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Tag: Lawmakers

  • Fayose, Deputy, lose bid to stop impeachment

    Fayose, Deputy, lose bid to stop impeachment

    Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and his Deputy, Olusola Kolapo lost Wednesday in a bid to stop the ongoing move for their impeachment.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja rejected their prayers for interim orders restraining the state’s Speaker, Adewale Omirin, other All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the state’s Assembly, the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola and others from proceeding with the impeachment plot.

    Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on their motion ex-parte, granted them leave for substituted services of all processes in relation to the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/302/2015, on the defendants.

    The judge ordered Omirin and the other defendants in the suit to appear before the court on April 16 to show cause why the restraining orders sought against them by the plaintiffs should not be granted.

    Plaintiffs in the suit include Olugbemi Joseph Dele (who claimed to be Speaker of the State Assembly), Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fayose and Kolapo.

    Listed as defendants are Omirin, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Chief Judge, Ekiti State.

    Plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ahmed Raji, while moving the ex-parte motion yesterday, argued that since Omirin was currently in court challenging his impeachment, he could no longer act under any guise as Speaker of the Ekiti Assembly, while Dele was already acting in his place.

    “The gravamen of our complaint is that a former Speaker of the parliament (in the person of the 1st defendant) is trying to impersonate the 1st plaintiff (Dele), who is the current Speaker of the parliament by holding himself out as the Speaker of the House.

    “We urge the court to grant our prayers as contained in the motion in the name of public order, peace and safety of the people of Ekiti State,” Raji said.

    He drew the judge’s attention to newspaper publication that one person had been killed since the move to impeach the governor and his deputy began.

    In his ruling, Justice Mohammed granted prayers one to four of the eight prayers contained in the ex-parte motion.

    He ordered that court processes should be served on Omirin and the state’s CJ through substituted means through newspaper advertisement.

    He also ordered that the CJ should be served through the Chief Registrar of the Ekiti High Court.

     

  • How soldiers barred us, by lawmakers

    How soldiers barred us, by lawmakers

    The 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday recounted how they were barred from entering Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, by soldiers.

    Led by Speaker Adewale Ominrin, they said they were stopped at Itawure, a boundary town, by soldiers.

    In company of other 18 members, Majority Leader Churchil Adedipe, at a news briefing in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, gave a graphic account of how they were stopped even when the police were ready to escort them into the state.

    Adedipe, who said they notified the police about their coming into the state to resume their legislative duties, vowed that they will not be deterred in their bid to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Adedipe said that he suspected that the soldiers were acting on instructions from Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, the Commanding Officer of the  32 Artillery Brigade, Akure.

    Adedipe said for over two hours, the soldiers prevented them from proceeding to Ado-Ekiti, adding that the information gathered by some of the lawmakers who made calls to people waiting for them at the State Assembly complex,  indicated that Fayose brought thugs to the premises of the Assembly.

    The lawmaker said: “We want to assure the governor that any moment from now, we are going back to Ado-Ekiti.ý”

    Omirin said Fayose had committed impeachable offences and willbe impeached.

    He said: “Despite officially writing Commissioner of Police Taiwo Lakanu, informing him of our sitting, Governor Fayose, his Special Adviser on Political Matters and Commissioner for Works still led thugs into the premises of the Assembly to disrupt activities there.

    ”We have started this process and nothing will stop us from finishing it. We have written Fayose on the allegations against him, including constitutional breaches and preventing Ekiti lawmakers from performing their duties. We will investigate him and finish this process.”

  • Soldiers bar 19 APC lawmakers from entering Ekiti

    Soldiers bar 19 APC lawmakers from entering Ekiti

    The nineteen All Progressive Congress members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly were on Tuesday barred from entering Ado-Ekiti, the state capital by soldiers.

    The lawmakers led by their Speaker, Rt. Hon. Wale Ominrin, were allegedly stopped at Itawure by armed soldiers on the order from the above.

    In company of other eighteen members, the majority leader of the House, Hon. Churchil Adedipe, at a press briefing in Osogbo, gave a graphic illustration of how they were stopped by their soldiers even when the police was ready to escort them into the state.

    Adedipe, who said they had earlier notified the police about their coming into the state for their legislative duties, vowed that they would not be deterred to impeach Ekiti state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose over allegations of constitutional breaches.

    Adedipe said that he suspected that the soldiers, who stopped them from entering Ekiti State were acting on instruction from Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh commanding 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure.

