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Tag: Ekiti House of Assembly

  • An agenda for Ekiti House of Assembly

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has a history of enjoying cordial relations with the legislature.

    The governor understands that the two critical arms of government must collaborate, irrespective of party affiliations, to ensure sustainable development of the state.

    That explained why Fayemi did not coerce any opposition member to join his party or try to muzzle the legislature, deny it of funds or run legislators who did not belong to his party out of town.

    When Fayemi first came to power on October 16, 2010, the Third Assembly had a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi, as the Speaker.

    Both the PDP and the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had 13 members each in the Assembly before five PDP members defected to the opposition.

    Fayemi did not use the enormous powers at his disposal to instigate Odeyemi’s removal. He maintained a good relationship with the ex-Speaker until the life of the Third Assembly expired in June 2011.

    Following his landmark victory at the polls on July 14, 2018, Fayemi inherited a PDP-dominated Fifth Assembly and worked harmoniously with the legislators.

    Although lawmakers had effected a change of leadership, shortly before Fayemi came into office by electing Mr. Adeniran Alagbada, who had earlier defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor worked with the lawmakers for the good of the people.

    Fayemi, within the eight-month working relationship with the Fifth Assembly, Fayemi approved and sponsored a capacity building legislative tour of South Africa for the lawmakers, a privilege they did not enjoy under the government led by the PDP, the party to which majority of them belonged.

    Fayemi called for harmonious executive-legislative collaboration for the overall development of Ekiti State at the inauguration of the Sixth Assembly.

    Despite having only APC legislators, Fayemi emphasised that he does not desire a rubber stamp Assembly tied to the apron strings of the executive.

    He said: “Our government will continue to promote harmonious working relationship with the legislature while maintaining the institutional independence of the hallowed chamber.

    “You can be rest assured of our avowed commitment honouring the principle of mutual respect, mutual accountability as well as separation of powers in your day-to-day activities as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “As I told you during your retreat at Iloko Ijesa, I neither desire a rubber stamp legislature nor a cantankerous one.

    “The relationship between the executive and the legislature has to be continuously synergized for mutual understanding and optimal performance.”

    Setting agenda for the new Assembly, Fayemi said: “Our government is rebuilding Ekiti from the rubbles of yesterday. We are in a hurry to develop the state and give a new lease of life to our people.

    “I count on the support of the Legislature towards achieving the five pillars of this administration. As one political family and critical stakeholders in Ekiti restoration project, all the arms of government must work together to deliver dividends of democracy to our people.”

    But, Fayemi now has a rare privilege of working with a new Assembly which has all its twenty six legislators as members of the APC, the first time in the history of the state that the progressives would clear all the seats in the state parliament.

    Another feat of the sixth Assembly in Ekiti is that four of the members are women, the highest in the Southwest.

    Unlike the immediate past Assembly that had no returning member, the Sixth Assembly has two returning members – the new Speaker, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye (Ikere 1) and the new Majority Leader, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole 1), who was House Leader the last dispensation.

    Ekiti Assembly has experienced, exposed and tested individuals in the party administration, corporate world, among others.

    Other principal officers are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Hakeem Jamiu (Irepodun/Ifelodun 2); Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu (Ekiti West 1); the Chief Whip, Mrs. Bunmi Adelugba (Emure) and the Deputy Chief Whip, Mr. Tope Ogunleye (Ilejemeje).

    There is no position of Minority Leader because all the 26 legislators belong to the ruling APC.

    Besides the Chief Whip, Mrs. Adelugba, the other three women in the Assembly are Mrs. Yemisi Ayokunle (Ekiti Southwest 1), Princess Teju Okuyiga (Gbonyin) and Mrs. Kemi Famuagun-Balogun (Ado 2).

    Afuye, was a committed member of the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, where he was a disciple of great leaders like Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Olanihun Ajayi and Chief Ayo Adebanjo before venturing into full-blown partisan politics.

