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Tag: Ekiti Assembly

  • Ekiti Assembly alleges ‘abduction’ of four members

    Ekiti Assembly alleges ‘abduction’ of four members

    • Police: We’re unaware of any invasion

    Ekiti House of Assembly yesterday accused operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) of invading the complex and making away with four of its members.

    Speaker Kola Oluwawole told reporters that “more than 10 DSS men armed to the teeth” stormed the Assembly complex and shot sporadically into the air causing panic among legislators and staff.

    The Speaker only gave the name of the legislator representing Efon Constituency, Afolabi Akanni, as “one of those abducted” but failed to reveal identities of the other three.

    He claimed that the whereabouts of the other three ‘missing’ legislators remain unknown just as the reasons for the ‘invasion’ and ‘abduction’ were yet to be ascertained.

    But some workers in the Assembly denied knowledge of any invasion by DSS operatives when they closed by 4pm on Friday.

    The Assembly staff, who craved anonymity, said they did not receive any news of the invasion or abduction after they had left office.

    The state police spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi, also denied knowledge of the invasion of the Assembly complex or abduction of any lawmaker.

    Oluwawole, however, described the alleged abduction as a clandestine plot by “the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to destabilise Ekiti State using the instrumentality of DSS.”

    The Speaker alleged: “Yesterday, the House of Assembly Chamber was invaded by armed men of the DSS.

    “Not minding that various committees of the House were meeting, more than 10 DSS men who were armed to the teeth invaded the Assembly Complex, shooting sporadically into the air, thereby causing panic among members and staff of the House of Assembly, who had to scamper for safety.

    “At the end of the commotion created by this barbaric act, we discovered that four of our members could not be found.

    “It was only this morning that we were able to establish that Hon Afolabi Akanni, representing Efon Constituency was abducted and taken to Abuja.

    “Whereabouts of three other members is still unknown as we speak, and reasons for the invasion and abduction of our members are not known.

    “However, we got it on good authority that the script now being acted by the DSS is part of the APC and President Buhari’s clandestine plot to cripple the Ekiti State Government by arresting and detaining top functionaries of the government.

    “The plot is to harass, intimidate and embarrass top officials of the Ayodele Fayose government because of his critical stance on the Buhari’s government.

    “We are aware that 18 of our members have been pencilled down for harassment and the game plan is to harass them to submission, with a view to coercing them into signing an already prepared notice of impeachment of the governor and his deputy.

    “However, we wish to inform those orchestrating the harassment and intimidation of officials of the Ekiti State Government, especially honourable members of the State House of Assembly that this is 2016 and not 2006.

    “The same tactics used 10 years ago to truncate democracy in Ekiti State will not work this time. We therefore wish to tell the APC agents of political instability that this time around, this House of Assembly will not be available for any ungodly use.”

    He added: “Nigeria is not a banana republic that can be ruled anyhow by anyone and Lawal Daura (from Katsina) and his men, who are playing exactly the same role played between 1984 and 1985 by the National Security Organisation (NSO) under Lawal Rafindadi (from Katsina) should know that this reign of brute force over constitutional democracy will fail.

    “Therefore, the Abuja based agents of destabilisation should get it into their heads that we will never be harassed or intimidated into buying into their sinister agenda.”

  • One held for Ekiti Assembly burglary

    One held for Ekiti Assembly burglary

    A suspect has been detained in connection with the burglary at the Ekiti State House of Assembly last Thursday. Two plasma television sets were stolen.

    The burglary was said to have shocked the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, and other lawmakers, who reportedly called in the police to investigate the matter.

    It was gathered yesterday that the police arrested four persons and later released three.

    The burglary, which is the third in recent times, was reported at the New Iyin Road Police Station.

    A source said the chief suspect, a son of a senior Assembly worker, told the police all he knew about the crime.

    The imprint of the sole of the suspect’s shoe on the chair in one of the offices, where one of the TV was stolen, reportedly gave him away.

    He was believed to be operating with a gang, whose members were still at large.

    The suspect, our source added, was caught with a bunch of keys and could not produce the receipts of the stolen items.

    The source said: “We are still puzzled that the burglary succeeded, despite the presence of a police post within the Assembly.

