THE MACE OF THE OGUN STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HAS GONE MISSING, CAUSING A COMMOTION

The Mace, the state's legislative arm's staff of authority, was allegedly stolen to prevent lawmakers from achieving their goal of impeaching the embattled Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo.

Following the unexpected disappearance of the Assembly's Mace, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly suspended their sitting on Thursday.

The Mace, the state's legislative arm's staff of authority, was allegedly stolen to prevent lawmakers from achieving their goal of impeaching the embattled Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, during the House's plenary session at the Assembly complex yesterday.

The lawmakers' botched meeting was, however, the third time in a row that the Assembly has failed to meet since the Speaker's arrest last Thursday.

Oluomo, who is currently on trial in a Federal High Court in Lagos, was apprehended by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) agents on suspicion of corruption, forgery, and financial impropriety.

This is the second time the Mace of the Ogun State Assembly, led by Oluomo, has gone missing, the first time in December 2020, but was later recovered by the Lagos Police Command at Abule Ado Area in Lagos State.

When Newsmen arrived at the Assembly complex at 2 p.m. yesterday, security operatives were still demanding that journalists obtain permission from the Assembly's media chief, who refused to take his calls.

A source close to the Assembly requested anonymity. told reporters that the Mace had vanished from the complex to prevent lawmakers, particularly the Assembly's Deputy Speaker, Mr Akeem Balogun, who is statutorily tasked with conducting the Assembly's business, from presiding over the day's business, which included the Speaker's impeachment.

According to the sources, 16 lawmakers have already signed a petition to impeach the embattled Speaker.