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The speaker of the
federal House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, on Thursday evening,
denied any form of misunderstanding between himself and any other
official at the commissioning of the Ota Bridge in Ado Odo local
government area of Ogun State.

Speaking to
aviation correspondents at the presidential wing of the Murtala
Mohammed Airport, Lagos, on his return from the town, Mr. Bankole
affirmed that he is committed to seeing that there is federal
government presence in Ogun State.

The speaker, who
looked ruffled when he rode in a 16-car convoy into the expansive
presidential lounge, hurried into the inner chambers to take some rest
at about 6.30 pm. Coming out of the lounge, he told reporters that
there was no drama in Ota, as he affirmed that he did not get to the
venue of the event too late to warrant being locked out, while the
governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, and the minister of works,
Sanusi Daggash, carried out the commissioning.

Mr. Bankole also
denied threatening to sack the minister for the embarrassment he
received at the venue of the bridge commissioning.

“There was no
fracas in Ota. I cannot remember whether anything like that happened,”
he said. “We went to commission a bridge and that was all that
happened. I did not see or witness any drama, we only commissioned a
bridge, that is all I can remember. As an indigene of Ogun State, I am
committed to seeing federal presence in the state, that is my
commitment. I do not have powers to sack any minister. How can I do
that? All I can tell you is that there was no drama, and we
commissioned a bridge, nothing less.

“I was late for the
ceremony, but my interest is to ensure that all federal projects are
completed, including the bridge that was commissioned today. I am not
interested in any other issue that happened there today. I look forward
to more projects being completed,” he said.

The Ogun State
commissioner of information, Shina Kawonise, however, explained that
the speaker’s late arrival for the ceremony caused the drama. Mr.
Kawonise said it was not the duty of the speaker to commission projects
in the state, but that of the minister of works.

He said it was the speaker that caused the uproar by challenging the
driver of the bus, whom he said was assaulted and injured in the
process.