Oyo State House of Assembly has suspended the chairman of Oyo East Local Government Area, Hon. Olusola Oluokun, over allegations of gross misconduct.
Akintunde Olajide, representing Lagelu state Constituency and chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, presented the motion to recommend Oluokun’s suspension.
The House based its decision on a viral video that circulated on social media, where Oluokun was allegedly seen partially unclothed, eating while praising his political godmother and publicly cursing her enemies.
The House saw the decision during a plenary session on Thursday as a critical step in maintaining accountability within local governance.
In his brief remarks before approving the suspension, the Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, cautioned local government executive chairmen against arbitrary use of power, especially now that the call for local government autonomy has peaked.
They noted that it was wrong for a sitting executive chairman who is seen as a role model by members of the public to conduct himself in such a manner and warned other chairmen against discrediting the exalted offices they hold.
Rahman Olorunpoto, representing Oyo East/West, and Gbenga Oyekola, representing Atiba state constituencies, pleaded with the house to temper justice with mercy and caution the erring chairman against conducting himself in such a manner.
However, other lawmakers opposed the appeal, stressing that such suspension would serve as a deterrent to others who might wish to act recklessly in public without regard to their offices.
Lamenting the implication of such public conduct, the Speaker ordered the executive chairman, Oluokun, to step aside immediately and hand over to his vice chairman pending the report of further investigations by the House.
The Speaker also directed the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to thoroughly investigate the allegations and report to the House.
