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Tag: Ekiti STATE

  • Court remands herdsman in Ekiti

    An Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded a herdsman, Abubakar Usman, for illegal grazing and destruction of a cassava farmland.

    Police prosecutor, Bankole Olasunkanmi, told the court that Abubakar (30) and others at large, committed the offence sometimes in December at Iyemero Farm Settlement camp ‎in Iyemero-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area

    Olasunkanmi said the accused unlawfully allowed his cattle to graze on the 70 hectares cassava farmland property of Bunmi Akingba, valued at N25 million.

    He said the offence contravened Section 2 (i) and punishable under Section 7 of Prohibition of Cattle ‎and other Ruminants Grazing, Ekiti State Law 2016.

    The prosecutor also said that the accused and others at large, had in their possession offensive weapons contrary to Section 4(1) of the Prohibition of Cattle and other Ruminants Grazing of Ekiti and Punishable under Section 11 of Ekiti State Kidnap and Terrorism (Prohibition) Law 2015.

    Olasunkanmi told the court that he had forwarded the case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

    No plea was taken.

    Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo remanded the accused in prison till the outcome from DPP office.

    He adjourned the case till March 3 for mention.

  • Court sacks Ekiti PDP exco faction loyal to Fayose

    Court sacks Ekiti PDP exco faction loyal to Fayose

    •Lawyer, judge exchange words  •‘We’ll appeal verdict’

    Less than a week after he emerged Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum Chairman, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has lost the grip of the party machinery at the state level, leaving his succession plan in jeopardy.
    The Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti yesterday sacked the PDP executive loyal to Fayose, which is led by former Commissioner for Information Gboyega Oguntuase and gave a legal recognition to the executive led by Williams Sunday Ajayi.
    The Ajayi faction is backed by Senator Buruji Kashamu and is loyal to factional PDP National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff, which set out the guidelines for the conduct of ward, local government and state congresses at the time the suit was filed.
    Justice Taiwo Taiwo gave an order recognising the executive led by Ajayi as valid and authentic to oversee the business of running the PDP in Ekiti State based on evidence before the court.
    The judge also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the Ajayi-led exco, holding that the electoral agency should only deal with Ajayi and his exco as validly constituted in line with the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution.
    The court granted Reliefs 2, 3 and 5 in favour of Ajayi and his secretary, Ilesanmi Obe, who are the plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/AD/CS/21/2015.
    The defendants are INEC, PDP, Sheriff, Wale Oladipo and Oguntuase.
    It held that any averments not controverted by is deemed to be admitted as processes before him was to the effect that Sheriff and Oladipo were national chairman and national secretary respectively since the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants did not oppose or challenge averments in the Originating Summons, the court can admit the averments as true if not challenged.
    The court ruled that in as much as Sheriff as the National Chairman and Oladipo as the National Secretary at the time the suit was filed had the backing of the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution to set guidelines for the congresses, the congress conducted by was valid.
    The court also held that all documents attached to the Originating Summons remained uncontroverted while the 5th defendant (Oguntuase) filed no counter-affidavit stressing that: “documentary evidence filed in court is more reliable and credible than oral evidence.”
    The court held that the 1st defendant (INEC) did not present any document before it on whose authority it supervised the congress held at Adetiloye Hall which produced Oguntuase.
    Oguntuase’s counsel, Bimpe Olatemiju, made a spirited effort to arrest the judgment citing an application filed at the Court of Appeal, Ado Ekiti Division, to stay proceedings on an earlier ruling of the court delivered on December 12, 2016 which was rebuffed by Justice Taiwo.
    Olatemiju also told informed the court of a letter from a Senior Advocate, Chief Mike Ozekhome, dated January 19, 2017 to the effect that parties in the suit have appeared before the Court of Appeal on January 18 on the pending motion at the appellate court.
    He argued that the court should wait till February 1, 2017 when the application of his clients will be argued at Court of Appeal, Ado Ekiti.
    Counsel to the plaintiffs, Niran Owoseni, urged the court to discountenance the legality of Ozekhome’s letter which was served on him (Owoseni) earlier in the day.
    Owoseni argued that parties in the suit at the Federal High Court are different from parties at the Appeal Court and that the subject matter in the case at the lower court was different from the subject matter at the appellate court.
    Taiwo frowned at attempts by Olatemiju to arrest the judgment asking all counsels leading to verbals exchanges between the duo for several minutes.
    The judge went into his chambers at 1.20 pm to write a ruling. He emerged from his chambers at 2.23 pm to deliver the ruling in which he dismissed the submissions of Olatemiju.
    Taiwo in his ruling held that Ozekhome’s letter should not be elevated to the pedestal of Motion on Notice saying: “I do not see how I can be convinced that the letter should not be discountenanced as motion for stay dated 17th January 2017 was not filed by him and motion on appeal was not filed by him.”
    He held that counsel to the 5th defendant (Olatemiju) was not ready to move the pending application adding that the court will not embark on speculation or conjecture stressing that the purpose was to arrest the judgment the court was ready to deliver.
    Apparently miffed by Justice Taiwo’s determination to proceed with the judgment, Olatemiju signified his intent to leave the courtroom but was overruled by the judge who threatened to report the lawyer to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Disciplinary Committee
    The judge thereafter proceeded with the judgment in which he held: “ A political party must operate within certain guidelines and when there is a crisis of this nature in a party, we use the party’s constitution and the 1999 constitution to remedy the constitution.
    “It is not in dispute that 2,3,4,5 respondents were jointly represented, and not in dispute that 2 and 3 are members of the PDP . It is not also in dispute that 3rd and 4th respondents were still acting as the chairman and National Secretary.
    “So, going by the PDP’s guidelines, the power to conduct congresses at the wards, local governments and state levels can only be directed by NWC and since these people were still in charge at that time, any other directive or parallel congress by any other body is null and void.”
    PDP members loyal to Ajayi celebrated the judgment within the court premises praising the Judiciary for “being on the side of the truth.”
    Ajayi said: “We salute the court for this very brilliant judgment which has further confirmed the Judiciary as the last hope of the common man. The court has done justice to PDP members who elected my executive at the valid congress conducted.
    “This judgment has put an end to impunity in Ekiti by interlopers and this verdict has has restored sanity to our party. The party is now focused to conduct its businesses and bring back many of our members and leaders who had left when the impunity was reigning
    Oguntuase said: “We will appeal the judgment. I plead with all the PDP members in the state to remain calm. In that judgement, I saw humour and I didn’t see honour and candour.
    “How will you call yourself a Chairman when the governor is not behind you, when all the National Assembly members and state assembly lawmakers are not behind you? So, this is not the last court.”

