The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Odunayo Ogunmola

  • Confiscated cows to go for ‘stomach infrastructure’ – Fayose

    Confiscated cows to go for ‘stomach infrastructure’ – Fayose

    • Inaugurates grazing enforcement marshals
    Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has declared that any cow confiscated under the State Grazing Regulation Law will be slaughtered and shared to the people as part of the “Stomach Infrastructure” policy of his administration.
    The governor who disclosed this on Thursday in Ado Ekiti during the inauguration of Ekiti Grazing Enforcement Marshals (EGEM) said herdsmen caught grazing their cattle beyond the 6.00 pm risks six months jail while their animals will be confiscated.
    Fayose explained that the setting up of the EGEM force was a further step to nip the killing of innocent people and destruction of their means of livelihood by armed herdsmen in the bud.
    The EGEM men thrilled the audience with their parade while local hunters also performed at the ceremony. Some of the marshals displayed placards some of which read “No To Terrorism By Herdsmen”, Fayose Is Working, Ekiti Is Moving”, among others.
    Fayose who were an olive green long sleeve shirt with a camouflage fez cap to match explained that the marshals are not to carry arms and therefore would collaborate with security agencies empowered by law to carry arms to tackle armed cattle rearers.
    He said: ‎”We have a right to life and to survive and holding things for our survival especially peasant farmers, whose means of livelihood are taken away by cattle feeding on their crops.‎ If the gains of peasant farmers are taken away in a jiffy, that is condemnable.‎
    “We will bring to a permanent end, the situation whereby some people take away the means of livelihood of others.
    “On August 29, 2016, the Anti-Grazing Bill was passed by the House of Assembly and the bill was signed into law by me on August 30.‎ Some people go as far as grazing in the night when farmers are no longer at their farms.‎
    “Any cattle found grazing after the time stipulated by the law will be confiscated by the  government.Such cattle will be sold or killed on the spot ‎and shared to people as part of our Stomach Infrastructure programme,” he said.
    The governor had Wednesday last week personally stopped open grazing along Afao Road and supervised the “arrest” of a cow on his way to commissioning projects in Ikole Ekiti.
    Fayose contended that 10, 000 cattle could not compensate for the life of the human being lost to a conflict between herdsmen and local farmers.
    While frowning at cattle rustling by some people, Fayose added that the law was in the interest of cattle rearers too, as their operations would be streamlined.
    The governor added that the phone numbers of the marshals would be made public and warned the marshals against going beyond their mandate.
    “This is not an opportunity to harass or intimidate innocent people. You are to enforce the law and not to break it. Anybody found going beyond his bounds would be dealt with accordingly,” he stressed.
    In her opening remarks, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade, said the law had helped in curbing incessant attacks on local farmers by herdsmen and feasting on crops by cattle.
    The Chairman, Hunters Association, Ikole Local Government, Joseph Osasona, commended Fayose for the initiative.
    Osasona recalle‎d that it was the prompt intervention of the governor in Oke Ako-Ekiti early in the year when some armed herdsmen attacked the people, that sent a strong signal to lawbreakers to stay away from the state.
    He noted that it was inhuman for anybody to jeopardise the lives and means of livelihood of others because he wants to rear cattle.
  • Hunger in Ekiti unacceptable, group tells Fayose

    Hunger in Ekiti unacceptable, group tells Fayose

    The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has been advised to invest more in agriculture to boost food production, tackle hunger and create jobs for teeming youths.
    A socio-cultural organization, the Achievers Group, said: “It is not acceptable that Ekiti people should complain of hunger when the state is capable of providing enough food to feed the whole nation.”
    In a statement on Thursday by its president, Femi Jegede and publicity secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, the group noted that government can replicate the success it recorded in the education sector, If it can devote the amount of time and energy it gave to the education sector to Agriculture.
    “We are confident that Governor Fayose can use agriculture as a tool for tackling the recent food crisis facing our nation, using Ekiti State as a starting point.
    “The government can also use this as an opportunity to engage our youths on farms and keep them away from crimes.”