    “Despite the fence and the gate, the suspect had access to the complex and that should be a subject of investigation.

    “We have internal security. We have a police station and we have security men when the burglary took place. Although the chief suspect is in custody, the police must get to the root of this matter to prevent a recurrence.

    “In the burglary last year, files were removed from the Office of the Clerk and this is the third since the Clerk (Tola Esan) resumed office.”

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said the matter was yet to be reported to his office

  • Omirin writes Ekiti Assembly to reverse ‘impeachment’

    Omirin writes Ekiti Assembly to reverse ‘impeachment’

    •Lawmakers turn down request

    Former Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin has written to the lawmakers to reverse his “impeachment” by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers last year.

    The seven PDP members of the Fourth Assembly claimed to have “impeached” Omirin on November 20 last year and “elected” Dele Olugbemi, who was recognised by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The House has 26 members and to validly impeach the Speaker, it needs at least 18 members.

    Olugbemi sat on the Speaker’s chair until June 4 when the tenure of the Fourth Assembly expired.

    The “impeachment” was challenged by Omirin at a Federal High Court in Lagos, which he withdrew and was subsequently struck out.

    Omirin, in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, dated October 19, and entitled: “Reversion of Unconstitutional Impeachment” urged the Assembly to reverse the impeachment which, according to him, violated the constitution.

    He said:  “The legislature is to make laws for peace, order and good government and if an institution that is supposed to make laws seems to be violating the laws, the effect will be disorderliness, hence the action taken on November 20, 2014 should be reverted and all records bearing Dele Olugbemi be obliterated.”

    Addressing a briefing yesterday in Ado-Ekiti on Omirin’s letter, Speaker Oluwawole said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to reverse the “impeachment” and obliterate Olugbemi’s record as “Speaker”.

    Reading a reply written by the lawmakers to Omirin to the hearing of reporters, Oluwawole said: “Sir, why we will not comment on the constitutionality of the impeachment or otherwise, one point remains sacrosanct that there was an impeachment exercise against you on November 20, 2014, upon which you instituted the matter referred to above.

    “It must be borne in mind that whether your impeachment was legal or not is for the court to decide, but we, with due respect to your person, are helpless in the circumstances.

    “Against this backdrop, the House is not empowered to obliterate the records of Dele Olugbemi as the speaker between November 20, 2014 and June 5, 2015.

    “As a respected colleague, we may, however, consider a pardon of the reasons that warranted your impeachment, but not for a pseudo re-installment of a period you never acted in that capacity.”

    When contacted to confirm if he wrote the letter, Omirin answered in the affirmative.

    He expressed his readiness to return to court, if the lawmakers fail to accede to his request.

  • Ex-Ekiti Speaker writes Assembly to reverse impeachment

    Ex-Ekiti Speaker writes Assembly to reverse impeachment

    Former Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Adewale Omirin, has written a letter to the incumbent lawmakers to reverse his impeachment by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers last year.

    The seven PDP members of the Fourth Assembly claimed to have impeached Omirin on November 20 last year and elected Dele Olugbemi who was recognized by Governor Ayo Fayose as Speaker.

    The Ekiti parliament has 26 members and to validly impeach the Speaker, the House needs at least 18 members, which is the two-third of 26.

    Olugbemi sat on the Speaker’s chair until June 4 when the tenure of the Fourth Assembly expired.

    The impeachment was later challenged by Omirin at a Federal High Court in Lagos which he later withdrew and was subsequently struck out.

    Omirin, in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, dated October 19, 2015, and entitled: “Reversion of Unconstitutional Impeachment” urged the Assembly to reverse the impeachment which, according to him, violated the spirit and letter of the Constitution.

    He said:  “The legislative arm is put in place to make laws for peace, order and good government in pursuant to section 4(7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and if an institution that is supposed to make laws seems to be violating the laws, the effect will be disorderliness, hence the action taken on November 20, 2014 should be reverted and all records bearing Hon. Dele Olugbemi be obliterated.”

    Addressing a briefing alongside his colleagues on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti on Omirin’s letter, Speaker Oluwawole said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to reverse the impeachment and obliterate Olugbemi’s record as Speaker.