    ‎Adedipe said for over two hours, the soldiers prevented them from proceeding to Ado Ekiti, adding that information gathered by some of the lawmakers who made calls to people waiting for them at the state
    assembly indicated that Governor Fayose had brought thugs to the premises of the Assembly.

    ‎The lawmaker exercised the fear that Fayose might sponsor some thugs to attack them and to burn their houses in order to prevent being impeached, but said that “we want to assure him that any moment from now, we are going back to Ado Ekiti.‎”

    ‎Earlier, the Speaker, Wale Omirin, said Fayose has committed impeachable offences and would be impeached.

    The Speaker said the nineteen legislators had fixed their sitting for Tuesday to continue legislative business on the investigation into allegations levelled against Governor Fayose but the governor sent some soldiers and thugs to prevent them from sitting.
    ‎
    According to him: “Despite officially writing the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, informing him of our sitting, Governor Fayose, his Special Adviser on Political Matters and Commissioner for Works still led thugs into the premises of the assembly to disrupt activities there.

  • Impeachment: Fayose supporters block Assembly complex

    Impeachment: Fayose supporters block Assembly complex

    Scores of supporters of Governor Ayo Fayose on Monday blocked all access roads leading to the Ekiti State House of Assembly Complex in a bid to prevent any impeachment proceedings.

    They had arrived the vicinity as early as 8.00 am and staged a protest around the Assembly complex saying they would never allow any impeachment process against Fayose to see the light of the day.

    Their action was consequent upon a rumor that the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers who form majority in the Assembly would storm the complex to hold a sitting to impeach Fayose from office.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyalists stormed the Assembly area singing pro-Fayose songs and cursed the APC lawmakers for harboring plans to remove the governor whom they claim is innocent of the impeachable offences.

    Backed by some government and party officials who were there to give them solidarity, they used a government-owned Ashok Leyland luxury bus to block the access road-Saliu Adeoti Road-to prevent the opposition lawmakers from gaining access to the complex.

    Among prominent PDP members who were present to give them moral support are Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola, former House of Assembly Speaker, Olatunji Odeyemi and Special Assistant on Information, Youth and Sports, Lanre Ogunsuyi.

    Not less than nine Toyota Hilux vans belonging to the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) containing heavily armed operatives were parked at two main entrances leading to the Assembly complex.

    The PDP members later turned the blockade into a roadshow singing and dancing to music at the gate of the House of Assembly Service Commission office which used to be the former Assembly complex.

    They were prevented from coming near the new Assembly complex by the battle-ready and stern-looking security men drafted there to maintain law and order.

    Many of them who were weary of singing and dancing and could no longer withstand the heat of the sun sat under canopies placed in front of the old Assembly complex.

    Addressing reporters on the purpose of the blockade, Ogunsuyi said Ekiti people are ready to take their destiny in their hand by fighting for the mandate they gave to Fayose on June 21 last year.

    The governor’s aide insisted that all the actions of the APC lawmakers reeked of illegality and impunity saying Dr. Adewale Omirin is no longer the Speaker and lacks the power to preside over the Assembly.

    Ogunsuyi added that Omirin is already in court challenging his impeachment saying he cannot be laying claim to the speakership at the same time adding that the APC caucus are desecrating the rule of law and the Constitution.

    He said: “The new Nigeria which President Goodluck Jonathan and Major Gen Muhammadu Buhari all campaigned for is the one that would respect the Rule of Law.

    “With this convergence, you can see that the people are standing by their Governor. They are ready to defend their mandate.

    “Nobody asked Omirin and other APC lawmakers not to come to the Assembly, they only decided to abdicate their duties since last year November 17.

    “Impeachment procedure does not start and end with Assembly alone. The Judiciary is involved, so this plan is highly condemnable.

    “We want to emphasize that they are welcome as long as they are concerned about making laws for the progress of the State, but if it was meant to come and impeach Governor Fayose, we won’t allow that.”

    Ogunsuyi, however said the Governor as the leader of the State will continue to wave the olive branch to the opposition lawmakers for Ekiti to remain in peace and harmony.

    He said: “We don’t want any unwholesome issue because the task of developing Ekiti is an onerous task that needed to be pursue with vigour. The Governor doesn’t want any distraction and that is why he has been pursuing peace at all times.

    “We want some measures of decorum in Ekiti; we are not proud of the era whereby we had three governors within a week. We want a stable government and that we will continue to pursue for Ekiti to be at peace”.

