The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has dismissed Governor Ayo Fayose’s allegation that President Muhammadu Buhari planned to use the military probe of soldiers’ involvement in last year’s governorship poll to remove him from office.
The party said Fayose’s outburst at a briefing in Lagos won’t save him from what it called “the biggest electoral fraud in the history of Nigeria”.
The APC, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, alleged that Fayose sent emissaries to the military panel in Kaduna State in a rescue bid but the emissaries were rebuffed.
The party claimed that Fayose attempted to beg the President on the military investigation of Ekitigate but did not succeed hence his (Fayose’s) latest frustration.
Olatunbosun said: “Fayose’s alleged fraudulent attempt to draw the support of the international community was an impish attempt to legitimise fraud.”
The party spokesman said the international community had realised that world leaders were victims of Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) alleged fraud by misleading them in Fayose’s victory in Ekiti State.
“Although the international community declared that the Ekiti poll that produced Fayose was fair, it has since changed its position after listening to the Ekiti poll fraud tape secretly recorded by Captain Sagir Koli detailing how Fayose and PDP leaders rigged the election.”
Ado-Ekiti Main Market, the Erekesan, which was believed to have existed for over 100 years, has been demolished to pave the way for a new one. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines how the demolition affected the lives of traders and the city.
The Erekesan Market in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital is not run-of-the-mill market. It is the biggest, the busiest and the most patronised market not only in the city but in the entire state.
Otherwise known as the Oja Oba (the king’s market), it is in the heart of the city and adjacent to the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi III.
As in other Yoruba towns and cities, it is located within the vicinity of the palace and is synonymous with royalty. Oja Oba in any Yoruba community serves as one of the symbols of the king and it is usually closed anytime a reigning monarch passes away.
The Erekesan Market, which is believed to have existed for over 100 years, grew in leaps and bounds as Ado-Ekiti expanded over the years and used to be patronised by customers from all over the country and beyond.
Other markets in Ado-Ekiti include Bisi, Okesa, Irona, Mojere, Enu Odi, Irasa, Better Life and Awedele. These markets are neighbourhood ones which serve the needs of people residing in the areas where they are located.
They exist alongside the city’s main market; but some of them open for business on specific days unlike the Erekesan which opens its doors for business every day.
The influx of more people into Ado-Ekiti, especially when the city became the capital of Ekiti State on October 1, 1996, widened the scope of the market; thus overstretching the little available facilities.
Having become a state capital without any known Master Plan, situations inside and outside the Erekesan Market became chaotic; judged by the huge crowd that visits it daily.
The market had no parking space. This resulted in making those who came to do business violate traffic rules. This is so because many traders; especially those without shops, displayed their wares in a disorganised manner and at unlawful places.
•Stranded traders who could not get shops at Agric Olope Market
Apart from this, the market suffered environmental deterioration as heaps of garbage turned it to an eyesore. Owing to lack of toilet facilities, traders and their customers experience difficulties anytime they are hard-pressed.
Besides, theft of money, goods and other materials were common place and on some occasions, the aggrieved resorted to jungle justice until a police post was established at the Ewi’s Palace.
The market has been gutted by fire several times in the past; with goods worth millions of Naira lost.
Two tragedies befell the market in quick succession in the month of May. The first was the violent clash between youths of Ado-Ekiti and Hausa traders which resulted in the burning of some shops and the Hausa traders temporarily relocated to Shasha, on the outskirts of the neighbouring Ikere-Ekiti.
As the victims were still brooding over their losses, unknown arsonists set the market on fire about a week after the first incident which affected greater number of shops.
The relics of the burnt shops made the market ugly and made many traders bankrupt.
Apparently shocked by the savagery of the unknown individuals who set the market ablaze and the huge losses which followed it, Governor Ayo Fayose was determined to give the city a new market that befits its status.
During this year’s Udiroko Festival, Governor Fayose officially announced his readiness to construct a new market to replace the Erekesan as a mark of his respect for the Ewi and in appreciation of the support he received from his subjects at the June 21, 2014 governorship election.
As time went by, Fayose, who was determined to bring his dream for a new market to reality, summoned owners of buildings at the market to a meeting where he unfolded his administration’s intent and the compensation package.
The governor issued deadlines three times and ordered those to be affected by the planned demolition to move to Agric Olope and Awedele markets expected to serve as alternatives to the soon-to-be demolished Erekesan Market.
Fayose’s predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, had wanted to demolish the market to build a new one but he was persuaded to put the plan in abeyance by Ado-Ekiti traditional rulers who wanted some sacred trees and shrines located in the market preserved.