  • EKHA committe chair removed over meeting with Kashamu, Falana

    …fake audio scandal rocks Ekiti assembly

    Ekiti State House of Assembly has been hit by crisis following the removal of member representing Ikole Constituency 1, Gboyega Aribisogan, as Information Committee Chairman.

    Aribisogan’s sack as House Information Committee chair and his subsequent replacement with member representing Oye Constituency 1, Samuel Omotoso, is believed to be a prelude to his recall from the Assembly.

    The embattled lawmaker was accused of holding secret meetings with Senator Buruji Kashamu, Lagos lawyer Femi Falana and other personalities perceived to be enemies of Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Aribisogan appeared before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges chaired by member representing Ido/Osi Constituency 2, Samuel Jeje where a purported audio file capturing his (Aribisogan’s) voice was played.

    But Aribisogan described the audio tape which was played at the panel sitting to indict him as “a superimposed voice-over to tarnish his reputation.” According to him, his predicament was orchestrated by mischief makers in the Assembly.

    Speaking with reporters via a telephone chat on Wednesday shortly after appearing before the panel, Aribisogan disclosed that he was quizzed whether he met Kashamu and Falana before the controversial audio was played to him.

    While affirming his loyalty to Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aribisogan said he has no confidence in the panel because he had already been found him guilty before its report is released.

    Aribisogan said: “The so-called audio was a superimposed voiceover to tarnish my reputation. At the panel’s sitting, there was a presentation of inaudible voiceover claiming that they recognized my voice and I discarded it as a cheap blackmail.

    “They asked me in the course of investigation whether I have met Buruji and I told them that the last time I met with Buruji was when I followed Mr. Governor and Hon. Omotoso was there too but it is unfortunate that he (Omotoso) wanted to make a political gain out of this saga.

    “Since then, I have not met Buruji as a person either secretly or openly. I have no confidence in the panel but because of the constitutional provision, I have to attend the panel to clear my name.

    “I appeared before the panel to tell them that I never met with Buruji and I never met with Falana as alleged. I am part and parcel of this government from inception and I remain a loyal part member.

    “Changing committee chairmen is a routine exercise but I suspect a foul play that the outcome of the panel is already predetermined.”

    When asked whether he has been invited by the governor on the crisis, Aribisogan said: “This is clearly an Assembly matter the governor has not invited me but I am expecting the members of the panel to go and investigate where the shenanigans are coming from.

    “The whole saga is an immolation to destroy me and put me in a political quagmire. Look at my pedigree where I am coming from before passing judgment on me.

    “Having served the government, is it possible for me to be holding meeting with Buruji and Falana and work against a government of which I am part?

    “I want to challenge the person who claimed to have recorded my voice to be bold enough to face me. The plot was executed by one man in the House to bring me down.”

    The House at its plenary on Tuesday set up the panel to probe Aribisogan over allegations of disloyalty with Speaker Kola Oluwawole likening him to the biblical Judas who betrayed Jesus Christ.

    Oluwawole said: “It touches the fundamental existence of this House. I still believe that this House is indivisible. We are ever united and strong. Every member of this house has the spirit of oneness in discharging his/her duties.

    “When I got this embarrassing news, I was highly disappointed.

    “I have absolute confidence in every member of this House. Despite the fact that Judas in the Bible betrayed Jesus, His ministry on earth was achieved.”

  • APC members hail EFCC over probe of Fayose

    APC members hail EFCC over probe of Fayose

    • Say Ekiti commonwealth must be recovered

    Leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State have urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that all the state’s funds and assets purchased with state funds are recovered.

    The plea was made at the APC members’ monthly meeting at Ward Five in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, where about 15 people in the ward were empowered by a chieftain of the party, Faleye Rotimi.