    Afuye, a lawyer, was first elected into the Third Assembly in 2007 (13-13 House) where he served as the AC Leader before he was later elected as the Majority Leader after five PDP members joined the ACN in 2011 in the early days of the first Fayemi administration.

    At the end of the tenure in June 2011, Afuye moved to the executive arms where he served under Fayemi as Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation and later as Commissioner for Regional Integration and Intergovernmental Affairs.

    Afuye thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in him which led to his election as the Speaker saying “I shall not take this rare honour for granted.”

    He also expressed gratitude to the electorate who gave all the twenty six Assembly members their mandate to make laws for the good governance in the state with quality legislation to give better life to the citizenry.

    The Ikere-born politician paid glowing tributes to Fayemi, whose sterling performance since coming to power in October last year, influenced the voting pattern that made the electorate voted overwhelmingly in favour of the APC giving the party the opportunity to clinch all the available Assembly seats.

    He also paid tributes to the first civilian governor of the state, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, whom he credited with the distinction of laying the foundation for the development of the Land of Honour.

    Unfolding his leadership agenda for the Sixth Assembly, Afuye promised that he and his colleagues would support good governance in the state with quality legislation to give better life to the citizenry.

    He further promised that the Sixth Assembly which he leads would not be a rubber stamp and lapdog to the other arms of government especially the executive.

    The Speaker assured that the new leadership of the state parliament would give priority to the welfare of all levels of the staff of the Assembly.

    Afuye stressed that “it is ludicrous for the legislature to be in unhealthy, perpetual and unnecessary struggle and opposition to the executive arm of government” adding that “it is more so in bad taste, when such opposition is from the same party members in the legislature.”

    He said: “The authors of the doctrine and principles of separation of powers never envisaged this unhealthy, if not destructive aberration.

    “While the doctrine espouses the coeval and coordinate equality of the three arms of government, for the purpose of checks and balances, its golden interpretation should be substantial intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration.

    “This does not mean that the legislature should be a rubber stamp and lapdog of the other arms of government, especially the executive. It is however our belief that reasoned and informed debates should reign, rather than unbridled and cantankerous opposition to the executive.

    “I believe as a thorough party man, the party is the platform to discuss issues in line with the manifesto of the party. The executive distills and aggregates its policy direction from this.

    “The outcome of such distillation forms the policy direction for the bills to the legislature to process in order to give legal backing to the policies and programmes of government.

    “Why should members of the same party clog each other in the name of inane opposition? In short, Mr. Governor, we shall work with your government for the good of our people.”

    The train of development that is already moving in Ekiti needs legislative and legal frameworks expected to be provided by the legislature to keep it going beyond 2022 when the term of the second Fayemi administration would lapse. The new lawmakers had prepared themselves for the serious business of making laws, representing their constituencies, performing oversight functions and other constitutional functions with a three-day retreat.

    They have an opportunity to make history like their predecessors in the APC-dominated Fourth Assembly (2011-2015) who passed landmark laws like Freedom of Information Law (first to be domesticated anywhere in Nigeria), Equal Opportunities Law, Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law and the Fifth Assembly (2015-2019) that passed Anti-Grazing Law and Anti-Land Grabbing Law, among others.

    The Afuye-led Assembly cannot afford to fail as expectations are high from the executive, the legislature, the ruling party, the constituents, entire people of the state and observers watching from outside Ekiti.

    • Ogunmola is Special Assistant (Media), Office of the Deputy Governor, Ekiti State.

  • Former Ekiti regent seeks dissolution of 39 years old marriage

    A former regent of Ayebode-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Chief Idowu Omolayo on Tuesday urged a Customary Court sitting in Ikole-Ekiti to dissolve her marriage of 39 years with Chief Olusola Omolayo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the husband was a member of the Ekiti House of Assembly from 2003 to 2007.

    The 60 years old former regent was seeking dissolution on the ground of constant fighting, public disgrace and no proper care of the family by the husband.