Agric Olope Market was constructed by the Fayemi-led administration to be an alternative place in the event of the demolition of Erekesan Market. It was completed and allocated to traders but those to who shops were allotted did not move in there after they had paid the required fees.
The Fayemi administration also built the Awedele Neighbourhood Market in conjunction with the Oodua Investment Limited in order to reduce the pressure on the Erekesan Market and bring commerce nearer to the people.
As the demolition date approached, anxious traders began to remove their goods and other properties from the old market.
Fayose repeatedly announced that there won’t be an extension of date as some traders had demanded in view of the forthcoming Christmas season.
Many of them were pained that the market demolition was done few weeks to the Yuletide season. They had canvassed a shift of date to the middle of January next year to enable them to make some profits during the Christmas sales.
In spite of the passionate pleas, government’s bulldozers roared aloud and demolished the entire market. The skyline was covered with dust and the buildings and stalls were brought down one after the other.
Security agents, government officials, journalists, members of drivers’ union and other members of the public watched as the structures that had endured for a century were reduced to rubbles.
Commissioner for Works, Mr. Kayode Oso, told reporters that the demolition and excavation of the market premises would last for two weeks after which construction of an ultra-modern market with all the necessary facilities would begin.
He also assured that in 24 months, the market expected to cost N2 billion would be ready.
Oso said: “The project is already accepted by the people and would benefit them. The Oba and the Ewi- in-Council supports the project. Well-meaning and prominent Ekiti indigenes have all accepted it.
“Compensation was done in collaboration with market owners and in line with standards in the industry. About N360 million was expended on compensation to affected traders.
“The project will cost about N2 billion. It is going to be an elaborate shopping mall with many other facilities such as filling station, police station, motor parks and banks, among other social infrastructure.”
The Commissioner also assured that over 1,000 shop owners who have lost their shops to the reconstruction would have their shops back after completion of the project.
He further said: “We already have the list of those who have lost their shops and they would be taken care of. There would also be many other shops as we are going to have over 700 shops to be constructed in the mall.”
Some of the traders praised the efforts of the governor, saying he understands the needs of the common man.
Mr. Adeoye Adeyemi, popularly known as Oluomo Sketch in the market who sells shoes said: “Fayose is a good man and his tenure is good for us. This market is going to become better. God would continue to bless him. He should continue to remember us. We thank him for the great work he has done for us.”
Hon. Olasehinde Omotosho, former councillor of Ijoka Ward, Ado-Ekiti, said: “It is a welcome development. There is nothing we can do. The government has compensated the affected traders. We only need to thank His Excellency, because the project is for the good of the masses. It is not the first time this will be happening.
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday urged Nigerians to brace for hard times next year.
Besides, he alleged that a plan to “invade” the state was in the offing.
Speaking on the Kogi State governorship election, the governor said Abiodun Faleke was fighting for his right.
The governor urged the people of Ekiti to prepare for the local government election, adding that the poll can only be postponed by the court.
Fayose, who spoke with reporters in Lagos on the military panel set up to review the activities of soldiers in last year’s Ekiti and Osun state elections, warned against what he described as “the planned invasion” of Ekiti. He said the move would be resisted.
He said: “I have 16 predictions. Next year, there will be disobedience to court rules by the Federal Government.
“There will be the removal of fuel subsidy in the second quarter and growth in corruption and poverty.
“Power generation will be at its lowest. Our earnings will be worse and there will be mass sack. I will talk to the press on these issues later.”
Warning that democracy may be endangered by the political class, Fayose described the recent elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states as worrisome, adding that Nigeria may graduate from “inconclusive elections to inconclusive governments”.
The governor said: “I praise Faleke for standing out in the midst of darkness.
“I’m not saying that he won or that he should be declared governor. But, he is rendering a vital service to democracy. Look at what happened in Bayelsa State. I have warned about dictatorship. The consequence of dictatorship is the fall of the dictator.”
Fayose said the setting up of the military panel was meant to dent the image of the credible elections, despite the judgment of the foreign observers and the international community.
He added: “They set up a military panel. If you wake up and you start indicting your own men, you are on your own.
“They want to say that the military rigged election so that the report on the election can be reviewed and they will now approach the Supreme Court for the review of the Ekiti election. It is not known to law. They want to subvert democracy.
“They are after me. I am prepared for them. Any attempt to invade my state will be resisted. They want to use the military panel to upturn the judgment of the Supreme Court. It cannot happen. After the judgment of the Supreme Court, they can only appeal to God.”
