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  • Controversy over Ekiti panel of inquiry

    Controversy over Ekiti panel of inquiry

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has raised a panel to probe the financial transactions of his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is presently Minister of Mines and Steel Development. But, the minister has gone to court to stop the probe. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA (Ado Ekiti) examines the contentious issues.

    It was the appearance of the former Commissioner for Finance under the Fayemi administration, Dapo Kolawole, on a televised programme on June 14, last year that started the controversy over the finances of the administration.  Kolawole had explained during the programme that his boss did not plunge Ekiti into debt, as alleged by Governor Ayodele Fayose and that, on the contrary, the money Fayose received so far from the Federation Account as at that time was enough to pay three months workers’ salary, out of the six months outstanding salaries.

    The former commissioner also claimed that it was Fayose who renegotiated Ekiti debt till 2036 and not Fayemi, as the latter had paid half of the debt and was expecting the sum of N17 billion as reimbursement from the Federal Government, for some road construction projects and that this would have offset all debts, if Fayose had not breached the payment plan. This revelation irked Fayose’s government and prompted the invitation of Dapo Kolawole by the state House of Assembly, to come and explain the finances of Ekiti State while he was Commissioner for Finance.

    Kolawole did not honour the invitation; he sent a letter and medical report to the House. But, the House remained adamant and decided to invite him a second time. However, before the due date, a member of the House of Assembly, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, and Fayose’s Special Assistant on New Media and Communications, Lere Olayinka, appeared on a live television and radio programme on July 6, 2017, where they allegedly described Kolawole and Fayemi as “thieves who stole the state blind”.

    They alleged that Fayemi misappropriated N852m State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) money and that he also stole N1.5billion from state coffers and donated same to Buhari’s campaign fund. They also accused Fayemi of stealing from state coffers to establish a university in Ghana; of borrowing N5b from Ecobank for his re-election and not on any project; of colluding with his aides to steal 79 official vehicles; and that he left a huge debt behind. They also said on the programme that they had written a petition against Fayemi, Kolawole and some of his aides to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but no action was taken.

    Immediately after watching the programme, Kolawole approached the court to restrain the House from inviting him, because since they have passed a verdict on him on a live television programme without hearing his own side of the story, he is not likely to get justice.

    After the receipt of court summons, following Kolawole’s suit, the Assembly extended an invitation to Fayemi on March 10, 2017. But wrote to explain his inability to appear before them, because of official engagements, saying all the issues they wanted him to explain were contained in the handover notes submitted to the House of Assembly.

    Fayemi also on the basis of the television programme entitled, “Ejiire” where the duo of Olayinka and Omotoso called him a thief, dragged them to an Abuja High Court for libel claiming N3 billion  as damages from them, N2billion from Lere and N1billion from Omotoso.

    When the duo were served on February 1, 2017, the Assembly allegedly in a retaliatory gesture that one of them had been dragged to court, invited Fayemi again to appear before them on February 2, 2017 failure which they would issue a warrant for his arrest. Fayemi did not appear before the House on the appointed day ostensibly because he knew he might not get justice before the legislators who had already pronounced him guilty and was bent on having its pound of flesh because he dragged one of their members to court for libel.

    The house, on February 7, 2017, slammed a warrant of arrest on the minister, directing the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State to arrest him whenever and wherever they see him and bring him before the House of Assembly. This necessitated Fayemi’s second law suit, where he dragged the assembly to court and asked that the house be restrained from inviting him and set aside the warrant of arrest it issued, because due process and rule of law were not followed in the exercise of such powers.

    Fayemi also averred in his second suit which he instituted at an Ado-Ekiti Federal High Court that since he had instituted a case against one of them over the same issue of Ekiti State finances when he was governor, the House ought not to invite him again let alone issuing a warrant of arrest. Despite Fayemi’s second law suit against the House of Assembly, the house went ahead to fine him N1million and declared him a lawbreaker, apparently as a result of the non-arrest of the former governor. The two cases are still pending in Abuja and Ado Ekiti High courts.