    According to her, she once attempted to divorce her husband in 2004, but the town chiefs, family members and the court prevailed on her and she withdrew the divorce suit.

    She said that she could no longer withstand the beatings from her husband, in spite of the fact that no dowry was paid on her, adding that the association had produced four grown up boys.

    The President of the Court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo asked, “what if court makes an order that your husband stops beating you and pays your dowry so that the matter be settled amicably?”

    She insisted that she wanted to separate from her husband before he killed her.

    However, the defendant denied all the allegations, saying he was  trying his best to take care of his family in his capacity.

    “Although my wife sometimes assist me in paying the children’s school fees when I do not have money on me.

    “But as a father and husband, I try my best to take care and do my fatherly responsibilities within my capacity,” he said.

    Ruling on the matter, the court president said that both parties should produce their witnesses in the next adjourned date.

    She added that the plaintiff must come with two of her children, emphasising that the second born must be one of them.

    She adjourned the case till May 15, for continuation of hearing.

     

  • Ekiti Assembly passes 2017 budget

    Ekiti Assembly passes 2017 budget

    The Ekiti  House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the N93.4bn 2017 Appropriation Bill presented to the House two weeks ago by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Assembly passed the budget as presented by the governor.

    The Appropriation Bill is tagged: “Budget of Consolidation for Higher Heights.’’

    In passing the 2017 Appropriation Bill, the House considered the report of its Finance and Appropriation Committee.

    NAN reports that the bill was presented to the House by the governor for legislative consideration on  December 6.

    It subsequently passed through necessary parliamentary procedures.

    During the Second Reading, members spoke on the policy thrusts as highlighted in the details of the budget estimates.

    It was committed to the Committee of the Whole House, scrutinised page-by-page by the members and later passed into law.

    The speaker, Mr kola Oluwawole, in his remarks, said the budget had sensitively taken care of all areas that the administration would look into in 2017.

    “I want to commend the Committee on Finance and Appropriation and other members for a job well done,” he said.

    The speaker adjourned sitting till February 20.

  • Rumpus in Ekiti House of Assembly

    Rumpus in Ekiti House of Assembly

    A crisis of confidence has hit the Ekiti State House of Assembly, following the suspension of the member representing Ikole Constituency 1, Gboyega Aribisogan, for 180 days for alleged disloyalty and anti-party activities. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the crisis and what it portends for the Ayo Fayose administration. 

    WHEN the fifth Ekiti State House of Assembly was inaugurated on June 5, 2015, Governor Ayo Fayose envisaged a cordial working relationship with the House, owing to the role he played in the emergence of virtually all the lawmakers.

    Shortly after assuming office on October 16, 2014, Fayose had a running battle with the Fourth Assembly, which was dominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) members. The feud began with the non-appearance of the former Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin, at his swearing-in.

    At the time, Fayose accused the APC-dominated House of plotting outside the state to impeach him and the sour relationship led to Omirin’s “impeachment” and the “election” of Dele Olugbemi as “Speaker.”

    The legislative coup was carried out by seven PDP members, with Fayose’s backing on November 2014 and the seven PDP lawmakers dominated legislative business till the end of their tenure in June 2015, leaving the 19 APC members in the lurch.

    As last year’s general elections drew nearer, Fayose, who was in control of the PDP machinery, took over the nomination process that produced the party’s House of Assembly candidates.

    Many PDP members who had nursed the ambition of running for legislative seats, but did not belong to the camp of Fayose, were thrown out of the race in favour of the governor’s anointed candidates. The primary was skewed in favour of aspirants who followed Fayose to the Labour Party (LP) when he contested for the Ekiti Central senatorial seat and lost to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) flag bearer, Babafemi Ojudu.

    The governor’s action generated a bad blood and resentment within the PDP, as aspirants who lost out in the primary and their supporters accused Fayose of imposition, intolerance and dictatorial tendencies.

    At the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly election, Fayose deployed his power, influence and resources to ensure victory for all the 26 PDP candidates.