    Reading a reply written by the lawmakers to Omirin to reporters at the briefing, the Speaker said the resort to the court of law by Omirin made the request very difficult to consider.

    Oluwawole said: “Sir, why we will not comment on the constitutionality of the impeachment or otherwise, one point remains sacrosanct that there was an impeachment exercise against you on November 20, 2014, upon which you instituted the matter referred to above.

    “It must be borne in mind that whether your impeachment was legal or not is for the court of law to decide. But we, with due respect to your person, are helpless in the circumstances.”

  • Fayose seeks Ekiti legislators’ cooperation

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has solicited the cooperation of members of the House of Assembly for the development of the state through quality legislation.

    Fayose explained that he would need the support of the Assembly to transform the state through the implementation of his administration’s six-point restoration agenda.

    The governor spoke on Monday while declaring open a three-day retreat for the newly-elected House of Assembly members held at Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state.

    The theme of the retreat is:”The Place of Legislature in Democracy.”

    Represented by his deputy, Kolapo Olusola, Fayose noted that the retreat became necessary to sharpen the skills of the new legislators in the art of lawmaking which was their primary assignment in the Assembly.

    He congratulated the legislators on their election and inauguration as members of the Fifth Assembly, saying their assumption of office conferred on them onerous responsibilities to live up to the expectation of the electorates.

    He noted that apart from lawmaking, the legislators should not fail in their duties of giving their constituencies quality representation and performing their oversight functions.

    The governor revealed that many executive bills would be forwarded to the Assembly for passage into laws to aid good governance and welfare of Ekiti people.

    While looking forward to a harmonious working relationship with the Assembly members, Fayose demanded their loyalty to ensure smooth running of government.

     

     

  • Ekiti Assembly holds no hope for development, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described the House of Assembly as a contraption by Governor Ayodele Fayose to protect his  interest.

    The party noted that such selfish agenda holds no promise for the growth of the state and its political development.

    A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the membership profile of the new Assembly  revealed many men and women lacking lawmakingskills.

    “They were ‘selected’ to be lawmakers above qualified Ekiti sons and daughters to enable the governor manipulate them.

    “Only a few of them are worthy of the exalted position of lawmakers.

    “We all saw the intrigues that characterised the primaries that returned the new members.

    “It was ballot snatching and violence. The same for the April 11 House of Assembly election.

    “Fayose just selected his cronies above well-educated members and imposed them on the party.

    “Most of them are miscreants and school dropouts. We saw their first public declaration of loyalty on inauguration day, when they all prostrated for Fayose, stating he is their father.”

    Olatubosun regretted that majority of the lawmakers could have been described as councillors.

    “Because of their inadequacies, they will legitimise and encourage illegality and impunity because they won’t understand the nitty-gritty of lawmaking and independence of mind.

    “We cannot compare this Fifth Assembly with the Fourth Assembly in terms of composition of members.

    “The last Assembly was composed of members who have seen it all. They are professionals, such as lawyers, medical doctors, pharmacists, architects, policy makers, public analysts and retired top civil servants.

    “These are the educated people Fayose will not work with because of their courage and independence of mind.

    “In their place are Fayose’s thugs and those who helped him to undermine the law.

    “Ekiti people should brace up for many surprises and bizarre legislations from this Assembly,” Olatubosun said.

  • APC alleges violence, fraud in Ekiti Assembly polls

    APC alleges violence, fraud in Ekiti Assembly polls

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has claimed that last Saturday’s House of Assembly election was marred by intimidation of the electorate, violence and irregularities.

    The party said the election was neither free nor fair as there were cases of theft of ballot papers and boxes, attacks on opposition members by thugs and policemen and violation of electoral regulations by agents of the ruling party.

    A statement yesterday by APC State Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatubosun revealed that the alleged state-sponsored intimidation of opposition members began on Friday. This, said the APC, accounted for the low turnout of voters across the state.

    Some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, who served as ad hoc staff, the party said, were not spared  the intimidation by those APC described as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs to allow for illegal thumb-printing of ballot papers.

    The places where such electoral infractions took place, according to the APC, include Efon Alaaye, Ilupeju, Ijan-Ekiti, Oke-Ako, Ado-Ekiti, Itaji, Ayede, Ilemeso, Ilafon and all communities in Ilejemeje Local Government Area.