    Also speaking on the development, Odeyemi appealed to the APC House members to allow peace to reign in the state saying the image of Ekiti is at stake nationally and internationally.

    Odeyemi advised the APC lawmakers to put the interest of the state above personal or partisan interests warning that breakdown of law and order is an ill-wind that won’t blow any good.

    He said: “The entire issue calls for concerns. As a former legislator, I am quite aware of the rudiment of impeachment process, but far from this, the issue of the news any impeachment will bring to Ekiti’s credibility is uppermost in my mind.

    “How would they perceive Ekiti as a people nationwide? So, I am calling on my colleagues to have a rethink because we are duty bound to contribute to the development of this State.

    “I plead with them to embrace reconciliation and forget about heating up the polity unnecessarily.”

  • Ekiti: APC lawmakers urge Fayose to stop stoking violence

    Ekiti: APC lawmakers urge Fayose to stop stoking violence

    The 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly have advised Governor Ayodele Fayose to stop stoking violence in the state over his impeachment notice.

    They said instigating crisis is not the way to go in defending the removal notice served him by the Assembly. The lawmakers said resorting to violence against Ekiti people was compounding his problems.

    In a statement by Special Adviser on Media to Speaker ‎Adewale Omirin, Wole Olujobi, the lawmakers said violence would not solve the burden of constitutional breaches that the governor had placed on himself.

    They frowned at the invasion of the Assembly by suspected PDP thugs, wondering why a governor that had questions to answer on legal matters would get himself involved in other illegal matters such as the invasion of the Assembly by thugs to cause public disorder.

    The statement said: “It is shocking that the governor would start any act of illegality bordering on public disorder when he is having a load of illegal acts on his head upon which he is facing removal from office.

    “‎Ekiti people were shocked when news spread that the governor had asked his thugs to invade the Assembly and occupy the place to prevent the lawmakers from performing their legal duties.

    “These PDP members were holding their meeting in their secretariat when instruction reached them that they must relocate to the Assembly premises where thugs were beating passersby and molesting motorists and residents. All these illegal acts ‎cannot save the governor.

    “This is the way he invaded the court with thugs to beat up the judges. They tore court records in the Chief Judge’s office and beat up his secretary. Now is the turn of the House of Assembly. What the governor is doing is a confirmation that he does not believe and cannot tolerate democratic practice. But democracy is what Ekiti people want and so we expect people of conscience and good will to support efforts to allow Ekiti people enjoy democratic governance,” the statement said.

    It advised the governor to defend the allegations against him in the impeachment notice instead of resorting to self-help that offers nothing but unnecessary venting of anger on the peaceful people of Ekiti State.

  • HSBC executives to face new grilling from lawmakers

    HSBC executives to face new grilling from lawmakers

    Three senior HSBC executives are to face further questions from MPs  over the tax scandal revelations at the bank’s Swiss private banking arm.

    HSBC Group Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver and the former head of the bank’s private banking division Chris Meares, will face MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

    BBC Trust boss Rona Fairhead will also face questions about her role at HSBC.

    Mrs Fairhead has been a member of the bank’s board since 2004.

    She took over as the chair of the BBC Trust last year.

    Mrs Fairhead was a member of HSBC’s audit committee until 2010 and of its risk committee following that. She is currently chair of HSBC’s North American division.

    Margaret Hodge, who chairs the PAC, raised questions about her BBC role last week.

    Two weeks ago, HSBC’s chairman, Douglas Flint, appeared to blame Mr Meares for alleged collusion between the Swiss private banking division and its clients to evade tax.

    Mr Flint told MPs on the Treasury Committee Mr Meares and Clive Bannister, who was boss of HSBC’s private banking operations until 2006, “certainly bear fairly direct responsibility for what went on in the private bank during their stewardship”.

    At the same hearing, Mr Gulliver said the tax scandal had caused “damage to trust and confidence” in the company.

    Mr Flint said he felt shame and would “take his share of responsibility” for the Swiss private bank’s failings.

    The BBC’s business editor, Kamal Ahmed, says during the 2000s board members had little visibility of how the Swiss bank operated and that sources suggest they could not have been expected to have had.

    He says there were strict rules in place protecting the confidentiality of Swiss accounts.

    He also said that it is the fact that the bank operated in such secrecy from its own board that will be of interest to MPs on the PAC and it is likely that this is the line of questioning the committee will follow.