    A twist to the whole matter was introduced when the house again sat on May 11, 2017 and passed a resolution empowering Fayose to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the finances of the state during the tenure of Fayemi as governor especially, how N852million  SUBEB money was allegedly embezzled during his tenure. Governor Fayose quickly inaugurated the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

    The terms of reference of the commission is basically on the same issue of financial transaction of Ekiti State between 2010 and 2014 and especially the alleged theft of N852m SUBEB fund. It should be noted that the same issues form the basis of the two cases instituted by Fayemi before Abuja and Ado Ekiti High Courts.

    The composition of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry soon became controversial as it was alleged that the Chairman and many members of the Commission have one axe or the other to grind with Fayemi and they are PDP members and sympathisers. For instance, Fayemi cited the partisanship of the Chairman of the panel, Justice Silas Oyewole, as a PDP’s sympathiser, while the Secretary, Gbenga Daramola, is the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who cannot be insulated from Fayose’s control in the handling of the panel’s job.

    Fayemi complained that another member, Blessing Oladele, is an APC defector to PDP. Oladele was said to have left APC for PDP in anger over alleged Fayemi’s refusal to help him replace his burnt car and assist him in his Ikun Araromi Obaship tussle.

    He added that another member, S.B.J. Bamise, is a senior counsel in the office of the state Attorney General, the office that conceived and constituted the panel to probe him.

    Another member, Vincent Omodara, is Fayose’s crony in the Accountant General’s Office, Fayemi alleged. The governor allegedly elevated him above the ministry director as Executive Secretary against the civil service rule to qualify him as a panel member.

    Fayemi also cited Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo, who, according to him, routinely jailed APC members on Fayose’s trumped-up charges that are bailable.

    This again necessitated Fayemi’s third suit filed at an Ado Ekiti High Court restraining the Judicial Commission of Inquiry from sitting because of the circumstances surrounding its creation and its composition. Fayemi argued in his latest suit that the House of Assembly had breached its own Standing Rules which forbids discussing any matter that is pending in court. Chapter VIII, with the subtitle, Rules of Debate, Section 54, sub section 5 reads: “Reference shall not be made to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the Speaker’s opinion, prejudice the interest of parties thereto”.

    Two matters relating to this issue are pending in court. Fayemi maintained the resolution of the Assembly directing the governor to set up the panel was not passed in accordance with constitutional provisions and so cannot be valid and any action arising from that resolution such as the setting up of the Judicial Commission becomes ultra-vires and of no effect.

    In filing the latest suit to stop the commission and which has been served on all members, the Governor, Speaker and Attorney-General, it was revealed from the documents attached with the originating summons that the case Fayemi earlier instituted in Abuja against Olayinka and Omotoso was progressing and there was already reply to the statement on oath of Fayemi by the duo of Omotoso and Lere. There was also a reply to their reply by Fayemi’s counsel, Rafiu Balogun, where the following issues came up:

    Fayemi maintained that the N852 SUBEB funds he was accused of embezzling may not be missing afterall! In his statement on oath, Fayemi alleged that Fayose breached the appropriation laws duly enacted by the state House of Assembly and failed to honour various obligations as well as compliance with existing procedures, financial arrangements and precedents, Annual budget and Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) provisions resulting in  the distortion of the carefully planned income and expenditure profile of the state to achieve a politically motivated vindictive objective.

    Fayemi averred that Fayose, as governor-elect in 2014, usurped up a role he was not constitutionally empowered to perform by conveying a meeting with representatives of bankers of Ekiti State government and threatened them to stop further financial dealings with his (Fayemi’s) administration. It was as a result of Fayose’s threat that the banks, including Access Bank, stopped all transactions with the Fayemi government and this led to the termination of the N852m loan which was nmeant to serve as UBEC counterpart funds and reversed the disbursement of same. Fayose and his aides like Omotoso and Olayinka allegedly misled the public that Fayemi withdrew the money from the account.

    He said Fayose ought to have renegotiated the ongoing transaction and existing commitments at that time to suit his prefences rather than “adopt a vindictive approach” to the detriment of the common good”. Fayemi contended it is not true that the state government lost N1bilion yearly which led to its suspension from UBEC.