  • Fayose gives retiree N100,000 for returning N1.8m

    Fayose gives retiree N100,000 for returning N1.8m

    Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, on Thursday gave a cash reward of N100,000 to a retired Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs Mary Omotosho, for returning the sum of N1.78m wrongfully paid to her by the Ekiti State Pensions Commission.

    The governor, who gave the reward at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti, described her action as “uncommon and unbelievable”.

    He urged other citizens to emulate the good example of Omotosho, whenever they might have been wrongfully paid.

    “I commend your honesty and it is good to appreciate people who do well; when we do that, we are encouraging others to do same. Some people tend to do evil because those doing well are not appreciated. I am calling on those who may have been wrongfully credited with money that is not theirs to pay back,” he said.

    Earlier, Mrs Omotosho, who is a retired Chief Nursing Officer with the state Local Government Service Commission, recalled that a few days before Christmas, she got a credit alert from her bank paying the N1.8 million sum to her.

    “Though I am on a monthly pension, I knew that was a mistake as my monthly pension is not up to that.

    “I waited for the bank t‎o retrieve the money, but that did not happen.

    “A few days after, I got the real alert for my monthly pension, and I went to the Pensions Commission to report the matter and I was given an account number to pay the excess money into.

    “I did a bank draft and paid the money into that account. Though  I am a retiree, I don’t take what does not belong to me. I believe God will always meet my needs,” she said.

    Omotosho thanked Gov. Fayose for the recognition accorded her, as well as the cash reward.

  • Civil servant commits suicide over unpaid salary

    Civil servant commits suicide over unpaid salary

    A senior civil servant with Ekiti State Government, Mr Tope Afolayan, has committed suicide over alleged unpaid salaries and his inability to pay his huge debt, a reliable source confirmed.

    Afolayan, a native of Oye- Ekiti, the headquarters of Oye Local Government Area of the state, worked in the Office of the state Accountant-General.

    The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Afolayan, a level 10 officer, who died on Thursday, was survived by a teacher wife and three children.

    The source added that Afolayan was found hanging from the ceiling of his house, located on Peace Avenue, Olorunda, Ado-Ekiti.