    The House has 24 male and two female legislators and they see Fayose as their benefactor and godfather. There were rumours that the lawmakers-elect entered into a covenant with Fayose not to betray him, if eventually sworn-in.

    The Fifth Assembly began its legislative expedition on a comical note when it was inaugurated on June 5, last year. Reports said some of the lawmakers prostrated before the governor on their inauguration day, to display their loyalty and show appreciation to their benefactor for singlehandedly making them members of the hallowed chamber.

    The lawmakers in one of the sittings conferred the title of “Opposition Leader in Nigeria” on Fayose for his relentless tirades against President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Earlier this year, the Ekiti legislators held a plenary sitting on the highway in the heart of Ado Ekiti, in Okesa area, where they drew public attention to an alleged plan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to coerce them into an impeachment plot against Fayose.

    At the sitting, which caused quite a stir in the town, because it denied the public the use of the highway for about three hours, the lawmakers carried travelling bags, which they claimed contained personal effects like toothpaste, toothbrush, sponge and few clothes, saying they were ready for arrest and ready to swim and sink with the governor.

    They followed it up with protests at foreign missions and agencies in Lagos and Abuja, carrying placards denouncing the alleged plot to use them to oust Fayose from power.

    Another comedy involving the lawmakers was during the presentation of the Appropriation Bill by Fayose in December last week, when the governor held a gavel, which he brought to the House and used in a symbolic manner to pass the budget into law. The legislators reeled in laughter, as the gavel-wielding governor performed the act, an action which drew criticisms from the opposition and some interest groups, who viewed the action as indecent and against parliamentary norms.

    But, later, the lawmakers became disillusioned and discontented, because, according to an insider, the governor refused to “empower” them, despite doing his bidding. The source said: “Many of them believed that their election into the House would give them access to fat salaries, emoluments, contracts, constituency allowances and other perks of office, but their hopes were dashed because the governor failed to give them what they desired.

    “They have been complaining that people in their constituencies are overwhelming them with demands and never believed that they don’t have the resources to meet those needs and this has made many of them to be held with scorn by their constituents.”

    The legislators’ and complaints soon filtered into the ears of the governor who was said to have been disappointed by their “ingratitude,” despite the criticisms that trailed his insistence on their candidacies before and during the 2015 polls.

    A Government House source alleged that the governor employed divide-and-rule tactics to unmask the “traitors” among the legislators by empowering some of their colleagues to report anyone found complaining. This, the source added, was the genesis of the crisis currently rocking the House.

    The 2019 general elections is also believed to be another source of crisis among Ekiti House of Assembly members as some of them have been harbouring ambition to go to the House of Representatives and they needed to curry the favour of Fayose by exposing “betrayers” among them.

    Two weeks ago, the spotlight had been on the Deputy Speaker, Olusegun Adewumi, who represents Ekiti West Constituency 1 and Gboyega Aribisogan, who represents Ikole Constituency 1. It was gathered that their colleagues had reported them to the governor for travelling to Lagos to hold clandestine meetings with personalities perceived to be enemies of Fayose. Both Adewumi and Aribisogan vehemently denied the allegation.

    The duo were accused of holding meetings with the senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu; Ojudu, who is now Special Adviser to the Vice President; renowned lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana; former Secretary of Ekiti PDP, Dr. Temitope Aluko and former governorship candidate Yinka Akerele.

    Aribisogan blew the lid off the crisis, when he addressed a press conference and unfolded a plot to blackmail him with the allegation of holding meetings with Fayose’s enemies. He said the only time he met with Kashamu was when he accompanied Fayose to meet him (Kashamu) in 2014, alongside two individuals who are now lawmakers.

    He also denied meeting with Falana and Ojudu as being alleged. He said: “I have been a major critic of their roles in the Ekiti project and they can never in their wildest imagination invite me to any clandestine meeting and they are all alive to corroborate or deny the claims.”

