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Tag: Ekiti

  • Ekiti communities protest power outage

    Ekiti communities protest power outage

    Two communities in Ekiti State-Aramoko and Erio-erupted in wild protests penultimate week as residents, led by their traditional rulers, took to the highway to protest a six-month power outage. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

    Residents of Aramoko-Ekiti and Erio-Ekiti, both in Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State showed their fury penultimate week over a six-month blackout occasioned by their disconnection from power source by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).

    They took to the streets as early as 6:30 a.m., marching around and singing war songs against the electricity company for “throwing them into darkness longer than necessary”.

    The major highway that traversed the two neighbouring communities, private motorists, commercial drivers, commuters and vehicles belonging to government and private organisations bore the brunt of the riot.

    They were held up in traffic for nearly four hours as the irate indigenes of the towns prevented vehicular movement; causing a massive gridlock that spanned several kilometres.

    Aramoko is a nodal town and a major junction when a traveller intends to reach Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, from cities such as Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Osogbo, Ife and Ilesa.

    It is the headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area and one can connect other towns such as Ijero, Ipoti, Ikoro, Okemesi, Ido, Erijiyan and Ikogosi, where the famous warm spring is located.

    Erio, on the other hand, is the immediate town before and after Aramoko, depending on which direction you are coming from and it is famous as the site of the Mountain of Mercy (Ori Oke Aanu) which draws millions of people for prayer programmes every year.

    Like many other communities in Ekiti State, Aramoko and Erio have been having issues with the BEDC which led to attacks on officials of the company, violent protests and vandalism of company’s vehicles and power installations.

    Communities which had altercations with the BEDC in the recent past included Ifaki, Oye, Emure, Ijan, Iyin,  Ikere, and some parts of Ado.

    That of Ifaki was dramatic as the youth of the town staged a violent protest which was halted by the intervention of Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Out of the N6 million allegedly owed by Ifaki community, Fayose assisted it by paying N5 million after which he warned other communities to always ensure that their citizens pay their electricity bills as power generation and distribution had been privatised.

    Ikere, believed to be the second largest town in the state, was thrown into darkness for over one month after the youth of the community attacked members of staff of BEDC whom they accused of bringing ‘crazy’ bills without providing electricity.

    The town was subsequently disconnected by officials of the electricity company but the feud was resolved following the intervention of the state government, security agencies, community leaders and other interest groups.

    At Aramoko, the protest was led by the Alara, Oba Adegoke Olu Adeyemi while that of Erio was led by the Regent, Princess Adejoke Aladetoyinbo Ojo.

    The Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola, visited the two communities in the heat of the protest and appealed to the irate demonstrators to give peace a chance and allow government to mediate in the crisis.

    Olusola, alongside the Alara and the Regent went to the spots where roads were barricaded and urged the protesters to allow free flow of traffic.

    The protesters accused the BEDC of “illegal disconnection from the national grid” without their knowledge and also accused it of bringing bills on electricity they never used.

    They wondered why the BEDC kept on distributing bills on electricity it did not supply and which the residents did not use. They accused the officials of being the agents of complicity in vandalism of transformers in the their communities.

    One of the protesters, Mrs. Sarah Ojo said: “Despite lack of electricity in our town, we still pay N2, 000 monthly as electricity bills and later they would come to disconnect our light.

    “There was a time we enjoyed the light only two days in a whole month and after then, no light again and they have turned this place to “kingdom of darkness”.

    “We later discovered that the N2, 000 we paid to them was pocketed by their officials. We later discovered that it was the BEDC officials that disconnected our cables from the transformers.

    “They are robbers who reap where they did not sow; we do not owe them anything. In fact, we don’t want to be connected with Ekiti again; we want to be connected with Osun.”

    Another protester, Tope Olajide said: “We are tired of this hardship. Just imagine, we have no light, no water and we have government that watches while these things happen to us.

    “If Fayose does not do anything as soon as possible, we are marching on to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti because we installed him with our votes and he must find solution to our problems.

    “In fact, the protest won’t stop today; we are coming out again tomorrow and next tomorrow until they find solution to this problem because we cannot bear it any longer.

    “We have about seven transformers in Aramoko alone and none of them has cables on it currently. We suspected that they were vandalised by BEDC engineers because somebody who is not an expert cannot go to the transformer to remove something from it.”

    The Alara said his subjects have been suffering, saying the community is tired of paying for services not rendered by the electricity company. He said the officials of the company dumped bills in his palace when his subjects rejected them.

    Oba Adeyemi said: “The BEDC has not done well by disconnecting us without our knowledge. This unjust treatment is part of the insults and injuries we are suffering in the hands of the BEDC.