    Faleye, who distributed cash in aid of their businesses, said the gesture was to assist the less privileged in line with the party manifesto.

    Addressing the gathering, Ayodele said the people of the state are happy with the EFCC probe of Fayose maintaining that all illicit funds traced to the governor must be recovered.

    Ayodele said: “We APC members are happy with EFCC for investigating Fayose, what is happening to our treasury? What is happening to our funds? Fayose must face the music for the way he has been handling our funds and the arms funds diverted to his campaign.”

    Former Chairman of the State Sports Council, Ade Adetola, called for the understanding of Nigerians saying the 16 years of alleged destruction of the economy by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration cannot be rectified within two years by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Ward Chairman Olumide Ajibade said the ongoing economic recession was not caused by Buhari but “unprecedented corruption wreaked on Nigerians by the PDP government” urging Nigerians to repose their confidence in the President.

    He described the PDP administration in the state as “non-responsive and irresponsible to the welfare of Ekiti people” adding that the move to instal the people’s government led by the APC had just commenced.

    APC members in Ekiti State hailed the EFCC on the probe of Governor Ayo Fayose over alleged money laundering and purchase of some assets after assumption of office.

    Party leaders who attended the meeting include former Ekiti House of Assembly Speaker, Femi Bamisile, former House of Assembly member, Tope Olanipekun, former Commissioner for Culture, Alhaji Jinadu Ayodele, ward and local government executives.

     

  • EFCC opposes Fayose’s request for N5 billion damages

     

    Governor’s accounts remain frozen

     

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti to reject Governor Ayo Fayose’s request for N5 billion damages over the freezing of his personal bank accounts at Zenith Bank.

     

    The anti-graft agency through its counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, at the resumed hearing of the suit on Friday urged the court to strike out Fayose’s further affidavit in response to its (EFCC’s) affidavit filed without leave of the court.

     

    The EFCC contended that “it is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that the Applicant (Fayose) is extremely out of time and there is no extension of time to file a further  affidavit.

     

    Fayose had through his counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate, urged the court to award him N5 billion damages against the EFCC for freezing his two personal bank domiciled at Zenith Bank.

     

    Ozekhome, argued that the Interim Order obtained by the EFCC on June 24 and granted by Justice M.B. Idris upon which the action was based was “fundamentally irredeemably wrong.”

     

    Fayose sued the EFCC and Zenith on the freezing of his personal bank accounts following Account Numbers: 1003126654 and 9013074033 on May 24 seeking an order to de-freeze the accounts.

     

    The EFCC alleged that the accounts were used to launder funds from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) for the purpose of financing Fayose’s campaign in the 2014 governorship poll in Ekiti.

     

    Ozekhome described the EFCC action of freezing or blocking Fayose’s accounts as illegal, irregular, wrongful, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.

     

    Fayose’s counsel told the court that he had filed an Originating Summons dated 23rd June and filed the following day having 16-paragraph affidavit attached with Exhibit A, which is a letter from Zenith Bank freezing Fayose’s account.

     

    Ozekhome also told the court he also filed a further and better affidavit on September 21 which he adopted.

     

    The Senior Advocate said the N5 billion sought by the Applicant (Fayose) represent punitive, aggravated and exemplary damages for the alleged and repressive action of the EFCC.

     

    Citing many authorities, Ozekhome argued that Fayose enjoys immunity conferred on him by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution and that Zenith Bank was not the party prescribed to be sued by Section 34(1) of EFCC Act.

     

    He argued further that the Interim Exparte Order obtained by the EFCC was not time-bound as against decided authorities that such an order is for a short time.

     

    Ozekhome said: “The name of the holder of that account was carefully but deliberately omitted so as to deceive the court leading to the suppression of material evidence that would have guided the court in granting or refusing or refusing the order.”

     

    Responding, EFCC counsel  Oyedepo, opposed Ozekhome’s submissions on grounds that Order 22 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court was violated by the defence.