    He said the statement of account presented by the duo of Lere and Omotoso from October 1, 2014 to February, 2015 is fraudulent and misrepresentation of facts which was not endorsed by Access Bank while the one that is  unadulterated and endorsed by the bank is the four-page  statement of account of Access Bank concerning the SUBEB loan covering 1st January 2014 to 31st January 2015, presented by Fayemi.

    The court will however decide which of the two statements of accounts it will believe and if indeed any money is missing going by the evidence before it.

    The other issue for the determination of the court is whether Fayemi has a University in Ghana which he allegedly built with Ekiti stolen money and if he gave President Buhari N1.5 billion to fund his campaign as repeated in the reply of the duo, though they are yet to provide any evidence to substantiate their whereas Fayemi in his statement on oath denied either having a University in Ghana or giving Buhari N1.5billion.

    The other issue raised was the N5billion loan obtained at Ecobank by the Fayemi administration which Olayinka and Omotoso claimed Fayemi withdrew and expended on his re-election in  June 2014 but in Fayemi’s statement and with the attached documents from Ecobank concerning the loan, all the projects on which the loan were expended were listed and approved and supervised by the bank. The projects include; construction of Iye- Ayetoro Road, Ado township road, Ado-Ikere Road, Agbado Road, House of Assembly project, Ekiti Parapo Pavillion, supply of Armoured Vehicles,Ikole-Ijesa Isu-Iluomoba Road, renovation of Okemesi and Ijan General Hospitals, among others.

    The document also showed that not all the money was withdrawn as the unspent balance of N520.2million was allegedly utilised  by Fayose but not in completing the projects as specified by the terms of the loan, but on other matters. The statement of account was attached.

    The other issue was that of alleged missing 79 vehicles out of the fleet bought from Coscharis Motors. Fayemi said the alleged missing 79 vehicles may also be a hoax. The same 79 vehicles Olayinka and Omotoso claimed were missing and misappropriated are currently in the fleet of the government of Ekiti State, the official Ford brand vehicles allocated to the 37 magistrates in Ekiti state, the official vehicle of Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the official vehicle of the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning and several others were included in the vehicles delivered directly to the General Administration Department and paid for by the government of Ekiti State. Records of this are available in the General Administration Department. Documents to back this up were attached.

    Backed by the evidence he supplied to the court, the former governor averred that there was no banking facility or loan borrowed by his government that did not follow due process viz; the approval of the State Executive Council and the House of Assembly. He also insisted that no mismanagement of funds took place under his administration.

    He claimed that there was no law stopping an administration from borrowing beyond its tenure because government is a continuum. There were loans obtained for some water projects in Ekiti State since Adekunle Ajasin tenure between 1979 and 1983 that was deducted from Ekiti State allocation under Fayemi regime between 2010 and 2014.

    Fayemi contended that he did not borrow any money whose tenure expires in 2036, alleging that it was Fayose who borrowed and renegotiated till 2036.

    Some observers believe that Fayemi’s latest travails could be traced to a recent interview he granted THISDAY newspaper where he described the alleged manipulation of the 2014 governorship poll, otherwise known as “Ekitigate” as an “unfinished business.” It is believed in some quarters that his indictment by either an administrative panel of inquiry or a judicial commission of inquiry will be needed to make him ineligible to contest for the office of governor by any circumstance because indictment by such a panel is seen as a “political death sentence.”

    This is why he is determined to stop the panel from sitting before an incalculable damage is done to his political future on what he believes to be “spurious charges.” The minister believes that he can never get justice given the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the panel which he alleged is peopled by those he described as his “adversaries” as contained in his statement on oath.

    The commission has since swung into action by calling for memoranda from the members of the public. In a statement by its Secretary, Gbemiga Adaramola, the panel demanded the submission of ten copies of memoranda and a soft copy of same for perusal.

    Adaramola, who is also the Ado-Ekiti Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said the deadline for the submission of memoranda was last Friday, June 16, 2017.

    His words: “The commission hereby invites relevant stakeholders and the general Public to submit memorandum to the secretary of the commission at the registry of the commission, Ekiti State High Court Complex, Fajuyi Square, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State between now and 16th day of June, 2017.