    The source said the deceased was a final year student of Law at Ekiti State University (EKSU) and an interpreter in a branch of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Ekute area of Ado-Ekiti.

    The source said Afolayan, who had been buried, did not leave any suicide note.
    The source added that the deceased had consistently complained to friends about the non-payment of his accumulated salary arrears.

    He was said to have attributed his inability to pay his debts and perform his financial responsibility for the upkeep of his immediate family on the non-payment of his salary.

    “Although he didn’t leave any suicide note before hanging himself he had been very moody and heartbroken for a couple of weeks before the incident happened.

    “He had been complaining about the debts he owed which he was unable to defray because of non-payment of the arrears of salaries.

    ‘’In fact, he was among the last batch of applicants for car loan given by government last year but his name did not come out.

    “We are shocked by Afolabi’s death because nobody thought he would go to that extent, we are still mourning his death,’’ the source said.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP. Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Adeyemi said that the incident was reported at New Iyin Road Police Station in Ado Ekiti.

  • Am waiting on God to pick my successor – Fayose

    Am waiting on God to pick my successor – Fayose

    Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Thursday said he was waiting on God for the choice of the candidate who would succeed him as governor in 2018.

    The governor made this known in Ikere-Ekiti while flagging off the last phase of the dualisation of the town’s roads, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in Ado Ekiti.

    The statement said that the governor, who was responding to Ikere-Ekiti people’s demand that they should produce his successor, said he had taken the matter to God in prayers and was waiting for His directive.

    “While saying that Ikere-Ekiti, like any other town in the state, could prod their children to seek election into office of the governor, he urged them ‎to also help him take the matter before God.

    “With God all things are possible; I will advise you to ‎take the matter to the Lord in prayers since you are legitimately qualified like any other town in the state.

    “As a leader of the party, I must create a level-playing ground for all aspirants; it is God who puts people in positions of authority.

    “I am currently waiting on God to give me the directive on who to support for the coming election; as for when I will come out with my choice of candidate, time will tell.

    “We still have over a year before the election and I hope that by the time we clock three years in office in October, the coast will have been clearer,” the governor was quoted as saying.

  • Ex-Council Chairmen urges Fayose to obey court order

    Ex-Council Chairmen urges Fayose to obey court order

    Following the judgment of the Supreme Court on Friday which ordered all their 15 months salaries and emoluments to be paid, former local government chairmen in Ekiti State have urged Governor Ayo Fayose to obey the order without delay.

    The Supreme Court ordered the Ekiti State government to pay all the entitlements, allowances and emoluments of the council officials illegally removed in 2010.

    The apex court in a unanimous decision affirmed the January 2013 Court of Appeal decision on the matter and asked Ekiti government to comply with immediate effect.

    Spokesman for the former council chairmen, Hon. Adeleke Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi, in a chat with our correspondent shortly after the verdict was delivered expressed joy that justice has been served at last.

    Ogunbiyi who served as chairman of Ikere Local Government said the Judiciary has once again risen in defence of the oppressed by giving them justice six years after they were removed from office on October 29, 2010 barely two years into their tenure.

    The former council bosses were elected at the December 20, 2008 local government election during the administration of former Governor Segun Oni but were removed by his successor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on grounds that the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) which conducted the poll was not properly constituted.

    But Ogunbiyi urged incumbent Governor Fayose to pay them their outstanding salaries and allowances in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in the land.

    Ogunbiyi said: “We are happy that at last, justice has been done and we are all savouring it together. We still had 15 months to complete our tenure before our councils were dissolved and as law abiding citizens, we headed for the courts.

    “Although it took us six years before we got justice, we thank God that the Supreme Court has ruled in our favour. This is victory for democracy; it is also victory for the rule of law.

    “The judiciary has been the stabilizer of our democracy at it has consistently proved as the last hope of the common man. We are grateful to the Supreme Court judges for their industry and erudition in arriving at today’s verdict.

    “We want to appeal to Governor Ayo Fayose to obey the judgment without any delay, the judgment is clear and it is to the effect that we should be paid what is due to us for the remaining 15 months in our tenure.

    “We believe that government is a continuum, it has nothing to do with the party or personalities involved.

    “The judgment of the court must be obeyed and we believe that the governor is a law-abiding person, he will obey the law of the court.”

  • Fayose: Loss of Ondo won’t make me join APC

    Fayose: Loss of Ondo won’t make me join APC

     

    For the second time within twenty four hours, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, has given further insight on his political future ahead of the 2018 governorship.

