The Ondo State House of Assembly was on Thursday thrown into confusion as a live snake dropped from the roof of the chamber during plenary.
The house presided over by the Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun, was about to commence legislative activities when noise from frightened lawmakers and the audience at the gallery sent everyone scampering for safety and ending the sitting.
Reacting to the incident, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Olugbenga Omole, expressed worry over the development and promised that the legislative building would soon be fumigated in order to avoid a recurrence.
Omole, who said the snake did not bite anyone because of the quick intervention of some staff of the assembly, added that it was eventually killed and burnt.
“Again, we were at the plenary when the ceiling caved in beside the speaker,” Omole said.
“When we were about to enter into plenary, a big snake just ran out of the chamber which disrupted our sitting and we had to hurriedly leave the chamber
“We are about to seat again today when a ceiling caved in directly where Mr. Speaker was sitting, the whole house was agitated and when we look around we saw the damage the termite had done to most of the woodwork in the ceiling.
“At that point, we had to call ourselves and adjourned the sitting. That chamber is no longer safe for legislative business and because of that, we decided to adjourn indefinitely. The house will be going on an indefinite recess.
“We need to intimate the state governor Rotimi Akeredolu about this development and we have decided to meet him on this.
The chairman said proper fumigation would begin at the complex on Friday ahead of a general renovation.