     

    Oyedepo said coming up with such an application amounted to an ambush as the prosecution was not availed the opportunity of reacting to new issues being raised,.

     

    He said: “Applicant herein has brazenly ignored Order 22 Rule 5 by not filing reply on point of law. My prayer therefore is that your lordship discountenance all the submissions which were read out in printed form but never filed in court.

     

    “I submit that because it is going to be a dangerous precedent if your lordship act or give any legal consideration to new issues raised as it is given to affect our constitutional right to fair hearing.

     

    “No party must be ambushed before the court; majority of the new issues raised under the guise of reply on point of law are such that if the 1st Respondent has been given requisite opportunity would have filed further and better counter affidavit to place on oath such as the issue of suppression of fact before Justice M.B. Idris.”

     

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo adjourned the case to November 7 for further hearing to entertain the reply of the Respondents.

     

    The judge adjourned the case after he refused to grant Oyedepo’s request for a cost of N200,000 against the Applicant (Fayose).

     

     

  • Ekiti court remands man for raping girl, 5

    Ekiti court remands man for raping girl, 5

    An Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 23-year-old man, Tobi Aremu, in prison custody for allegedly raping a 5-year-old girl (name withheld).
    Police prosecutor, Sgt. Bankole Olasunkanmi, informed the court that Aremu committed the offence on September 20 at Efon Alaaye, headquarters of Efon Local Government Area of the state.
    He explained that the accused, on the said date, unlawfully defiled the minor which led to her being hospitalized for the bruises sustained during the attack.
    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 218 of the Criminal Code Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State 2012.
    According to him, the case file has been forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
    The plea of the accused was not taken as his counsel, Chris Omokhafe, sought for a short adjournment pending the legal advice from the office of the DPP.
    Presiding Chief Magistrate Idowu Ayenimo who expressed concern on the soaring rate of rape of minors across the country ordered the remand of the accused at the Federal Prisons, Ado Ekiti till the outcome of advice from the DPP.
    He subsequently adjourned the case to November 4 for further hearing.
  • Four World Bank officials drown in Ekiti

    Four World Bank officials drown in Ekiti

    Disaster struck in Ekiti State Wednesday evening when four members of a World Bank assessment team on assignment drowned at Egbe Dam located in Egbe Ekiti in Gbonyin Local Government.

    Among the four who died in the incident was a son of a contractor to the World Bank whose father was one of the survivors. They were said to have commenced work at the site on Tuesday before tragedy struck on Wednesday.

    The incident which three other members of the team survived had thrown the serene community into mourning.

    Sources told our reporter on Thursday that the team members came from Development Dams and Irrigation Scheme in Kaduna State to carry out an assessment of the dam which had long been overdue for turnaround maintenance.

    Their boat was said to have capsized while they were sailing from one end of the dam to the other. Sources revealed that the small boat which could conveniently take four persons was overloaded with seven on board.

    According to the sources, the four victims who died in the incident did not wear life jackets while the three others who wore survived the disaster.

    The bodies of the victims were recovered by local fishermen mobilized to the scheme by Gbonyin Local Government Council Chairman, Mrs. Sade Akinrinmola.

    The council boss told reporters on telephone that he had contacted the community’s monarch, the Owa Egbe, Oba Ayodele Ige Olokesusi, on the tragic incident.

    Describing the incident as “unfortunate”, Mrs. Akinrinmola disclosed that the bodies of the victims have been deposited at the General Hospital, Ode Ekiti, headquarters of the council area.

    She said: “We immediately mobilised a rescue team and an ambulance and those wearing life jackets were rescued. The rescued people were the ones who told us that others were in the water. Their bodies were later retrieved by the local fishermen.

    “We believe that they (the victims) were there based on some of the proposals we had written on the dam and how it could be put to use and we believe that the World Bank had started work on the river based on the calls.”

