Politics

Ondo constituents move to recall Rep member, Makinde over alleged non-performance

Some constituents of Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency of Ondo State have initiated move to recall their representative in the House of Representatives, Mr Abiola Makinde over alleged non-performance.

The constituents under the aegis of the Ekimogun Roundtable alleged that Makinde, of the All Progressives Congress(APC), had abandoned his legislative duties for several months and relocated abroad for unknown reasons.

The group in a statement on Monday by its Acting Secretary, Ms Christiana Ayodele, alleged that the National Assembly office of the lawmaker had been under lock and key while the constituency had being without representation at the green chamber of the National Assembly.

The statement read: “In a massive show of solidarity to what they described as audacious leadership and legislative accountability project embarked upon by the Ekimogun Roundtable aimed at strengthening the country’s struggling representative democracy, 30 legal practitioners from across the country and different spheres of the country’s legal profession have indicated interest to offer free legal services to the Roundtable in order to assist in its legislative enquiry and likely judicial processes.

“The Ekimogun Roundtable, a socioeconomic group of all Ondo indigenes from across the world, alleged that Honourable Abiola Makinde, the House of Representatives member representing Ondo East/West Federal Constituency in the 10th National Assembly abdicated his legislative duties for months during the legislative session and relocated abroad with his National Assembly constituency office under lock and key, thereby rendering the entire constituency without representation for the period under review.

“The Roundtable further alleged massive disparity in constituency fund/projects allotment to the constituency on paper and actual physical projects execution which further put question marks on the integrity of those around the community’s constituency projects procurement process at the green chamber of the National Assembly.

“The Ondo East/West Federal Constituency has never had it this bad in terms of legislative performance since the advent of democracy such that critical issues of great national importance like the National Budget, the National Anthem Act, among others will be discussed at the hallowed chamber without the input of the good people of the constituency.”

The statement added that the group had written to the National Assembly requesting the plenary attendance record of Makinde to ascertain his compliance with the relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution and the House of Representatives Standing Rules on plenary attendance.

Efforts to reach the lawmaker on the telephone were unsuccessful