    “Our request is direct: Fayose’s administration did it before, he connected us to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), and we were enjoying it. We want him to return us to IBEDC. In terms of payment, we are among the communities that pay our bills.

    “The BEDC is cheating us. When they give us electricity for five minutes, they would have five hours in their record.

    “We discovered that they haven’t got measuring rod in this area but they said they have a pool where they take the records from where they distribute the bills.

    “How can we pay for services not rendered? That is one of the problems we have with them.

    “We never had light at all for over five months now and we didn’t know when the entire community was disconnected. We are far to the source of power and we want you to intervene because we have been suffering.

    “We have bought 10 cables and arrested robbers and vandals who are now in prison. We are tired of paying for services not rendered. Do they have the moral right to keep on distributing bills now?

    “They have brought and dumped bills in my palace, armed robbers are on the prowl and this has caused businesses and other activities to be paralysed.”

    While thanking the governor for promptly stepping into the problem, Erio Regent, Princess Ojo, said her subjects want power supply to the community removed from BEDC and joined with IBEDC.

    She said:  ”Erio, Aramoko and Ido were linked together but to our surprise, we discovered that they had solved the problem of Ido. We want to be removed from BEDC.”

    According to the Deputy Governor, the state government and the affected communities would set up a committee consisting of various stakeholders to look into the problem.

    A meeting was held later in the day at the Deputy Governor’s office to find a way to resolve the crisis. It comprised government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders and officials of BEDC.

    But the Chief State Head of BEDC in charge of Ondo and Ekiti states, Ernest Edgar claimed that consumers in Aramoko and Erio owe the company over N132 million in electricity bills.

    He revealed that the communities had incurred N74 million since BEDC took over.

    Edgar said in a statement: “As a company at the end of the value chain of the power business; BEDC is expected to pay fully for the energy it receives from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and to remain in business, every community is expected to pay fully for every kilowatts of energy that’s consumed.

    “We are constrained by the fact that what is given to BEDC as allocation from the National Grid for the four states of coverage is just nine per cent of total generation in the country which is grossly inadequate.

  • Ekiti appoints 13 executive secretaries

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has approved the appointment of 13 Executive Secretaries for the state public service.

    A statement from the Office of the State Head of Service, Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka, explained that the executive secretaries were among the 105 substantive directors that participated in the examination and interview organised by the state government last month.

    The new appointees include Mr. Ale James Agbelusi, Mrs. Owoeye Mopelola, Mr. Jeje Abiodun, Mr. Akinola James, Mr. Longe Abayomi, Mr. Olatilu Olubunmi, Mr. Akinbolawa Taiwo, and Engr. Adeola Johnson.

    Others are Pharmacist Adewole Abike Olutope, Mrs. Boluwatife Juliet, Mr. Alokan Tokunbo, Mrs. Wale-Awe Bolanle and Dr. Adeniyi Ilesanmi.

    The statement added that they would be in charge of the activities of Bureau of Chieftaincy, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Education Endowment Fund, Pension Commission, Bureau of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as Boundary Commission and Office of the Public Defender.

    The remaining executive secretaries would man the State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA), Primary Health Care Development Agency, Bureau of Productivity and Empowerment, Solid Minerals Development Agency, State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and Farm Settlement and Peasant Farmer.

    It said that the appointments  are with immediate effect.

     

  • Drama as Ekiti trader prostrates in court to escape sentence

    A trader at the New Garage, Ado Ekiti,, Odims Frank,went flat tommy at an Ado Ekiti Customary court  earlier this week,begging for leniency after he was slammed with  contempt of court.

    Frank had  filed a petition at the court against  one Adenike Aarin,but  walked out of

    the court midway into the  proceeding.

    The  court president Joseph Ogunsemi did not take kindly to Frank’s action, and  directed a police officer attached to the court to get the man arrested.

    Back inside the court and told what offence he had committed, Frank  first went

    on his knees before prostrating to plead for leniency.

    “My lord, I am very sorry sir, please have mercy on me, I am very sorry. I will never do that again, I respect this court, kindly pardon me my lord,” he said.

    Mr .Ogunsemi upbraided him for his behaviour,saying: : “Is this the way you behave to your customers? This is a court of law, it is not a marketplace and you must comport yourself well in  court and not do what you like .

    “You are warned for the last time or have you taken ‘kain-kain’ this morning?

    “Don’t repeat that again.Rudeness to a judge is rudeness to all judges and magistrates in Nigeria.

    “If you do that again, that will be counted against you and the consequences will be terrible for you.You are pardoned.”

