Protesters prevent Mimiko from presenting 2017 budget

The Ondo State Assembly leadership crisis degenerated further yesterday as protesters prevented governor Olusegun Mimiko from presenting the 2017 budget.

Some youths, under the aegis of Coalition of Ondo State People, converged on the Assembly Complex along Igbatoro Road, Akure, to forestall the presentation.

The protesters, numbering about 200, swooped on the Assembly at around 7:00 a.m. carrying placards with various inscriptions and blocked the main road leading to the complex.

The leader of the coalition, Mr. Adelokiki Orimisan, alleged that Mimiko was trying to create a state of anarchy before his two-term tenure expires in less than three weeks.

According to Adelokiki, “Yesterday, we learnt that Mimiko was coming to present 2017 budget and influence the passage of 38 controversial bills.
“This is a total impunity which Ondo State youths will not tolerate,” he said.

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were also seen at the scene to join the protest, claiming that the budget presentation was intentionally pushed forward to cause problem for Rotimi Akeredolu. Some members of the PDP were also spotted at the complex.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Femi Joseph, said that every Nigerian had the right to protest, stressing that the laws only frown against violent protest.

“They are doing it in a peaceful manner and police are not harassing nor molesting them. They are Nigerians and can express their grievance as long as it does not degenerate into violence and we don’t have anything against that.”

And while waiting for the governor to show up, as scheduled for noon, the 13 lawmakers loyal to the embattled Speaker, Ms. Jumoke Akindele, were nowhere in sight. The Guardian gathered that the 13 lawmakers loyal to the new leadership had a seven-minute plenary session presided over by the new speaker, Mr. Malachi Coker.