    “Ten copies of the memorandum and a soft copy of same are expected to be submitted.”

  • Fayose holds rally on 2014 election victory

    Fayose holds rally on 2014 election victory

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday held a street rally on the third year anniversary of his victory in the June 21, 2014 governorship election.

    The governor announced his readiness to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, after the 2019 presidential poll.

    Fayose said he would contest the 2018 governorship poll and win before taking another shot at the Presidency in 2019.

    The governor said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would be crushed in the two elections.

    But the John Kayode Fayemi (JKF) Centre, a leadership and training centre, said “the ghost of the 2014 electoral fraud would continue to haunt Fayose”.

    The centre said the third anniversary was a celebration of fraud and misery.

    Fayose said Ekiti residents would always follow him to wherever he may go because of his achievements in almost three years in office.

    The governor accused the APC-led Federal Government of not living up to their expectation.

    Fayose addressed a crowd of party supporters from the 16 local government areas at the Government House before they trooped to the streets for the rally.

    The supporters marched from Fajuyi Park to Ojumose and stopped at the popular Old Garage.

    Fayose said: “The APC will be upset in 2018. We will crush them. That is why you have to be strong and firm. I am a leader in Nigeria and nobody can gag or cow me. This country belongs to all of us. Today, Nigerians are hungry and angry. There is so much nepotism and poverty in the land. So, this government must go.

    “This victory march is meant to thank the people of Ekiti State and to finally break down the wall of Jericho. I know we shall triumph, for I have the people behind me. After winning, I am going to Abuja to be President of Nigeria. I will take power from Buhari in 2019. That shall come to pass.”

    In a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, by its Director, Biodun Omoleye, the JKF Centre said the circumstances that threw up Fayose as governor had continued to haunt him with “devastating consequences on the polity”.

    The statement said: “The ghost of electoral fraud that produced Fayose will continue to haunt him. This we can see in the social, infrastructure and economic decay plaguing Ekiti State.”

  • Oluyede will transform Ekiti, says campaign chief

    Oluyede will transform Ekiti, says campaign chief

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Wole Oluyede, has been described as the right man to bring good governance and positive change, if entrusted with the mandate to lead the state from October 16, next year.

    The Director-General of the Wole Oluyede Campaign Organisation, Hon. Folorunso Ogundele, in a statement, described the Ikere Ekiti-born medical practitioner as “the best man for the top job in 2018,” given his experience, pedigree, connection and passion for development.

    Ogundele, a former House of Assembly member from Efon Constituency, said Oluyede’s exposure has prepared him for the task of governance, having worked in various countri, including the United States of America, Canada, the Caribbean and Australia.

    He said Oluyede’s ambition was borne out of his desire to “reset the values Ekiti is known for, which is about bringing back genuine commitment to the public good, bringing back hard work, dignity, and bringing Ekiti back to its pride of place and reckoning in Nigeria”.

    Ogundele said: “The feedback we are receiving from the grassroots has been positive about the Oluyede candidacy. This is a man who has always been with the people, he has a wide grassroots appeal.

    “The people in Ekiti have been able to point out a salient point that gives Oluyede a high rank among the contestants. They said despite Oluyede’s far and wide travels across the world, he has essentially remained a Nigerian and an Ekiti man religiously, preserving and nurturing his roots.

    “The mission of Oluyede for Ekiti is to reset the foundations of Ekiti-State by bringing back the recognition of dignity in hard work which serves as a basis for prosperity and delivered through well- thought out processes and comprehensive strategic framework.

    “The Ekiti Oluyede envisages is the one that will be firmly positioned on the West African Map as the best African model for eco-tourism and large scale farming ventures.

    “This would harness the natural advantage of Ekiti and make work more positively for its progress and in a manner that brings about sustainable livelihood and meaning for people particularly for the younger generation”.

    The APC Chairman in Ekiti South Senatorial District, Hon. Babade Kayode, commended Oluyede for his support for the party and members in the zone.

    Babade have the commendation during the party’s monthly senatorial meeting held at Ikere City Hall, Ikere-Ekiti, which was attended by party faithful from Ekiti Southwest, Ikere, Ise/Orun, Emure, Gbonyin and Ekiti East Local Government Areas which make up the district.

