The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Governor Ayodele Fayose

  • Ekiti: Lawmakers serve Fayose, deputy impeachment notice

    Ekiti: Lawmakers serve Fayose, deputy impeachment notice

    •Gov dismisses it as ‘joke of the century’

    The second coming of Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State as chief executive officer is under threat just six months after his inauguration.

    Fayose, whose first tenure was abruptly terminated on October 16, 2006 via impeachment, was yesterday served another impeachment notice by the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the State House of Assembly for alleged gross misconduct in the exercise of his powers.

    His deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, was similarly served an impeachment notice.

    Fayose dismissed the legislators as jesters.

    He said their threat to remove him would not stand.

    The legislators slammed Fayose with eight impeachable offences as follows:

    * Invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants;

    * Instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

    * Prevention of the 19 APC legislative members from performing legislative duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs;

    *Sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in the House;

    * Spending Ekiti State funds without requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the Constitution;

    * Running the government of Ekiti State without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

    * Operating an illegal 2014 Budget;

    * Instigating illegal sitting of the House.

    Speaker of the House, Adewale Omirin, in the impeachment notice, told the governor that “you are at liberty to respond to the allegations in writing within seven (7) days hereof.”

    It was gathered that the notice was sent by courier since physical service on him might be difficult.

    Sources said substituted service via newspapers was also being considered to complement service by courier.

    But responding to the development through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said: “The script being acted by the APC is a failed one because no one, no matter how highly placed will be allowed to test the will of Ekiti people.”

    The governor said the Speaker of the State House of Assembly is Dele Olugbemi and not Dr Adewale Omirin who signed the impeachment notice.

    He said: “Omirin is already in court challenging his impeachment, and common sense dictates that when you are challenging an action already taken in court, you have accepted the consequences of such action pending the determination of the suit you filed

    “Since last year November, these so-called lawmakers abdicated their duties and ran to Lagos only for them to resurface on Wednesday, but they hurriedly ran away again.

    “Now they are posting notice of impeachment signed on March 9, 2015 and Ekiti people are asking; was the motion for impeachment moved and adopted in Lagos or Osun State House of Assembly?

    “Is impeachment of a governor done along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway inside a moving bus?

    “Rather than going about advertising their ignorance and crudity, the APC lawmakers should wait for the court to adjudicate on the case they filed because even the President-Elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) will respect the rule of law when he assumes office.”

    The seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislators in the Assembly have however, dissociated themselves from the impeachment notice.

    They said it was intended to distract Fayose and throw the state into chaos.

    Their leader, Mr. Dele Olugbemi, in separate letters to the Commissioner of Police, Director of the Department of State Service (DSS) and the State Chief Judge, accused Speaker Omirin of “forgery, impersonation and attempt to cause a breach of public peace.”

    He  claimed that Omirin was impeached at a plenary session held by seven PDP legislators on November 20, 2014 and that at no time did the assembly sit and pass a resolution to sack Fayose from office over allegation of gross misconduct.

    He added:”Resolutions of the House of Assembly cannot be taken outside the precinct of the House and as at today, there is nothing in the records of proceedings of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to show that matter(s) on impeachment of Governor Ayodele Fayose was discussed in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly of Ekiti State.

    “Dr Adewale Omirin, who signed the purported Impeachment Notice as Speaker of the State House of Assembly, was duly impeached at the plenary session of the House on November 20, 2014.

    “Votes and proceedings, Order Papers and Hanzard of sittings of the House are available for clarification.

    “In the face of the law, and going by records of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin and Adetunji Orisalade stand impeached as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House respectively.

    “On November 26, 2014, Dr. Adewale Omirin filed Suit No: PHC/L/CS/1823/14 at the Federal High Court Lagos, challenging his impeachment.

    “The two cases mentioned above are still pending in court.

    “Having approached the court to challenge his impeachment, it is trite in law that the impeachment stands until the court decides otherwise.