Reflecting on the probe of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), Fayose said previous administrations from 1999 to date should be investigated in the spirit of the fight against corruption.
He alleged that the Federal Government was fighting the ant-graft war with a lip service.
Fayose fired salvos at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, he said, is fond of visiting Aso Villa, the seat of the Federal Government.
“What is Obasanjo looking for in Aso Rock? For eight years, Buhari did not visit Aso Rock to see him. He didn’t even attend the Council of State meeting. What is he going there for? He is bringing shame to Yorubaland.”
However, Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, faulted the governor’s claim.
According to him, the military is only probing to determine the involvement of its men in untoward acts during the elections.
All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticized Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, over alleged “breach of protocol” during the presentation of Appropriation Bill at the state House of Assembly on Tuesday.
The party condemned Fayose’s action of bringing out a gavel and symbolically “passing” the budget into law after presenting the proposal to lawmakers.
The opposition argued that apart from his action of brandishing the gavel, the governor’s decision to wear a t-shirt and jeans instead of official attire of full native dress or English dress at such occasion diminishes the office he occupies.
The APC in a statement issued on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said it was regrettable that the lawmakers allowed the governor to get away with the breach of official protocol that diminished the integrity of the Assembly, an institution that must keep its rules.
Regretting that the governor was “running state affairs like a bukateria,” Olatunbosun said:”The world watched in disbelief as Governor Fayose stormed the House of Assembly during presentation of his 2016 budget proposal in casual dress as against the official prescription of full native dress or complete English suit during such sittings.
“The governor’s appearance before the House of Assembly in a garage tout manner is uncultured and flagrant disregards for rule of law and constituted authority. It is ungovernorship, a violation of law and order, unruly, and an abuse of power.
“We saw the first public declaration of loyalty by the Assembly members on the day of inauguration when they all prostrated for Fayose in the chambers, stating he is their father. Little wonder that the speaker and the leadership of the house were not bold enough to tutor or caution him on the official mode of dressing allowed in the hallowed chamber when he presented the budget.
“More shock came when the governor grabbed the gavel, one of the official symbols of authority of the Assembly, and started conducting a mock sitting while his thugs in the gallery acting as the honourable members were responding to his question on who supported and against the quick passage of the budget.”
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has said there is no more money available for political office holders to steal because of the nation’s economic crisis.
Fayose spoke yesterday at the presentation of the 2016 budget proposal to the House of Assembly in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
He promised to forward a copy of the budget to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The governor said this was to allow the anti-graft agencies join his administration to monitor its implementation and the performance of his administration.
Fayose presented a budget proposal of N67 billion to the lawmakers with N42.1 billion representing 63 per cent earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N24.9 billion representing 37 per cent for capital expenditure.
The governor added a comical dimension to the budget presentation when he brought out a small gavel which he banged on his lectern to symbolically ‘pass’ the budget into law with everybody present reeling in laughter.
His words: “A copy of this budget will be forwarded to EFCC and ICPC so that they can join us to monitor the performance of this government.
“There is nothing to steal again in government because the economy is on the floor. It behoves on all leaders to lay their cards on the table because there is nothing to hide.
“This budget is a Budget of Reality. We don’t want to adorn the pages of newspapers with lies. We will do what the present economic reality can accommodate.
“I want to dissociate myself and Ekiti State from any plan to reduce workers’ salaries and cut jobs.”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Biodun Akin-Fasae, has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose over his incessant attacks on the person and office of President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the attacks are unbecoming of the status of a state chief executive and do not have the backing of the people of Ekiti State.
The former chairman of the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) said Fayose’s frequent outbursts against Buhari are not in the interest of as the governor cannot be attacking the president and expect Ekiti to benefit from the Federal government headed by Buhari.
Akin-Fasae said while other governors in opposition party are courting friendship of the president to attract development to their states, Fayose’s action may be counterproductive to the interests of Ekiti. “His attacks on the President are unbecoming because Ekiti people did not elect him to be attacking the president. Governors Ben Ayade of Cross River, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi, Willie Obiano of Anambra and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe are in opposition parties and they are in good terms with the President and their states are reaping the benefits.
“Fayose’s needless attacks are portraying Ekiti in bad light in the comity of states, that’s not the way to attract local and foreign investment. There is no foreign investment that the federal government does not authorise and any state that does not attend the Fiscal Responsibility Committee meeting could have his allocation withheld. The last time United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon came to Nigeria, $500 million was shared to states that attended, Ekiti never benefited because the state was not represented,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Fayose has pardoned the suspended Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Modupe Alade. The governor lifted the three-month suspension he slammed on Mrs. Alade for alleged incompetence on Saturday at the palace of the Ewi of Ado
Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe during the celebration of the monarch’s 25th coronation anniversary.