    Prior to Frank’s drama,counsel to the defendant, Miss E.E. Iseh, had r asked for a new date

    to apply for records of proceedings of the last sitting to enable her cross-examine the petitioner.

    The court president subsequently adjourned the case to August 31 for further hearing.

  • Ekiti monarchs get chairman

    The Ologotun of Ogotun Ekiti, Oba Samuel Oladapo Oyebade, is the Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers.

    Oyebade succeeds the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti, Oba Adamo Idowu Babalola, who has just completed his two-year term.

    The council’s chairman was sworn in by Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday at the Abiodun Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Oyebade pledged his loyalty to the government and people of the state, promising that the council would embrace justice and fair-play in all its dealings during his tenure.

    Fayose promised to always accord monarchs with the respect they deserve and always tap from their experience in administering the state.

    The governor pledged the support  of his administration to the new chairman of the council to succeed in his new position, urging the  members to reciprocate the gesture by maintaining peace and security in their domains.

  • Estate residents sue Ekiti for forced eviction

    •Plaintiffs demand N20m damages

    Residents of Irewolede Estate in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, who were evicted from their homes, have gone to court to challenge the action of the state government.

    They were evicted for failing to complete payment of mortgages on their houses within the time stipulated by the Ayo Fayose administration.

    But they were saved by the intervention of traditional rulers and the state’s prominent indigenes, who pleaded on their behalf after which government granted an extension of three months within which to complete their payment.

    The embattled estate residents now have up to November 30 to pay up or face a fresh eviction exercise expected to begin on December 1.

    In a suit filed by their counsel Rafiu Balogun at an Ado-Ekiti High Court, the Irewolede Estate Landlords through their chairman Ayo Orebe and 17 others are seeking an order for the payment of N20 million as aggravated and exemplary damages for trespass, humiliation, assault and degrading treatment meted out to them by the defendants.

    The defendants/respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of Ekiti State (first), Ekiti State Housing Corporation (second), Ekiti State Commissioner of Police (third) and Ekiti State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (fourth).

    Attached to the Writ of Summons are relevant documents like receipts of initial deposits, letters of provisional allocation of houses to claimants by the housing corporation and applications for mortgage loans.

    The claimants are also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants either by themselves or by their agents, servants, workers, officers and men of the third and fourth defendants from ejecting or further disturbing them as they have not committed any breach of purchase/mortgage agreement until the agreement is determined by court.

    Another relief sought is a declaration that the acts of Ekiti State Government and second defendant by forcibly entering into the estate, assaulting the claimants, locking them out using the officers and men of the third and fourth defendants and political thugs amount to breach of context and tortuous acts of assault and trespass.

    They equally prayed the court for a declaration that the purchase/mortgage agreement entered into with the second defendant in respect of their houses located in the estate as contained in their respective letters of offer is subsisting and government and housing corporation are duty bound to honour same.

    In the statement on oath of the first claimant (Orebe), he averred that house owners were requested to pay the total costs of the houses within the period ranging from five to 15 years from the day offer letters were written to them by the second defendant.

    He added that house owners have not even exhausted the initial period of five years within which to pay up let alone asking for an extension of another five years as provided for in the letters of offer.

    Orebe said: “I know that we were flabbergasted and rattled when the present administration under the leadership of Governor Ayo Fayose summoned us for a meeting and handed down a strong warning to us that we must pay up all the purchase prices within a period of one month or face dire and terrible consequences of ejection.

    “I know that Mr. Governor also went on air both at the state radio and television stations to embarrass all of us by saying publicly that we are occupying our houses free of charge. This was done to deliberately to incite Ekiti people against us and expose us to ridicule and hatred.

    “I know that the state government started making good its threat when Governor Fayose ordered the invasion of the estate by armed policemen, civil defence officers and political thugs on August 5th and 6th, 2015, who sealed some houses and harassed occupants.

    “The situation was so bad that my four-day-old baby and his mother, my wife, were locked up inside my house and the keys were taken away.”

  • Ekiti PDP crisis: Court orders service of summons on Fayose’s faction, others

    Legal battle began yesterday on the festering factional crisis rocking the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with an Ado-Ekiti High Court ordering service of court processes on the factional loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The court also ordered substituted service on the PDP National Secretariat through the state chapter of the party.

    The suit was instituted by Tunde Olatunde, Tope Aluko, Afolayan Akutupu, Tunji Olanrewaju, Mrs. Busola Oyebode, Ganiyu Bankole and Femi Ogunleye.