    “In a situation whereby you have approached the court to adjudicate on a matter, it is subjudice to take any further to overreach the court.

    “Your Lordship should therefore disregard any correspondence from the Ekiti State House of Assembly, bearing the name and signature of Dr Adewale Omirin as Speaker of the House, until the court determines Suit No: PHC/L/CS/1823/14 challenging the outcome of the House sitting of November 20, 2014 in which he (Omirin) was duly impeached.”

    He   described the use of letterhead of the office of the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly by Omirin as forgery, saying: “Knowing that he ceased from being the Speaker of the State House of Assembly since November 20, 2014, Dr Omirin still forged the letterhead of the Office of the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, using same to write a letter and signing same as Speaker of the House of Assembly, an office he no longer occupies.

    “This action of Dr Omirin is also geared towards causing breach of the peace of Ekiti State.

    “I therefore urge you to use your good offices to investigate these criminal acts perpetrated by Dr Omirin with a view to prosecuting him for forgery and impersonation.”

    The 26-member Assembly needs at least 18 members to remove the governor if he is found guilty of allegations of misconduct.

    Of the 26 current members of the Assembly, 19 are from  the APC while the remaining seven led by factional Speaker, Dele Olugbemi are from  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Fayose has been working with the seven since November 20 when the minority PDP legislators claimed to have impeached the Speaker, Dr. Omirin and “elected” Olugbemi to replace him.

    Speaker Omirin in a telephone chat with The Nation confirmed the transmission of the impeachment notice to Fayose.

    Twenty four of the 26 members of the Second Assembly impeached Fayose and his then deputy, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, in 2006.

    Fayose was removed for gross misconduct including mismanagement of the N1.4 billion Ekiti Integrated Poultry Project, buying properties with proceeds from the poultry funds and operating foreign accounts and diverting local government funds, among others.

    Mrs. Olujimi was axed for alleged receipt of ‘illegal’ gift of $50,000 from the Secretary of Biological Concept Limited, the poultry project contractor/consultant.

    She was also impeached for her alleged failure to comply with the decree establishing the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme which stipulates that holders of certificates equivalent to Bachelor’s degree should observe the compulsory National Youth Service Corps scheme.

    Soon after their removal, a power struggle ensued between Mrs. Olujimi, and the then Speaker, the late Chief Friday Aderemi who had then been sworn in as Acting Governor.

    The confusion prompted former President Olusegun Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency.

    He proceeded to appoint a military administrator Brig.-Gen. Adetunji Olurin (rtd) to head the administration of the state.

  • Ekiti has done it again

    Ekiti has done it again

    Governor Ayodele Fayose assumed office Thursday last week as the new chief executive of Ekiti state and the self acclaimed state of Fountain of Knowledge, Ile Uyi, Ile Eye has been buzzing ever since. His inaugural was true to type.

    In his usual swashbuckling style, Fayose berated his predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi for plunging the state into a huge debt, an accusation quickly rejected by the immediate past governor as lacking in common sense since records handed over to him did show the true state of Ekiti finances as opposed to Fayose’s wild allegation.

    Fayose did nothing to disappoint his thousands of admirers on the day as he descended to his ‘Paraga’ level assuring the large crowd that he remains one of them as they go to their joints to drink local herbs, Agbo Jedi and Opa Eyin. He promised to take care of their stomach, saying of what use are good roads, hospitals and other social infrastructure if the stomach infrastructure was neglected.

    And to demonstrate his seriousness, the governor appointed a personal assistant on stomach infrastructure to take care of his people. And in the days that followed, he promised also to appoint Liaison Officers for stomach infrastructure in each of the state’s local government areas. What a peoples’ man.

    In fairness to the man, he also promised to fund education, health and other social programmes for the benefit of the people of Ekiti state. And lest I forget, he also opened the doors of the newly commissioned government house, built by his predecessor to the people of Ekiti to have a feel of the residence of their governor. And the people had a field day.