    The party senatorial chair hailed Oluyede’s efforts in mobilizing party members from their wards to senatorial meetings which he has been doing consistently in the last six months.

  • Ekiti ready to return mission schools, says Fayose

    Ekiti ready to return mission schools, says Fayose

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has said his administration is ready to hand over mission schools to their original owners as long as they can prove that they have the capacity to provide qualitative education in such institutions.

    The governor spoke at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during a meeting with the leadership of the Anglican Church and members of the Alumni Association of Christ’s School in Ado-Ekiti on moves to return the school and Christ’s Girls School to their original owners.

    Fayose said the provision of quality education to Ekiti children and improving standards the state had set were important to his administration.

  • Ekiti workers oppose plan to spend Paris Club refund on projects

    Civil servants in Ekiti State have kicked against an alleged plan by the state government to use part of the Paris Club refund on capital projects.

    A statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, by Enlightened Workers’ Forum’s (EWF’s) Coordinator Mike Bamidele, said the workers also urged the Federal Government to work out modalities for direct payment to them to prevent any plan to divert part of the state’s N9.6 billion share.

    The workers said the call was necessary because of their experience, when similar bailout cash from the Federal Government was not fully utilised for the payment of salary arrears and retirees’ benefits.

    The statement added: “Our concern is that Ekiti workers are suffering and pensioners are dying in large numbers. For the first time in Ekiti State, a senior civil servant committed suicide due to frustration. Yet, Governor Ayodele Fayose did not see any reason to adjust…”

  • Ekiti ex-Governor Oni to join 2018 race

    Ekiti ex-Governor Oni to join 2018 race

    The Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni is expected to officially declare next month for next year’s governorship race.

    The Director-General of Segun Oni Campaign, Dr. Ife Arowosoge, spoke yesterday at the maiden meeting of APC leaders and members from the 16 local government areas working for the 2018 aspiration of the former governor.

    To make the July declaration a reality, Arowosoge, a former House of Representatives member, said Oni had written letters to the party’s executives at ward, local government and state levels on his ambition.

    On the day of his declaration, Arowosoge said, Oni will also inaugurate the headquarters of his governorship campaign secretariat at Opopogbooro, on Iworoko Road, and visit APC state secretariat before visiting the party’s senatorial offices.

    The campaign chief said Oni had been receiving what he called “clarion calls” from interest groups, like teachers, civil servants, local government workers, retirees, youths and women, to take another shot at the governorship race on the strength of his performance between 2007 and 2010.

  • Ekiti: Politics of probe panel

    Ekiti: Politics of probe panel

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, are locked in a battle of wits over the constitution of a seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe the latter’s administration. The battle has now shifted to the court of law. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the intrigues and the roles of partisan actors in the entire saga.

    THREE years after the June 21, 2014 governorship election was won and lost, the political feud between the incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and the last occupant of the seat who is now the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is assuming new dimension every day.

    Fayemi had conceded victory less than 24 hours after the result was announced, saying he said it was in the overall interest of the state. He said he did it to prevent his supporters and party members from resorting to violence, though he has strong reservations about the poll result. Nevertheless, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the election result up to the Supreme Court.

    The relationship between Fayose and Fayemi has never been chummy. Shortly after being sworn into office, Fayose accused Fayemi of plunging the state into debt, an accusation denied by the latter. Thereafter, the governor accused him of plotting with the APC members of the Fourth House of Assembly to impeach him. Earlier this year, Fayose alleged that Fayemi was plotting with a section of the judiciary to remove him from office by revisiting the 2014 governorship poll result, an accusation which the former governor and his party said existed only in the imagination of the governor.

    As the political brickbats continued, the Fifth House of Assembly, which is made up of only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members, alleged that N852 million Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds were diverted during the Fayemi administration and in pursuant of its oversight functions extended an invitation to the former governor, to come and explain what happened to the money. The lawmakers alleged that the state could no longer access funds from the UBEC, because the said N852 million could not be properly accounted for. Besides, the assemblymen alleged discrepancies and irregularities in some contracts awarded during the tenure of the former governor.