    The party said: “To be specific, APC members were driven to the bush into many towns across the state.

    “They included Efon Alaaye, where PDP thugs did not allow any APC member to participate in accreditation while no party agent was allowed to stay in any of the polling units in the town.

    “In Ijan, the traditional ruler of the town personally banished some dwellers in the farm settlement of Ilupeju-Ijan because of their refusal to vote for the PDP as he decreed.

     “The dwellers in their hundreds left their abodes and could not vote for the party of their choice.

    “Also in Ijan-Ekiti, PDP agents forced corps members, who worked as ad hoc staff, to abandon card readers in three units, namely Eyingbe, Ogbontitun and Imekun to enable them stuff the ballot box in support of the PDP candidate, who is from the town.”

    The statement alleged that APC members in Ilejemeje Local Government were driven into the bush while thugs and policemen from the Government House did most of the thumb printing of the ballot papers.

    It added:” In Ikere-Ekiti, thugs and policemen from the Government House did not allow APC members to vote while party agents were driven into the bush.

    “In Afao-Ekiti, Fayose’s town, many APC members were not allowed to vote as they were driven into the bush by Fayose’s thugs imported into the town last night.”

    The party also noted that in Oke-Ako, town of factional Speaker Dele Olugbemi thugs and fake policemen were shooting to scare voters to allow thumb printing of ballot papers.

    “In Ijero Local Government, it was the same story as thugs chased away voters and carted away voting materials, including ballot boxes and later thumb-printed papers and deposited them in the ballot boxes.

    “In Ado-Ekiti, policemen attached to the Government House, who were not accredited to monitor election, arrested APC members illegally but were only released when the people protested that they were on an illegal mission. They were thereafter detained.

    The APC said PDP candidate in Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency Two, was moving from his town Eyio to Esure and Iropora with fake policemen harassing voters.

    “In Itaji, Ayede, Ilemeso and Ilafon,  thugs under the command of Dr. Omotoso raided polling units and carted away ballot papers, which they later thumb-printed.

    The statement said in Igogo, thugs and policemen from the Government House carted away ballot boxes after shooting into the air to scare away voters.  The people went on protest over this.

    “This was the trend in most parts of the state. Added to this is the fact that result sheets were not available in many polling units while voting materials came late.

    “We strongly believe that most of the results of the election were written at the Government House.

    “Aderemi Adedara, who was APC candidate in Ikere Constituency Two, was illegally arrested at his polling unit by a purported mobile police man in mufti.”

  • 19 APC lawmakers take over Ekiti Assembly

    19 APC lawmakers take over Ekiti Assembly

    AFTER a four-month hiatus, the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers met yesterday at the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

    They stormed the Assembly less than 12 hours after the APC’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, was declared president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Their presence stunned Assembly workers, as they headed for the chambers to hold their first legislative meeting since they were forced out in controversial circumstances last November.

    Led by the Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin, the 19 APC lawmakers said they were back to assume their official duties in accordance with the people’s mandate given to them.

    It was learnt the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction of seven, Dele Olugbemi, was in his office same time the 19 were meeting.

    Soldiers and policemen later came to the complex after the APC lawmakers had concluded their meeting to put the situation under control.

    The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu,  who led about 100 policemen and soldiers, ordered the closure of the complex to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    The seven PDP legislators on November 17 last year “elected” Olugbemi as “protem speaker” to screen and ratify Governor Ayo Fayose’s three commissioners and local government caretaker committee members.

    They returned to the complex on November 20 and “impeached” Omirin, without the constitutionally-required 18 lawmakers.

    Omirin led the APC legislators to the Assembly in a convoy of 14 vehicles at 11.30 am.

    They observed a praise-and-worship session with an  opening prayer led by the member representing Efon, Folorunso Ogundele.

    After meeting for 10 minutes, the APC lawmakers briefed reporters waiting outside.

    On emerging from the inner recesses of the Assembly complex, some of the APC Assemblymen chanted “Sai Buhari…Sai Baba.”

    Omirin said they came  back to begin their legislative duties, saying the people should not be surprised by their presence.

    He described Olugbemi as an impostor, stressing that the legitimate speaker is back and that “nobody dares stand in his way.”