The monarch, while making his speech at the coronation anniversary held at the event, urged the governor to pardon Mrs. Alade and restore her back to office. Responding, Fayose said the request caught him unawares but he had no option than to grant the request made by the monarch on behalf of the suspended SSG.
“What you asked took me by surprise, this is what I will term an ex-parte order. You have tied my hands and you did not give me any leeway. I defer to you and I defer to our fathers who are here. I have no option than to pardon her. She can resume office on Monday,” the governor said.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Chief Adedayo Falade, has criticised eminent lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) over his alleged tacit support for the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Falade said Babalola’s “unproductive romance with the Fayose-led administration” is against the common interest of the people of the state, who are being subjected to poor governance by the current administration in the state. He said: “We all respect Chief Afe Babalola, but we are shocked that he could not raise his voice against the illegalities being perpetrated by the government of Ayo Fayose in Ekiti State; rather, he appears to have chosen the path of injustice and illegalities along with Fayose.
“Afe Babalola’s warm rapport with the draconian administration of Fayose is a disservice to Ekiti people. We are terribly shocked that Chief Babalola could close his eyes to all the anomalies and abuse of rule of law being unleashed on the people of Ekiti State by the administration of Fayose in spite of his (Babalola) impressive extraordinary exploits in the legal profession.
“It is also disheartening that Chief Babalola could not caution Fayose when he chased 19 APC lawmakers out of Ekiti State and threatening them with death, while some of lawmakers were placed on wanted list for frivolous charges. It is also embarrassing that he kept mute over the illegal approval of the 2015 budget by seven lawmakers in a State House of Assembly that comprises 26 members.
“Ekiti State treasury at the moment is in a horrible state. On a daily basis, millions are being pulled out of it without proper accountability and transparency, and Babalola would not see anything wrong about it.”
The thickening ice of an imminent face-off between the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and State Chapter of the Union of Tippers & Quarry Employers of Nigeria was thawed on Thursday through the timely intervention of a foremost proponent of Ekiti State and the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD)
This portrays the Elder Statesman as a peace maker as exemplified in the Beatitudes in the Book of Matthew 5:1-11. But of particular relevance to the matter in issue is Matthew 5:9 which says: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God”
The seething misunderstanding between the two parties thickened with the introduction of a new tax regime for daily haulage of sand and gravels/granite by the State Government that has much to contend with but with a very tenuous financial muzzle.
The Government decreed a flat rate of N1,000/trip for members of the association, but the association will have none of that. It quoted rates of between N200 and N500/day from neighbouring states of Ondo and Osun to buttress and even to justify that Ekiti State was out to rip their members off. But the much touted rates in the neigbhouring states fell on all their fours when Fayose presented some documentary evidence to corroborate the State Government’s position.
To drive their point home, State Chapter of the Union of Tippers & Quarry Employers of Nigeria, which had earlier approached the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, to broker peace between it and the State Government, resorted to some self-help: its members took to the streets on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 protesting the new tax regime.
But thanks to the State Director of State Security, Mr. Fubara Duke, and the Commissioner of Police, Mr. John Etop, who engaged the aggrieved members of the union in several hours of dialogue on the need for them, like all others in the state, to contribute their quota to the development of the state and embrace the olive branch of peace in Ekiti State.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held at Lady Jibowu Hall, chaired by Babalola and attended by Fayose, his tink-tank on the State economy and the union members on Thursday, the ice of the lingering misunderstanding was eventually thawed despite the fact that the two parties came into the crowed hall with strong positions which they advanced without let or hindrance.
Fayose had earlier maintained that it is the duty of governments all over the world to make laws and the responsibility of the citizenry to obey such laws particularly in a State like Ekiti that has a very lean pause in the midst of several competing needs. He maintained that the new tax regime must stand to enable him give vent to electioneering promises.
But Babalola’s fatherly intervention with emphasis on Public, Private Participation of governance (PPP) and the professional advice by the CP and DSS, who chorused the security implications of a face-off between the government and the Union might have convinced both parties to sheath their swords and unload their guns and opt for a peaceful and amicable resolution of the seething issue.