    Information about some 30,000 accounts at the Swiss private bank operation were leaked in 2007 to French tax authorities who passed it on to the UK tax authorities (HMRC).

    HSBC has been involved in a range of banking scandals, including foreign exchange manipulation and rigging of international interest rate benchmarks.

    When asked about the wider list of allegations and investigations into HSBC by international regulatory authorities last month Mr Flint said “it’s a terrible list”.

    Despite reforms, he said he could not exclude the possibility of further problems emerging.

    He said the task of reforming HSBC will “always be ongoing”.

  • Fayose to lawmakers: you can’t sue me in Lagos

    Fayose to lawmakers: you can’t sue me in Lagos

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Lagos to adjudicate on a suit against him and others by House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin and 18 others.

    The governor said he could not be sued outside Ekiti State where the “cause of action” took place.

    According to him, the court lacks the “territorial jurisdiction” to decide the case.

    The plaintiffs are praying the court to nullify and declare as unconstitutional Omirin’s purported “impeachment” by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers.

    Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the new “Speaker”, Dele Olugbemi, are among the respondents.

    Others are Olugbemi’s loyalists- Samuel Ajibola, Adeojo Alexander, Adeloye Adeyinka, Israel Ajiboye, Fatunbi Olajide, Olayinka Abeni- and the commissioner of Police.

    The rest are three commissioners cleared by the House under Olugbemi – Oweseni Ajayi (attorney-general), Kayode Eso (works) and Toyin Ojo (Finance).

    The plaintiffs are praying the court to declare that Omirin and his deputy are entitled to occupy their office, except removed by a two-third majority.

    They are also seek a declaration that Fayose’s alleged attempt to force them to join the PDP and denounce the All Progressives Congress (APC) is against their right to freedom of association.

    They asked the court to hold that Olugbemi’s election as speaker was illegal, and all deliberations and actions of the seven lawmakers invalid.

    But the governor, in a preliminary objection filed by the three “commissioners” (12th to 14th respondents), is praying for an order that the suit be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

    “The suit, as presently constituted, is incurably defective and grossly incompetent. Consequently, this court cannot sit over an incompetent suit,” he said.

    Besides, the governor said the action did not follow due process as it was not signed by a judge as required by law.

    “This court lacks both subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit,” the respondents said.

    Besides, they said the suit was an abuse of court process because the plaintiffs had allegedly instituted a similar action on the same matter for the same reliefs in another suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    “The cause of action, which gave rise to this matter as revealed by the originating summons and other processes filed by the applicants/respondents, took place in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State,” the respondents said.

    Plaintiffs’ counsel Norrison Quakers said he would file a response to the preliminary objection.

    The lawmakers are also praying for an order of mandatory and perpetual injunction restraining the “commissioners” from laying claim to offices they were not duly appointed to.

    Omirin, who was elected as Speaker on June 6, 2011, said a team of armed security operatives were deployed to the Assembly’s premises last November 17, preventing the plaintiffs from carrying out their legislative duties.

    The APC lawmakers were locked outside while PDP lawmakers confirmed the commissioners and approved the appointment of local government caretaker committees.

    Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned till March 25 for hearing of the preliminary objection.

  • Fayose to Ekiti lawmakers: You can’t sue me in Lagos

    Fayose to Ekiti lawmakers: You can’t sue me in Lagos

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court in Lagos to adjudicate over a suit filed against him and others by Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin and 18 other members.

    The governor said he cannot be sued outside Ekiti State where the “cause of action” took place.

    According to him, the court lacks the “territorial jurisdiction” to decide the case.

    The plaintiffs are praying the court to nullify Omirin’s purported “impeachment” by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers for being unconstitutional.

    Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), and the new “Speaker” Dele Olugbemi are among the respondents.

    Olugbemi’s loyalists, namely Samuel Ajibola, Adeojo Alexander, Adeloye Adeyinka, Isreal Ajiboye, Fatunbi Olajide, Olayinka Abeni; and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti are the other respondents.

    Others are three commissioners cleared by the House under Olugbemi – Oweseni Ajayi (Attorney-General), Kayode Eso (Commissioner for Works) and Toyin Ojo (Commissioner for Finance).

    The plaintiffs, in their originating summons, are praying the court to declare that Omirin and his deputy are entitled to occupy their offices except removed by the Assembly’s two-third majority votes.

    They are also seeking a declaration that Fayose’s alleged attempt to force them to join the PDP and denounce the All Progressives Congress (APC) is against their constitution right to freedom of association.