    Aribisogan accused the legislator representing Oye Constituency 1, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, as the brain behind the plot, saying the medical doctor-turned politician is consumed by an ambition to go to House of Representatives in 2019 and wanted to destroy him (Aribisogan) to realise the ambition.

    The seat in view is that of Ekiti North Federal Constituency 1, which covers Oye and Ikole Local Government Areas. The present occupier of the seat is Kehinde Agboola from Ikole, while some PDP henchmen believe that 2019 is the turn of a candidate from Oye council area to occupy the seat.

    Last week, Aribisogan appeared before an panel set up by the House to investigate his alleged roles in the meetings allegedly held outside the state, to bring down Fayose’s government.

    At the sitting of the panel, chaired by the member representing Ido/Osi Constituency 2, Samuel Jeje, a purported audio file capturing his (Aribisogan’s) voice was played. Aribisogan refuted the charge, saying: “The so-called audio was a superimposed voiceover to tarnish my reputation. “

    But, the hammer fell on Aribisogan the following day, when his colleagues gave him an “Abdulmumin Jibrin treatment” by suspending him for 180 legislative days. The lawmakers said Aribisogan’s action will determine further actions to be taken against him.

    The legislators adopted a report by the Jeje-led panel at a plenary presided over by Speaker Kola Oluwawole, which indicted Aribisogan.

    Throughout the period of the suspension, Aribisogan has been barred from holding any position and “must not be seen in and around the premises within one kilometre radius of the assembly complex.” He is not also entitled to all privileges and benefits attached to his office throughout the time the suspension will last. He was also ordered to submit government property in his custody to the Assembly Clerk, Tola Esan.

    The panel had investigated Aribisogan on allegations of “gross misconduct and acts capable of destabilizing the House. Other members of the panel are Sina Animasaun (Ekiti West 2), Samuel Omotoso (Oye 1), Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere 2), Dele Fajemilehin (Gbonyin) Mrs. Cecilia Dada (Ilejemeje) and Fasanmi Temitope (Ado 2).

    But, Aribisogan described his trial before the panel and the “verdict” of the Assembly as a “scam and travesty of justice.” He described the audio tape used to nail him as “fake and obscene.” The embattled lawmaker wondered why the Deputy Speaker, with whom he was accused of holding secret meetings with Kashamu, Ojudu and Falana was left out of the probe and punishment.

    He alleged that the panel compromised its position by using his co-accused person, the Deputy Speaker, as a prosecution witness against him in a bid to nail him at all cost to arrive at a predetermined conclusion. Presenting the panel report to the House, The Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Ojo Fajana (Ekiti East 1), claimed that the evidence submitted found Aribisogan guilty of the offence.

    The new Information Committee chairman, Omotoso, said Adewumi confirmed both in writing and orally that Aribisogan confessed to him at a popular hotel in Ado Ekiti on the evening of Friday, September 30, that he (Aribisogan) did meet with some elements that are against the state government in Lagos on Saturday, September 24, “in a manner that has rubbished the integrity and confidence that the Ekiti people have in the State House of Assembly.”

    Explaining the rationale behind the House’s decision to punish Aribisogan, Omotoso said that it was to serve as deterrent to anyone who might be nursing same act to desist from it.

    Addressing a news conference at another location in Ado Ekiti, few minutes after the hammer fell on him, Aribisogan said he was not surprised by the outcome of the panel and his suspension by his colleagues, which he traced to “an unseen hand from outside.”

    Aribisogan said: “I saw the entire process as a scam and travesty of justice; they didn’t have enough evidence to nail me but an unseen hand was behind all these shenanigans to arrive at a predetermined conclusion.

    “The committee has compromised its position because what transpired at the panel was not what was in their report. Everything was originated by one person and executed by one person.

    “I have enough reason to believe that it is a plot to pull me down and I am not surprised by the outcome because I know the judgment had been written well ahead of time. You claim that I went to Buruji with two other colleagues why was I the only person singled out?”