Femi Adeleke
Abeokuta
The Speaker of the Ogun state House of Assembly, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo on Friday said, he refused to honour the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because of the method adopted by the anti-graft agency was against section 36 of the Constitution.
Oluomo therefore faulted his arrest and prosecution by EFCC for alleged N2.5billion misappropriation.
The embattled Speaker was on Tuesday arraigned before a Federal High court in Lagos after his arrest on last Thursday at the Muritala Muhammad Airport over allegations bordering on corruption, forgery and financial misappropriation.
Oluomo was arraigned alongside the Clerk of the House, Taiwo Adeyemo and Oladayo Samuel, the Director of Finance.
They were later granted bail after pleading not guilty to the 11-count charge preferred against them.
But, reacting to his arrest and trial by the anti-graft agency, Oluomo in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Friday, insisted that he is innocent of the charges filed against him.
Oluomo described the petition written against him by the impeached Deputy Speaker of the House, Dare Kadiri to the EFCC as “hyperbolic”.
The Speaker maintained that, the EFCC acted against the law by arresting and prosecuting him, saying he refused to honour the invitation of the anti-graft agency “because of the method adopted by EFCC is against section 36 of the Constitution”.
Oluomo said, he had dragged EFCC to court to stop his arrest, but the agency did not wait for the determination the suit before effecting his arrest.
“I maintain my innocence in the recent Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charges against me and I will want the court to decide because the hyperbolic nature of the petitions written by the impeached former Deputy Speaker, Dare Kadiri was also reflected in the charges.
“By law, I am not the Accounting Officer of the House, for emphasis, the House under my leadership operates only one bank account since 2019, through which running cost and allowances are paid directly into the bank accounts of individual Honourable members and staff of the House including the petitioner.
“Also, charges 10 and 11 are for the Eighth legislature before I became the Speaker.
“I also like to say that the refusal to honour the initial invitation of EFCC was because of the method adopted by EFCC is against section 36 of the Constitution and we challenged it in court, this is in the public domain as it was widely reported but the EFCC refused to wait for the pronouncement in that case before taking further steps, despite having joined issues with us in court.
“I have always been disciplined and upright in my position, conducts and dealings with people, I shall continue to remain myself with truth and honour as my goal. I thank everyone that showed love and concern in the last few days. Thanks and God bless you all”, Oluomo said.