    They are praying the court to hold that Olugbemi’s election as Speaker is illegal, and all deliberations and actions of the seven lawmakers are invalid.

    But Fayose, in a preliminary objection filed by the three “commissioners” (12th to 14th respondents), is praying for an order striking out or dismissing the suit in its entirety for lack of jurisdiction.

    “The suit as presently constituted is incurably defective and grossly incompetent. Consequently, this Honourable court cannot sit over an incompetent suit,” he said.

    Besides, ‎the governor said the action was not filed through due process as it was not signed by a judge as required by law.

    “This honourable court lacks both subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction to entertain the suit,” the respondents said.

    Besides, they said the suit is an abuse of court process because the plaintiffs had allegedly instituted similar action on the same subject-matter for substantially the same reliefs in another suit pending at the Federal High Court Abuja.

    “The cause of action which gave rise to this matter as revealed by the Originating Summons and other processes filed by the applicants/respondents took place in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State,”‎ the respondents said.

    The plaintiffs’ counsel, Mr Norrison Quakers (SAN) said they would file a response to the preliminary objection.

    The lawmakers are also praying for an order of mandatory and perpetual injunctions restraining the “commissioners” from laying claim to offices they were not duly appointed to.

    Omirin, who was elected as Speaker on June 6, 2011, said a team of heavily-armed security operatives were deployed to the Assembly’s premises last November 17, and prevented the plaintiffs from conducting their legislative duties.

    While the APC lawmakers were locked outside the gate, PDP’s seven lawmakers were escorted into the Assembly, where they confirmed the commissioners’ appointment by Fayose and approved the appointment of Local Government caretaker committees chairmen and members.

    Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned till March 25 for hearing of the preliminary objection.

  • Suswam, lawmakers on collision course

    Suswam, lawmakers on collision course

    •Over financial records

    Governor Gabriel Suswam and members of the Benue State House of Assembly are on a collision course, following an invitation extended to three key government officials to appear before plenary tomorrow for questioning on financial records.

    The lawmakers first passed a resolution demanding financial records from the Special Adviser to the Governor of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Solomom Wombo, the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Gabriel Asen and Commissioner for Finance, Omadachi Oklobia.

    The House asked for revenue records and money accruing from the agencies from the federation account and internally-generated revenue from January last year to date to be forwarded to them, last Thursday.

    However, on that day, the government officials failed to forward the documents requested by the Assembly,  the legislators became annoyed and extended another invitation and ordered that they should appear tomorrow unfailingly or risk arrest.

    The Nation investigation showed that the government officials may not appear before plenary because the executive arm of the government has lost the Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives, who died recently.

    A commissioner, who pleaded anonymity, told The Nation that it was unreasonable on the part of the lawmakers to arm-twist the executive arm of government with a summon when they have lost a key government official.

    The commissioner said the timing of the invitation was wrong because the executive arm was mourning, “so the lawmaker should put the invitation on hold till further notice.”

    A governor’s aide told The Nation that Governor Suswam might have instructed the government officials not to honour the invitation.

     

  • Stakeholders oppose lawmaker’s third term bid

    The desire of the lawmaker representing Abia State Bende Federal Constituency, Nnenna Ukeje, to return to the House of Representatives for the third time, may be in jeopardy, as stakeholders from the area are insisting on maintaining the zoning formula, which has been in existence for years.

    This was the outcome yesterday of a five-hour brainstorming of over 500 stakeholders from the 11 communities, which make up the constituency, at Alayi in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

    In a statement by Ikenga Charles Ijioma on behalf of the stakeholders in Umuahia, they said Ukeje’s third term bid was against the zoning arrangement between the two kindred in the constituency, Ikwuishi and Umunna.

    The constituency comprises Ikwuishi and Umunna, and Ukeje, who hails from Umunna, has been in the lower chamber of the National Assembly for two terms, while the last person from Ikwuishi was in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.

    The stakeholders accused Ukeje of incompetence, pride, under representation and disrespect to elders.

    They urged her to shelve her ambition to return to the lower chamber, for equity and justice.

    The stakeholders accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of imposing Ukeje on the constituency against the will of the people, vowing that the party would pay dearly by losing the seat to the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA’s) candidate, Sir Alfred Udensi.

    They claimed that Udensi was a better choice and their consensus candidate to restore the zoning formula of the people of Bende Federal Constituency, insisting that anything to the contrary would spell doom for the zone.