    In response, Fayemi wrote a letter to the legislators, saying he could not honour their summons, because of pressing official engagements as federal minister. He said all the information needed by the assembly on the contentious UBEC funds and contracts awarded during his tenure are documented in his official handover note to Fayose. The explanation was not satisfactory to the legislators and they issued a warrant of arrest to compel his appearance, after extending two further invitations and not achieving any positive result.

    Fayemi had filed two lawsuits in relation to the allegations of diversion of SUBEB funds. The first one was a libel suit against Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, and the Chairman of the assembly Committee on Information, Samuel Omotoso, over alleged libelous comments on a television programme.  The second suit was filed against the House of Assembly at a Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, to nullify the warrant of arrest and any further action the lawmakers might take.

    The assembly at its plenary on May 11 passed a resolution empowering Fayose to set up either an Administrative Panel of Inquiry or a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the alleged diversion of funds and contracts awarded when Fayemi was in power between 2010 and 2012. The lawmakers hinged their action on the provisions of Section 128 (2b) and Section 129 of the 1999 Constitution. They said the resort to a Panel of Inquiry was in response to Fayemi’s alleged refusal to honour the three summons extended to him and the failure of the  Inspector General of Police  to execute a warrant of arrest issued against him.

    On May 22, Fayose set up a seven-member Judicial Commission of Inquiry in line with the assembly’s resolution. A former acting Chief Judge, Justice Silas Bamidele Oyewole, was named as the chairman. Other members of the panel are Gbemiga Adaramola (Secretary), Mrs. Bolanle Awe, Idowu Ayenimo, Vincent Omodara, Blessing Oladele, Oluremi Adesoba and S.B.J. Bamise (to act as counsel to the panel).

    Adaramola is the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP); Awe is the Secretary of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC); Ayenimo is a Chief Magistrate in the State Judiciary; Omodara is an Executive Secretary in the State Civil Service; Oladele, a labour leader, is former Chairman of Joint Negotiating Council (JNC); while Bamise is a state counsel at the Ministry of Justice.

    The panel has six terms of reference and has three months to conclude its sitting and make recommendations to the government. Terms of reference are: to ascertain how much Ekiti State Government received as statutory allocations during the period under review and how same were disbursed; to look into the financial transactions of Ekiti State between 2010 and 2014; to ascertain the amount received on behalf of the State from UBEC; to investigate the allegations of fraud/loss of funds, including the diversion and conversion of the UBEC funds; to ascertain the amount that the Ekiti State Government took as loans during the period under review and how they were utilized; including all other issues relating to the finances of the government within the period under review and to make appropriate recommendations to the Ekiti State Government.

    Following the latest move, Fayemi has gone to court again,  seeking an injunction to restrain Fayose, the state Attorney General and members of the commission from taking any step, until the two cases initiated against the planned probe are resolved.

    In the suit, which was filed before an Ekiti State High Court by his counsel, Rafiu Balogun, Fayemi who also joined the State House of Assembly and the Speaker, averred that the chairman of the panel and other members are cronies of Fayose who cannot be trusted to be fair, unbiased and impartial in the assignment given to them.

    Fayemi said “the panel members have been appointed to act a script already prepared by their appointing authority, as touted by two aides of Fayose, Lere Olayinka and Samuel Omotoso, before the constitution of the panel”. The minister insisted that the panel was not properly constituted as the chairman, secretary and other members of the commission cannot be apolitical, neutral or unbiased because of their affinity with the governor of Ekiti state, “which therefore put the independence and impartiality of the panel into serious distrust”.

    Fayemi  is also seeking a declaration that the motion and subsequent resolution of Ekiti State House of Assembly, directing the governor (the first defendant) to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate or probe his administration  are unlawful, illegal and ought to be declared null and void, in view of the fact the resolution was passed during the pendency of a case involving him and the Ekiti State House of Assembly and its speaker, which touched on the legality of the summons and powers of the Assembly to conduct any investigation or direct any other person or body to do so without strict compliance with the tenets of the 1999 constitution.