    Defendants are PDP (first) , Idowu Faleye (second), Kola Kolade (third), Ajibola Samuel (fourth), Sina Animasaun (fifth), Mrs. Lanre Fajuyi, (sixth), Kola Lawal (seventh), Babade Ige (eighth),  Lateef Agbaje (ninth) and Ayo Ogungbuyi (10th).

    The second defendant is the chairman of the faction loyal to Fayose. The third to tenth defendants are members of a Disciplinary Committee, which recommended suspension and expulsion of four members of the State Working Committee (SWC).

    The four SWC members, who were pronounced expelled for alleged anti-party activities, are Olatunde (acting chairman), Aluko (secretary), Olanrewaju (auditor) and Mrs. Oyebode (women leader).

    Justice Lekan Ogunmoye heard a motion ex-parte moved by counsel to the claimants/applicants, Oluwatobi Fatoki.

    The motion was supported by a 10-paragraph affidavit and supported by a written address brought pursuant to Sections 96 and 97 of the Sheriff Act and Order 7 Rule 5 (a) of Ekiti State High Court Civil Procedure Rule.

    After the motion was moved by Fatoki, Justice Ogunmoye granted the claimants/applicants leave to issue originating summons and other processes filed in the suit on the first defendant (PDP) in Abuja, which is outside the jurisdiction of the court.

    Justice Ogunmoye also granted an order of substituted service of the originating summons and all other processes to be filed in the action on PDP through Ekiti State Chapter at No 161, Ureje, Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti.

    The judge further granted an order of substituted service on the second to 10th defendants since personal service on them might be difficult for the claimants/applicants.

    He held that since the application was ex-parte, the facts therein remained incontrovertible and they were granted after being carefully and dispassionately considered.

    Parties in the suit are expected back in court on October 14.

     

  • FERMA begins repair of Federal roads in Ekiti

    FERMA begins repair of Federal roads in Ekiti

    The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has started repairing some federal roads in Ekiti State to bring relief to motorists and commuters plying them.

    Ifaki-Ikole-Omuo-Kogi State boundary road, which is “receiving the immediate attention of the agency”, is the busiest federal road in the state.

    Apart from serving as the link road to the Federal Capital Territory, the road also serves as alternative route to motorists and commercial drivers going to Abuja from Kwara State, who now avoid Egbe-Kabba-Okene portion because it had remained impassable.

    FERMA’s executive management team led by the Executive Director (Administration and Human Resources Development), Degi Eremienyo, was on hand to assess the extent and quality of work done.

    Eremienyo hailed the agency’s officials in Ekiti for the work done so far.

    The team also inspected other critical roads in Ekiti to assess the extent of damage and propose possible measures to mitigate the situation.

    The state’s FERMA’s Maintenance Engineer, Emmanuel Onu, said the repair “is being carried out to save critical washouts and failures on federal roads due to the effect of the rains”.

  • Ekiti PDP crisis: Faction threatens Fayose-backed men over ‘contempt’

    Ekiti PDP crisis: Faction threatens Fayose-backed men over ‘contempt’

    •Expulsion in order, says governor’s faction 

    The estranged State Working Committee (SWC) members of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the faction loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose of contempt of court.

    They threatened to jail the chairman of the faction backed by Fayose, Idowu Faleye, for allegedly spearheading the purported expulsion of four of them.

    The embattled SWC added that the action eroded the integrity of the court of law, where its members filed a suit against any punitive measure against them.

    The Chairman of the 11 SWC members, Tunde Olatunde, whose expulsion was announced by Faleye and three other state exco members, maintained that they would explore available legal and constitutional means to seek redress and ensure that those holding court in contempt were committed to prison.

    Others, who were expelled by the Faleye-led faction, were PDP State Secretary, Tope Aluko; Women Leader Mrs. Busola Oyebode and Auditor Tunji Olanrewaju. They were expelled for alleged anti-party activities.

    Olatunde, who spoke with reporters at the wedding of Aluko’s daughter at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, said the faction loyal to Fayose knew that a suit had been filed at the Ekiti State High Court challenging their suspension and seeking leave of the court to restrain the party from taking further action against them.

    He said for Faleye and other loyalists of Fayose to go ahead and expel them in view of the pending court process, was tantamount to contempt of court, abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to foist a fait accompli on the court.

    Olatunde said: “Shortly after we were suspended, we went to court to challenge our suspension and also asked the court to restrain the party from taking further decision pending the time the reconciliation committee to be constituted by the NWC arrives in Ekiti.

    “What really marvelled us was that the Faleye and his ilk were duly served with all the court processes. But we decided to stay action in the pursuit of the case because of the respect we have for the NWC, which had indicated interest to resolve the matter.