    But what Governor Fayose did or did not do on that day is not my concern here. Suffice to say that he didn’t do anything unexpected. He was true to type. He even rode to the venue; Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in a vintage old Mercedes Benz car which someone described on the social media as a sign that the new leadership in Ekiti now think in the past. What an ‘uncomplimentary’ remark. One even said his half Agbada attire looked like the one you’ll find on one of those Oshodi boys. I am only reporting please.

    The surprise of the day was the defection of six members of the then ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State House of Assembly to Fayose’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The surprise was not their defection but the speed at which they accomplished it. I understand many more are planning to also defect from APC to PDP in the assembly just to be part of the new dispensation in the state. And that is exactly my worry. Just to be where the action is and not because it would enhance their ability to serve Ekiti people better.

    I see this as part of the stomach infrastructure programme of the Fayose administration; and this is dangerous for our democracy. If I may ask; is there anything wrong in being in the opposition party? If one party controls the executive arm of government and another controls the legislature, wouldn’t that serve our democracy and the people better?

    I understand the reason behind the defection was to get a sizeable number of PDP legislators in the assembly so as to topple the APC leadership to pave way for a PDP control legislature and give Fayose an easy reign. And I ask; can’t the opposition controlled legislature work with the executive controlled by another party and vice versa if both are sincere and genuinely interested in serving their people?  Can’t Governor Fayose of PDP work with an APC controlled House of Assembly harmoniously in Ekiti for the benefit of Ekiti people without APC legislators cross carpeting or defecting to the ruling party? We make a mockery of our democracy if everybody keeps jumping to the ruling party at the slightest opportunity. What are those APC legislators looking for in PDP, money?

    Fayose while in opposition had caucused with ACN/APC in the past, so if like Mimiko in Ondo he decides to return ‘home’ tomorrow, will those six lawmakers and others like them waiting to defect go back ‘home’ with him? These people are shameless. I am not saying politicians in elective office should not defect any time they want to but they should be made to immediately go back to their people to seek a fresh mandate under their new party.

    I am not saying this because of what had just happened in Ekiti, but this issue of defection to seek greener pastures is becoming too rampant that if not checked, it could defeat the whole purpose of multi party democracy. If truly the people are the custodians of the mandate then they should be consulted by their representatives before transferring that mandate to another party.

    I am sure with the current mood in Ekiti, the PDP are likely to win any election called in the state today, but I doubt whether those six lawmakers would get the PDP ticket for such election. So who is fooling who?

    I think it is in the best interest of Ekiti for Governor Fayose to leave the House of Assembly and its leadership as presently constituted and forge ahead with his government’s programme. If at any time the opposition controlled legislature decides to constitute itself into a clog in the wheel of ‘progress’  of his administration the whole world would see and then Ekiti people can call them to order. He should just ignore those hungry six and others like them waiting to cross over, they are just looking for money. They are a shame to Ekiti.

    Another word of advice for Fayose. He should lessen tension in the state and avoid picking unnecessary quarrel. The one he picked with the judiciary on his way to office is still there and nobody knows where and how that one would end. Engineering commotion in the Assembly would be too much even for his most loyal supporters to understand. He should not take the current ‘Hosanna’ that the people are singing today too serious, it could turn to ‘crucify him’ tomorrow at the slightest change of heart. Such is the treacherous and ephemeral nature of politics that I think Fayose, being one of the luckiest Ekiti man should understand and appreciate. But I doubt if he has learnt his lessons.

    The place of Ekiti in the history of Nigerian politics especially this democracy/republic would be determined by events of the next four years and Governor Fayose should be mindful of what that history would say about him, not just in his own interest, but also that of his children.  We’ve had some political juggernauts in Yoruba land in the past whose children and grandchildren today, cannot come out and be counted because of the ‘sins’ of their parents. Fayose should choose where he wants to belong.