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the incident which he said was still under investigation.

    Adeyemi said: “They must have come from the Federal Ministry because dams are owned by the Federal Government. It is true that their boat capsized, four of them died while three survived.”

  • ‘Current NASS, worst since 1999’

    ‘Current NASS, worst since 1999’

    • Urges EFCC to investigate budget padding

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Olusegun Osinkolu, has described the 8th National Assembly as the worst in the nation’s history since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

    Speaking with reporters on Monday in Ado Ekiti on the crisis rocking the National Assembly, Osinkolu expressed regrets that the federal lawmakers have disappointed the electorate by their alleged involvement in forgery and budget padding.

    Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Osinkolu urged Nigerians to be more vigilant and careful on the personality of candidates seeking their votes for National Assembly seats advocating for election of people of integrity.

    He expressed fear that winning the anti-corruption war would be very difficult if the National Assembly still parades personalities like Senate President Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Speaker Yakubu Dogara still holding top posts.

    The duo of Saraki and Ekweremadu are currently answering forgery charges in a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged alteration of the standing rules that brought them into office.

    While Dogara and  former Chairman,  House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jubrin  are exchanging verbal abuses over alleged budget padding running into billions of Naira.

    Osinkolu said: “President Muhammadu Buhari alone cannot win the war against graft. He needed good institutions like the Senate and House of Representatives to win the war.

    “We need men of integrity, those with strong characters and incorruptible nature to lead that pivotal arm to help the executive raise the bar of governance beyond this pedestrian level.
    “The silence of the members of both chambers in the midst of these raging controversies lent credence to the fact that they are also complicit. They have not comported themselves in the most honourable way and this portends grave danger to us as a nation.

    “President Buhari was elected by the popular notion that he has integrity and the political will to tackle corruption in any form. He shouldn’t disappoint Nigerians in this regard because sparing these big men might cast a thick doubt on the integrity of the APC-led federal government.

    “Making laws need not be a full time job where Governors finish serving as executives in a state for 8 yrs will run to the Senate to remain relevant  and to seek refuge against prosecution.”

    The APC chieftain called on the federal government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) not to spare anybody indicted of complicity in the official malfeasance going on in both chambers of the national assembly.

    Particularly, Osinkolu appealed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami not to bow to pressure and harassment coming from the senators on the alleged forgery case, saying his ability to prosecute such  high profile case would send a signal that President Buhari is committed to ridding the country of criminality.

  • Ekiti APC faults Adesina’s JSC appointment

    Ekiti APC faults Adesina’s JSC appointment

      Facebook  Google+  LinkedIn

    • Accuses Fayose of committing another ‘illegality’

    The Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the appointment of former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dele Adesina (SAN), as member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

    The party said the appointment has added to an alleged “long list of illegalities and constitutional breaches” committed by Governor Ayo Fayose since assuming office on October 16, 2014.

    APC Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun said in a statement yesterday that Adesina’s appointment was a violation of the constitution, which stated that “no person can be appointed into the Judicial Service Commission twice”.

    “Adesina was first appointed as a member of the Judicial Service Commission by Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2012, and against the law, he was again appointed by Governor Fayose as the Chairman of the commission in 2015,” Olatunbosun explained.

    “By the provision of Section 200(3) of the 1999 Constitution, no person can be appointed to State Civil Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission or State Independent Electoral Commission twice.

    “ Adesina (SAN) was appointed by Fayemi to serve in the State Judicial Service Commission, now Fayose has re-appointed him to the same office.

    “This is illegal and unconstitutional. This provision of the law is an offshoot of Sections 197,198 and 199 of the 1999 Constitution.”

    He added that by this action, Fayose had breached the constitution for the umpteenth time.

    “It is unfortunate and regrettable that a senior advocate of Adesina’s stature could allow temporary allure of office to take precedence over professionalism and defence of the provisions of the constitution, his very constituency from where he made money and earned his fame,” he said.