are desperate to shut the mouth of the opposition in the state. We also call on the heads of all security agencies in the state to be alive to their responsibility by ensuring that the rights of every citizen, including Hon. Ibrahim Shittu, is not trampled upon in addition to guaranteeing his safety.” Sadare said.