Marshalling their position after Fayose, Babalola, the CP and DSS had spoken, the Union’s spokespersons, Messrs James Moka and Idowu Aduloju said they were not fighting and could not fight government, but only appealing for an amicable resolution of the impasse by both parties shifting grounds. And so, they asked that the N1000/ loading be reduced to N500/loading while some of the Union’s vehicles which were confiscated during the Tuesday protest should be released by the Police.
In a rare demonstration of the non-bellicosity or belligerence by the Union against the State Government, they were hailing and singing the praises of the Governor throughout the duration of the peace meeting. And to cap it all up, they joked that he must give them a Christmas gift which he obliged, an act which was greeted with a thunderous ovation.
The politician in Fayose now came to the fore. With a smile playing now on his lips, he rose from his seat, greeted Babalola and announced a new rate of N500/loading and the release of the Union’s vehicles confiscated by the police.
He however emphasized that all the Union’s vehicles must be registered with the State Government for security reasons while their excavation sites must equally be registered in the interest of the preservation of the ecosystem. Any infraction, according to him, will attract a N50,000 penalty.
Residents of Ekiti State will now pay more for sand and gravel, following the stand-off between Governor Ayo Fayose and members of the Tipper Owners and Quarry Employers.
The stand-off, caused by the government’s imposition of a new tax of N1,000 per trip and a fine of N50,000 for default, was settled yesterday.
Fayose reduced the tax to N500 per trip to take effect from January.
The peace meeting held at Jibowu Hall of the Government House was brokered by the Founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN). It was attended by the Commissioner of Police, Etop James and Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Duke Fubara.
With the development, the price of a load of sand has been increased from N12,000 to N14,500. A load of gravel is now N28,000 ,up from N25,000.
Fayose said a tax hike was necessary to make the state less dependent on federal allocation, adding “Ekiti is in dire need of money.”
He maintained that all tipper owners must register their trucks and get new number plates.
Fayose said: “For the fact that I love you and that power belongs to the masses and with the intervention of our revered leader, Chief Babalola and security chiefs, I will accept this proposal. But my position has been that you must pay N1,000 per trip.
“I want us to come to reality that Ekiti is in dire need of money. N934 million is being deducted from our allocation monthly. But no tipper will operate in Ekiti without proper registration. You need to be aware that any illegal operator will be dealt with.”
Fubara said: “The two parties would have to be aware of the security implications of this stand-off.
“You just have to shift grounds for us to find a middle ground to this matter.”
Babalola, who praised the governor’s magnanimity, told the tipper owners to continue to support the government by paying their tax.
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, to prosecute senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officials implicated in the alleged use of the military to rig last year’s Ekiti State governorship poll in favour of PDP.
In an audio file secretly recorded by Capt. Sagir Koli, some senior PDP chieftains were allegedly heard planning how to rig the poll for their party.
The APC, in a petition to the AGF, identified the PDP officers as Governor Ayo Fayose, ex-Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, ex-Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan, Senator Iyiola Omisore and former Commanding Officer of 32 Artillery Regiment, Akure, Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh.
In the petition by Ekiti APC Chairman Olajide Awe, the party said the reminder became imperative in the light of the military’s investigatation of the culpability or otherwise of their men and officers in the matter.
The petition, Awe said, was informed by failure of the Office of the Minister of Justice to act on its earlier petition of February 13, demanding the probe into the audio tape detailing acts of treason by some PDP leaders in cahoots with some military officers.
In the letter to the office of the former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, copies of which were sent to former Inspector General of Police Suleiman Abba and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Awe prayed them to prosecute persons involved in conspiring and perpetrating acts to unseat former Governor Kayode Fayemi in a manner other than that envisaged by the constitution.
He added that although it was not clear whether the military took its action unilaterally or at the prompting of the AGF, it was imperative that other security institutions accused of complicity should also be compelled to investigate the roles of their officers and men in the Ekiti electoral fiasco.
Awe, in the earlier petition, drew the AGF’s attention to an audio recording by Capt Koli, which was released to the public, capturing the voices of Fayose, Momoh, Omisore, Adesiyan, Obanikoro and others at a meeting where they strategised to rig the June 21, 2014 governorship election in favour of the PDP candidate (Fayose).
Awe pointed out that the import of the audio tape was the revelation of the criminal acts that were planned and perpetrated by these men.
He said during the meeting, strategies and plans to intimidate voters to perform electoral fraud were hatched to take over control of the government in a manner contrary to the provisions of the constitution and other relevant statutes.
The party urged the minister to investigate the matter to bring persons involved to justice, warning that failure to act would compel the party to approach the court to seek an Order of Mandamus compelling the attorney general to so act.
