My signature was forged to divert N50million in Ogun State House of Assembly, says impeached deputy speaker

The sacked Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon Oludare Kadiri, representing Ijebu  North Constituency 2, and impeached last March over allegations of gross misconduct has alleged that his signature was forged to swindle the state assembly of about N50 million.

Penpushing reports that, the impeached number two lawmaker made the allegation during an interview with journalists in Abeokuta, adding that he was sent packing by his colleagues for being blunt as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Finance to have asked for accountability of the finances of the assembly

“I’m just coming back from abroad, I’ve been on medical leave for about two months. I was on bed when I saw a report online and attached to it is a document with my signature. Like two to three days later, I got a call from the EFCC asking me to come’, he said.

“I went there on Monday. They asked me one or two questions and they showed me my signature and asked if I was the one that sent it out. I said no. They asked me about the signature and I told them I don’t know anything about that signature and I didn’t collect any money’.

“I was aware that the Speaker, being the leader of the house, should be able to explain things about the signature. That was all and they allowed me to go. I know the EFCC is investigating the House’, Kadiri added.

‘I was impeached because I was asking questions, and I felt the speaker was not open about the accountability of the House. When I was the deputy speaker, I don’t know all about the finances of the House, the amount the executive was giving us. I don’t know about our running cost’.

“How can I be the chairman of the committee who will sign a document to everyone that the money was spent in the judiciary and I don’t know anything about it? That led to the impeachment. He (the Speaker) removed me from all committees in the House. I don’t belong to any committee anymore. Yet, I didn’t talk.”

Penpushing also reports that, Kadiri while narrating his appearance at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said bundles of documents with the signatures of many members of the House were presented to him, and that his own signature on the document was forged.

“What I saw online was just two documents. I saw bundles of documents at the EFCC office with my signature forged on it. A very big Ghana-must-go bag with my fake signatures and other members’ signatures’.

“They claimed that I collected money like N2million, N400,000, N3million, N4million, N1million at different times in the last two years. They said I went to foreign trainings, I went for seminars, slept in hotels. Which foreign training? Since I came, I have never been to any training or seminar and I didn’t sign any document. The money they said I signed was an average of N50 million. It can’t be less than that for my own alone,” he said.

The former deputy speaker in response to journalists questions on who he suspected as behind the alleged forged signature declared that the Speaker should be able to explain, arguing that he is the chief officer of the assembly.”

“The speaker should be able to answer the question because he is the chief officer of the house. Everything goes through him. So, it’s Mr Speaker that I will allege, probably with some other people but I don’t know’.

“He was the one that took the documents to EFCC, so he should be the one to tell us. That’s the question I want to ask when I go back to the office on Tuesday that, who forged this signature? I will speak for myself, I don’t know about other people. EFCC said they will be calling others at the appropriate time’.

“Normally our monthly maintenance allowance comes into our accounts. So, I can only be responsible for the money paid into my account. All the money being alleged was released in cash through the banks. So, the speaker should be able to explain how he was using my signature to go and collect money in the bank.”

Penpushing further report that, the lawmaker faulted speculations that he was being sponsored by the immediate past Governor, Ibikunle Amosun to destabilize the house, explaining that the last time he saw Amosun was when he was the governor.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Kunle Oluomo in response to Kadiri allegations dismissed such, adding that he (Oluomo) was not in charge of finances, nor the accounting officer, as well as not in charge of payments

“That is not true. I am not the accounting officer of the House and not in charge of payments. Besides, you recall sometimes ago after his impeachment by 19 out of 26 members, he called me a thief in a video; that is already in court.

“Maybe when I see this one somewhere also, I will join it with the one in court as I have already sued him and his media collaborators. Finally, the onus is on him to prove that. The House doesn’t even have that type of money”, Oluomo added

Penpushing reports that, it is recalled that Kadiri was also accused of insubordination to the Office of the Speaker, abuse of office, threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and attempted murder, committed in his constituency.

FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or   event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]