Lawmaker Olugbenga Omole has revealed how the Ondo State House of Assembly cooked up a story that a live serpent fell into the parliamentary building during a plenary session in 2019 to get the attention of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to renovate the dilapidated complex.

Mr Omole, the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Youth and Sports, confessed on a private radio programme in Akure, the state capital. 

“Some of us have issues with the governor (Akeredolu) and they have concluded their plans on how we would present the issue on the snake.

“The state of the chamber was not good truly, but it was not good enough that we lied that the snake came out during plenary,” Mr Omole said on the programme aired on Fresh 102.9 FM, Akure.

In July 2019, the media was awash with reports that a snake fell off from the roof of the Assembly chamber during sitting, creating tension in the parliamentary building. 

In the viral reports, the development was said to have forced the members of the Assembly to scamper to safety, and distributed proceedings presided over by the Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun. 

Speaking further on the radio programme monitored by Peoples Gazette, Mr Omole said the lies were deliberately orchestrated by members of the State House of Assembly.

Mr Omole, who is representing Akoko South West Constituency I, in the House of Assembly, explained that the lawmakers decided to fabricate the lies due to the terrible state of the complex. 

“I was asked to talk about the snake and I said it the way I was asked to say it. These are some of the things they used against me, that it was Omole that said they saw a snake in the chamber. What I said was on behalf of the whole assembly.

“The picture that went viral with the big snake, was I the one who produced the picture? It was the handwork of some of us,” the Assembly spokesman said.  

He explained that the ex-members of the House during the 8th Assembly had earlier lamented about the poor condition of the parliament.

“Everyone should investigate what I am saying. Those in the House before us had been lamenting about the bad state of the assembly.”

The Gazette reports that the situation immediately prompted Mr Akeredolu to renovate the House of Assembly complex which had been in poor condition for over 40 years.