    The governor on Thursday while receiving an award from the Ado Ekiti Community declared that he won’t join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following speculations that he was on his way out of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    He described the APC as “a party of hunger and a Red Sea” warning APC leaders to perish the thought of annexing Ekiti to states under the control of their party saying “Ekiti is not Ondo.”

    Fayose spoke at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, shortly after receiving the award of ‘Outstanding Achiever of Our Time’ given to him by the umbrella body of the town’s indigenes, Ado Progressive Union (APU).

    The governor was honored by Ado indigenes for the various completed and ongoing developmental projects carried out by his administration including the amphitheater in the palace, new Erekesan Market, dualization of a Ado-Ikere Road, flyover linking Fajuyi with Okesa, among others.

    Speculations are rife that Fayose and his political family are heading to the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the platform on which he hopes to anoint a successor as he is constitutionally barred from running again in 2018.

    The protracted factional crisis in the PDP which affected the party’s chances in Ondo State is believed to be the reason for planned dumping of the platform on which he had won governorship at two different occasions to another party.

    Fayose said: “I will never dump PDP for APC. I remain strong and unshaken for the PDP. I can’t jump the boat, even if I want to jump, I won’t jump into the Red Sea.

    “Why should I leave the PDP and join a party of hunger like APC? Ekiti is different from Ondo. By the grace of God, there will be a repeat of history here in 2018, I shall repeat the 16-0  that I gave them in 2014.

    “I operate like the biblical Elisha because those with us are greater than theirs. The God of Israel that conquered Philistines shall be on our side”.

    “What I said is that if the current man-made crisis rocking the PDP persists till 2018, rather than allow them mess us up like they did in Ondo, we may have to seek an alternative and credible platform.

    “We are not people who betray the confidence of our people. If there will be change at all, it will not be spur-of-the-moment. We shall carry our leaders and the people along.”

    Fayose said the development agenda of his government for Ado Ekiti will continue to pose a challenge to future administrations boasting that by the time election comes; opponents will have nothing to campaign about in the state capital.

    He added: “Chief Obafemi Awolowo died 29 years ago, but his work live on. I want people in ten, twenty, fifty years to think of one Ayo Fayose that governed Ekiti and opened up Ado Ekiti, built a new Oja Oba Market, the flyover, dualization of many towns among other landmark projects.

    “I have raised the bar of development in Ado Ekiti, I have raised the respect for Ewi and no governor can come to Ekiti and undermine this town and the throne.

    “I shall do more to promote this palace to the extent that our opponents will have no space within this palace to construct any structure.”

    Speaking on the award, Fayose said he dedicated it to his wife, Feyisetan, and the people of the state. He described the award as the best he had received in recent times saying he had received over 50 requests for awards which he declined on principle.

    In his speech, the President-General of APU, Chief Obafemi Ojo, said it was clear that Fayose had done what no former leader of the state had done for the town and the state in general.

    Ojo added that Fayose had been kind to Ado Ekiti people in terms of appointments and development.

    Oba Adejugbe said the award was in recognition of Fayose’s uncommon service to Ado-Ekiti and the state in general.

  • Lalong to Fayose: Remain in PDP till 2018

    Lalong to Fayose: Remain in PDP till 2018

    Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state Thursday told his Ekiti state counterpart, Ayodele Fayose to forget the idea of leaving his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and joining another party to contest the 2018 elections in the state.

    Even though he did not say where he intends to pitch his tent, the Ekiti state governor was quoted by media reports as saying that he was considering leaving the PDP and seeking an alternative party to contest the election.

    However, the Plateau state governor said Governor Fayose will not be welcome in the All Progressives Congress (APC) now until after the party would have taken over his state from the PDP in 2018.

    Lalong told newsmen at the mini convention of party in Abuja to elect a National Publicity Secretary for the party that he was eagerly waiting for the elections to come up in the state, promising that the APC will replicate the successes the party recorded in Edo and Ondo States when the Ekiti election is conducted.

    Lalong said: “the one I am waiting for is Ekiti. I understand that after Ondo, the man has been saying he wants to come to APC, we are saying he should remain in PDP till after the election.

    “We just came back from Ondo and we were again recruited Thursday to go to Rivers again and conduct another election. Our own is to ask for your usual and continued support.

    “Before now, some people were looking down on APC, but now people with ambitions for 2019 are withdrawing from the PDP and coming to the APC. We are going to Rivers and we will win the elections there. After there, we are moving to Anambra and that one is a done deal.”