    He averred that the assembly acted in flagrant contravention of the principle of separation of powers and had committed a fundamental breach of its Standing Order and doctrine of subjudice by revisiting the issue of investigation of  his administration  and passing a resolution for the setting up of a judicial panel with terms and reference that would prejudice the outcome of the case between him and the House of Assembly and its speaker.

    Fayemi is also seeking a declaration that the Assembly cannot exercise its power under Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, to direct the governor to set up the panel to investigate his administration while the House had earlier conducted its investigation and submitted its report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging the anti- graft  body to further conduct discreet investigation and prosecute him and some officials of his administration.

    Other declarations being sought by Fayemi are: “That the setting up of the panel after the conclusion of its investigation by the House of Assembly to allegations of financial malpractices and the submission of same to the EFCC would amount to oppression, double jeopardy and a clear abuse of legislative power.

    “A declaration that the House of Assembly cannot exercise its constitutional right to direct or cause the Governor of Ekiti State to constitute a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the plaintiff when the conditions precedent for the exercise of such powers, as enshrined in the constitution, have not been  fulfilled by the Assembly.”

    In addition, Fayemi is also seeking an order of the court, to nullify the resolution of the Ekiti State House of Assembly of May 10, directing the governor to constitute the panel of inquiry. He is also urging the court to grant an order to dissolve the Commission of Inquiry constituted and inaugurated by the governor, acting on the resolution of the state House of assembly, as well as an award of N500 million as general damages to be paid by the first, third and fourth respondents (i.e. the governor, Ekiti State House of Assembly and the Speaker) for the embarrassment, the odium and the public ridicule the purported resolution of the House have caused him.

    The former governor is also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the House of Assembly from passing similar resolution and the governor from constituting another Judicial Commission of Inquiry or Administrative Panel, because the issues relating to the finances of the his administration have been submitted before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and are pending before two courts of competent jurisdiction for adjudication.

    In the supporting affidavit he personally deposed to, Fayemi said the resolution of the House summoning him to appear before it and the subsequent one that led to the issuing of a bench warrant of arrest against him were done in bad faith. He said: “It was a calculated attempt to embarrass me and undermine the effect of my libel suit pending before the Federal Capital territory High Court in Abuja.”

    Some observers believe that Fayose is using the template of his Rivers State counterpart, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, who empanelled a similar Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe his immediate predecessor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on how state funds were managed and on contracts awarded during the latter’s eight-year rule. With his constant fingering of Fayemi as being the arrowhead of a plot to remove him from office, it is believed that Fayose resorted to the panel to whip his predecessor into line and as a public affairs analyst puts it “to politically liquidate him”.

    Another observer is also of the view that there is no way Fayemi can get justice from the panel. He said: “The ex-governor has done the right thing by going to court before the panel commences its sitting, unlike Amaechi who did not take any legal action before Rivers panel commenced work. It’s going to be an interesting development and we will see how events unfold.”

    This is the second time an incumbent administration in Ekiti State would set up an inquiry to probe the preceding government. In January 2007, the emergency administration of former Administrator, Brig.-Gen. Adetunji Idowu Olurin (rtd), raised a seven-man panel to investigate the first administration of Fayose. The panel, which had Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba (now of the Court of Appeal), was set up to investigate violence, destruction of property human rights abuses, victimisation and summary dismissal of some public servants from office that happened during Fayose’s first tenure sat for about three months before turning in its report. But, the subsequent administration did not implement the recommendations of the Lawal panel.

    The people of Ekiti are watching the unfolding drama being generated by the politics of the probe panel with bated breath. Will it stand the test of time? Will the panel still go ahead with the cases already instituted? Does the probe have any connection with Fayemi’s future political ambition? These questions will be answered in the next few weeks.

     

  • ‘Ekiti spent over N1b on car, housing loans in two years’

    ‘Ekiti spent over N1b on car, housing loans in two years’

    The Ekiti State government has disbursed over N1 billion as housing and car loans to its workers since the inception of the second tenure of Ayodele Fayose’s administration about two and a half years ago.

    The Head of Service (HoS), Dr Olugbenga Faseluka, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said over N413.18 million was disbursed as housing loans while N696.87 million was disbursed to 2,997 workers during the period.