    “But out of desperation, they went and trampled on the integrity of the court. We would have expected that status quo be maintained while awaiting what the court and NWC would say on the matter.

    “We are assuring that we will use every legal means to ensure that Faleye and his collaborators are jailed for contempt. Though we are not ruling out the reconciliation being proposed by NWC, we are ready to embrace it. But if they failed, then we will resort to legal means.”

    But the spokesman of the Faleye-led faction, Jackson Adebayo, insisted that the expulsion was in order.

    He added that the quartet had been expelled before they went to court to seek protection against disciplinary action.

    Adebayo said: “There was no contempt of court in anything that the party’s state executive committee did because the expulsion was done before the aggrieved went to court.

    “I don’t think they understand the meaning of contempt of court. If they understand it, they will not be going to court for injunction after an action had been taken.”

  • OPC seeks release of leader from Ekiti prison

    The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in Ekiti State has appealed to Governor Ayo Fayose to ensure the release of its chairman Adeniyi Adedipe from prison custody.

    Adedipe is on remand for alleged complicity in the murder of former state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Omolafe Aderiye, on September 25, last year.

    The OPC chief and six others appeared at an Ado-Ekiti High Court last Thursday, but the case was adjourned to September 28 and 29 by the trial judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, for definite hearing.

    But the group insisted that Adedipe had no hand in Aderiye’s killing, describing the duo as “brothers and business partners with long years of close bond”.

    Making the appeal at the weekend at a briefing, an OPC executive member in the state, Segun Egunlusi, urged Fayose to reconsider Adedipe’s case because his remand was “political”.

    He noted that Adedipe had used his office to collaborate with successive administrations and security agencies to fight crime and would never be involved in any criminal act.

    Egunlusi expressed sadness that Adedipe’s remand in prison custody prevented him from participating in the funeral rites of his late father.

  • Ekiti PDP crisis worsens as Fayose expels chieftains

    Ekiti PDP crisis worsens as Fayose expels chieftains

    The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, yesterday worsened as a faction loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose suspended four members of the State Working Committee (SWC).

    The faction loyal to Fayose is led by Idowu Faleye while the other faction made up of 11 aggrieved SWC members is led by Tunde Olatunde, who was appointed Acting Chairman shortly after Faleye purportedly resigned in May.

    The two factions have been locked in a bitter struggle for the soul of the party which culminated in a reported shootout at the state party’s secretariat on July 31.

    The Faleye faction in a statement on Friday said those suspended include Olatunde, state PDP Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko; Women Leader; Mrs. Busola Oyebode and Auditor, Tunji Olanrewaju.

    They were accused of involvement in anti-party activities by the disciplinary committee set up to investigate them.

    The statement read in part: “The State Executive Committee of Peoples Democratic Party Ekiti State met today  August 10, 2015 to review the report of the disciplinary committee set up by the party to investigate allegations of anti- party activities levelled against some officers of the party and resolved as follows:

    “That the Chief Idowu Faleye led executive is the recognized Executive in Ekiti State as confirmed by the National Working Committee.

    “ SEC resolved to uphold the recommendation of the panel on the expulsion of the following people from the party in line with the constitution of the party for their anti- party activities;  Dr Tope Aluko;  Mr Tunde Olatunde; Mrs Busola Oyebode and Mr Tunji Olanrewaju.

    ”SEC ratified the sustenance, nomination and /or appointment of the following as the State Working Committee of the party: Chairman, Chief Idowu Faleye; Deputy Chairman Nelson Shaba, Senatorial Chairman of Ekiti North, Gbeyiro Sunday, Senatorial Chairman of Ekiti South, Alhaji Gani Bankole, and Senatorial Chairman of Ekiti Central , Mr Femi Ogunleye.

    Others are the new Youth Leader, Ayo Ogungbuyi; Women Leader, Afolabi Yemisi Gloria ,Treasurer;  Hon Adeolu Aluko; Auditor , Mojeed Azees Apempe; Publicity Secretary; Jackson Adebayo, Legal Adviser;Olowolafe Ojo Sunday and  Financial Secretary, Akutupu Afolayan.

    Reacting to their suspension, Aluko described the action as a “huge joke, an affront on the party’s constitution and impunity of the highest order and we are not affected by their illegal action.”

    Aluko who spoke in a telephone interview described Faleye and his backers as “jokers and jesters” expressing worry that the party was being ridiculed before Ekiti people and Nigerians by those bent on violating its constitution.

    According to him, those “fomenting the crisis” are defectors from the Labour Party (LP) who don’t understand the philosophy, doctrine and manifesto of the PDP.