    He however assured that the party was well positioned to win the forth coming legislative rerun election in Rivers stage scheduled for December 10.

  • Hunger in Ekiti unacceptable, group tells Fayose

    Hunger in Ekiti unacceptable, group tells Fayose

    The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has been advised to invest more in agriculture to boost food production, tackle hunger and create jobs for teeming youths.
    A socio-cultural organization, the Achievers Group, said: “It is not acceptable that Ekiti people should complain of hunger when the state is capable of providing enough food to feed the whole nation.”
    In a statement on Thursday by its president, Femi Jegede and publicity secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, the group noted that government can replicate the success it recorded in the education sector, If it can devote the amount of time and energy it gave to the education sector to Agriculture.
    “We are confident that Governor Fayose can use agriculture as a tool for tackling the recent food crisis facing our nation, using Ekiti State as a starting point.
    “The government can also use this as an opportunity to engage our youths on farms and keep them away from crimes.”

  • EFCC opposes Fayose’s request for N5 billion damages

     

    Governor’s accounts remain frozen

     

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti to reject Governor Ayo Fayose’s request for N5 billion damages over the freezing of his personal bank accounts at Zenith Bank.

     

    The anti-graft agency through its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, at the resumed hearing of the suit on Friday urged the court to strike out Fayose’s further affidavit in response to its (EFCC’s) affidavit filed without leave of the court.

     

    The EFCC contended that “it is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the Applicant (Fayose) is extremely out of time and there is no extension of time to file a further  affidavit.

     

    Fayose had through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate, urged the court to award him N5 billion damages against the EFCC for freezing his two personal bank domiciled at Zenith Bank.

     

    Ozekhome, argued that the Interim Order obtained by the EFCC on June 24 and granted by Justice M.B. Idris upon which the action was based was “fundamentally irredeemably wrong.”

     

    Fayose sued the EFCC and Zenith on the freezing of his personal bank accounts following Account Numbers: 1003126654 and 9013074033 on May 24 seeking an order to de-freeze the accounts.

     

    The EFCC alleged that the accounts were used to launder funds from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for the purpose of financing Fayose’s campaign in the 2014 governorship poll in Ekiti.

     

    Ozekhome described the EFCC action of freezing or blocking Fayose’s accounts as illegal, irregular, wrongful, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.

     

    Fayose’s counsel told the court that he had filed an Originating Summons dated 23rd June and filed the following day having 16-paragraph affidavit attached with Exhibit A, which is a letter from Zenith Bank freezing Fayose’s account.

     

    Ozekhome also told the court he also filed a further and better affidavit on September 21 which he adopted.

     

    The Senior Advocate said the N5 billion sought by the Applicant (Fayose) represent punitive, aggravated and exemplary damages for the alleged and repressive action of the EFCC.

     

    Citing many authorities, Ozekhome argued that Fayose enjoys immunity conferred on him by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution and that Zenith Bank was not the party prescribed to be sued by Section 34(1) of EFCC Act.

     

    He argued further that the Interim Exparte Order obtained by the EFCC was not time-bound as against decided authorities that such an order is for a short time.

     

    Ozekhome said: “The name of the holder of that account was carefully but deliberately omitted so as to deceive the court leading to the suppression of material evidence that would have guided the court in granting or refusing or refusing the order.”

     

    Responding, EFCC counsel  Oyedepo, opposed Ozekhome’s submissions on grounds that Order 22 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court was violated by the defence.

     

    Oyedepo said coming up with such an application amounted to an ambush as the prosecution was not availed the opportunity of reacting to new issues being raised,.

     

    He said: “Applicant herein has brazenly ignored Order 22 Rule 5 by not filing reply on point of law. My prayer therefore is that your lordship discountenance all the submissions which were read out in printed form but never filed in court.

     

    “I submit that because it is going to be a dangerous precedent if your lordship act or give any legal consideration to new issues raised as it is given to affect our constitutional right to fair hearing.

     

    “No party must be ambushed before the court; majority of the new issues raised under the guise of reply on point of law are such that if the 1st Respondent has been given requisite opportunity would have filed further and better counter affidavit to place on oath such as the issue of suppression of fact before Justice M.B. Idris.”

     

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned the case to November 7 for further hearing to entertain the reply of the Respondents.

     

    The judge adjourned the case after he refused to grant Oyedepo’s request for a cost of N200,000 against the Applicant (Fayose).