    According to him, while housing loans were disbursed in tranches, the car loans, which range from N80,000 to N1.5 million, depending on the beneficiaries’ salary grade levels, were disbursed in full to the workers.

    Faseluka said Governor Fayose recently approved the reintegration of the workers in the public service into the National Housing Fund (NHF) with effect from January, as part of efforts at ensuring that the workers have their own homes.

    He said the state government had acquired 20 hectares of land opposite the Obasanjo Estate on Ikere Road in Ado-Ekiti for the take-off of the Staff Housing Scheme, which would be financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).

    The HoS noted that an enabling circular for the remittance of workers’ salaries to the NHF had been issued, ahead of the take-off of the scheme.

    Reiterating the commitment of the government to the welfare of workers, Faseluka recalled that Governor Fayose had severally assured the workers that there would neither be a pay cut nor retrenchment in the civil service, despite the prevailing recession.

    He restated the governor’s pledge to pay outstanding salaries before the end of his tenure.

     

     

     

  • Ekiti fuel crisis: NUPENG, IPMAN suspend strike as Aregbesola intervenes

    Ekiti fuel crisis: NUPENG, IPMAN suspend strike as Aregbesola intervenes

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) yesterday suspended their three-week-old strike in Ekiti State, following the intervention of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

    Leaders of the two unions and Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose met at the Osun State Government House and signed an agreement to suspend the strike.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the Ekiti State government agreed to pleas for the reversal of some Certificates of Occupancy of landed property on which filling stations were built except those on waterways, canal and where there is no justification for such revocation.

    The communique was signed by Governors Fayose and Aregbesola, NUPENG’s General Secretary Joseph Ogbebor, IPMAN’s Zonal Chairman Debo Ahmed and Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association’s (PTD’s) NUPENG National Vice Chairman Solomon Kilanko.

    The communique said an ad hoc committee, comprising of Ekiti State government and oil and gas marketers would be constituted to spell out the conditions and guidelines for the establishment and operations of filling stations in the state.

    It was also agreed that demolition should stop, pending the outcome of the Committee’s report.

    After the meeting, Fayose, who addressed reporters, expressed happiness with the suspension of the strike.

    The governor hailed Aregbesola for his intervention and prayed for the progress of the country.

    Aregbesola expressed appreciation to the unions for their understanding.

  • Petroleum marketers in Ekiti suspend strike

    Petroleum marketers in Ekiti suspend strike

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ekiti on Sunday suspended its strike.

    NAN reports that IPMAN embarked on the action on May 25, over demolition of some petrol stations and the revocation of some Certificate of Occupancy by the Gov. Ayo Fayose.

    The suspension of the strike is contained in a communiqué issued in Osogbo at the end of a peace meeting called by Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

    The communiqué, which was signed by Aregbesola, Fayose and the representatives of the marketers, was made available to newsmen at Osun Government House where the peace meeting was held.

    According to the communiqué, an ad hoc committee would be constituted to fashion out in clear terms the conditions and guidelines for the establishment and operations of filling stations in Ekiti state.

    It stated that the committee, to comprise of representatives of Ekiti state government and oil and gas stakeholders, shall begin work on June 7.

    “In the spirit of reconciliation, the Ekiti government has agreed to pleas for reversal of the revocation of some Certificates of Occupancy of landed properties on which filling stations are built, except the ones on waterways and canals,” the communique said.

    It also stated that the Ekiti government had agreed to stop further demolitions pending the outcome of the committee’s report.

    “The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), IPMAN and other related oil and gas unions, hereby, suspend the industrial action embarked upon by their members, with immediate effect,” it said.

    Fayose, while speaking with journalists after the meeting, commended the black marketers, who had taken over the streets of Ado Ekiti and other towns.

    He said their services cushioned the effect of the scarcity caused by the strike.

    Fayose, however, said that with the fuel marketers resuming operations, black marketers were sure to fizzle out.

    On his part, Aregbesola said the resolution of the crisis was a confirmation that the people had the capacity to resolve their differences.

    He commended the maturity of his Ekiti state counterpart and the fuel marketers for allowing the crisis to be successfully resolved. (NAN)