    Omirin said: “Why are you surprised that we are here? I don’t expect you to be surprised that we are in our offices because we are duly elected as members of the House of Assembly.

    “This is my office and I shouldn’t be asked why I am here. Though I have instituted a case challenging the fake impeachment against me, that will not prevent us from doing what we are supposed to do.”

    When asked whether Buhari’s victory prompted their action, Omirin said “no, that is not true. It was just mere coincidence. Don’t forget the fact that because I have not been here since November does not mean I have not been performing my duties. So, whether Buhari is declared or not, we have to do our work.

    “I have been attending Speakers’ meetings in Abuja and attending to my people at my constituency, so we haven’t abdicated our duties”.

    Efforts by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, to pacify the APC lawmakers not to reconvene failed.

    When Olugbemi emerged from his office, he criticised the police commissioner for closing down the complex.

    He said: “Commissioner, I don’t think it was right to close down the Assembly. We have the capacity to contain the APC lawmakers. We are ready to meet them fire for fire.”

  • Ekiti: Seven PDP lawmakers ‘sit in camera’, pass 2015 budget

    The seven Peoples Democratic Party members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly staged another “legislative coup” on Wednesday when they “sat in camera” and passed the 2015 Appropriation Bill into law.

    They passed into law a sum of N80.94 billion as budgetary provision for the 2015 fiscal year which was about N160 million higher than the N80.77 billion presented to them by Governor Ayo Fayose on December 15.

    The increase in the budget estimate presented by Fayose is to allow for repairs of the leaking roof in the Assembly complex.

    The budget presentation to the minority legislators who did not form a quorum sparked outrage in the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other interest groups who described the action as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

    The PDP lawmakers led by the factional Speaker, Dele Olugbemi, asked all journalists on duty and other observers to leave the gallery and “sat” for about 44 minutes where they passed the 2015 budget.

    Signs that the “sitting” would not be allowed to be covered by reporters began to emerge as soon as the lawmakers entered the hallowed chambers complaining about the “heavy presence” of reporters and party faithful.

    Assembly member representing Ekiti East Constituency 2, Samuel Ajibola, expressed displeasure about the presence of many people in the gallery but the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, advocated that reporters be allowed to cover the sitting.

    All entreaties by Adelusi were turned down by the legislators as they commenced the “sitting” at 10.54 am with Olugbemi saying the opening prayers.

     

  • Impeached Ekiti Speaker, others sue Fayose, Abba, DSS

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker, Adewale Omirin and 18 other members of the House have sued Governor Ayo Fayose at the Federal High Court in Lagos for preventing them from performing their lawmaking duties.

    They also joined the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), and the purported “Speaker,” Dele Olugbemi.

    Olugbemi was “elected” by seven Peoples Democratic Party members of the House after claiming to have “impeached” Omirin.

    Also joined as defendants are members loyal to Olugbemi, namely Samuel Ajibola, Adeojo Alexander, Adeloye Adeyinka, Isreal Ajiboye, Fatunbi Olajide, Olayinka Abeni and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti.

    Three commissioners purportedly cleared by the House under Olugbemi, namely Oweseni Ajayi (Attorney-General), Kayode Eso (Commissioner for Works) and Toyin Ojo (Commissioner for Finance) were also joined as defendants.

    The plaintiffs, in their originating summons, are praying the court to declare as unconstitutional and illegal the “election” of Olugbemi as “Speaker,” among others.

    Justice Saliu Saidu on Wednesday granted the plaintiffs leave to issue and serve the Originating Summons and all other processes on Olugbemi, Fayose, Abba and Ojo outside the court’s jurisdiction and by substituted means, such as through advertisements.

    The judge made the order following an ex-parte application moved by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), led by Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN).

    In a supporting affidavit Omirin, who was elected as Speaker on June 6, 2011, said a team of fully armed policemen positioned at the House of Assembly premises on November 17, prevented him from gaining access to his office.

    “I proceeded to my office as usual but was denied entry by the commanding officer who stated that he had me listed as an All Progressives Congress (APC) member on a list he was holding and was instructed not to grant me entrance into the premises of the House of Assembly that day,” he said.