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Tag: Omirin

  • Omirin restates resolve to quash ‘impeachment’

    Omirin restates resolve to quash ‘impeachment’

    Former Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin has restated his resolve to challenge his “impeachment” by seven members of the Fourth Assembly in court.

    Members of the Fifth Assembly turned down his request to reverse his “impeachment’’, restore his rights and privileges and obliterate the records of former factional Speaker Dele Olugbemi.

    Omirin said it was wrong for the lawmakers to make public the contents of the letter he wrote to them.

    He accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-dominated Assembly of blackmailing him by addressing a briefing on the letter.

    The ex-Speaker, who spoke yesterday at the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Governor Ayo Fayose, the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole and the Assembly Clerk, Tola Esan, knew about his letter.

    He added that he also notified party leaders like Solid Minerals Minister Dr. Kayode Fayemi, state APC Chairman Olajide Awe and Senator Anthony Adeniyi.

    Omirin condemned the Oluwawole-led Assembly for playing politics with his request, describing the action of the lawmakers as “petty.”

    He said he was advised to go to court, and he instructed his lawyer to contact the Clerk for the Hansard of November 20, last year, when the impeachment was carried out.

    Omirin said: “The rejection of my letter was petty. It confirmed that the lawmakers don’t have minds of their own. I had decided not to join issues with the Assembly, because I couldn’t afford to cast aspersion on the same House I once presided over and led members to pass 72 bills into law.

    “Making my letter public was a clear case of blackmail. The governor, Speaker and the Clerk were aware of my letter. It was the Clerk who called me and said my impeachment could be reversed and that I should write a letter, rather than going to court.

    “I know that my letter could not have been made public by Oluwawole without consulting Governor Fayose. So, it was an attempt to frame me.

    “The Speaker is not in charge of that Assembly, the governor is and whatever the Speaker does, he has to follow the dictates of the governor.”

    Responding, Committee Chairman on Information Gboyega Aribisogan said the lawmakers did nothing wrong in deliberating upon Omirin’s letter, saying their action could not be mistaken for blackmail.

    He added: “We have deliberated in this House that whatever happens in the Assembly should be made known to the electorate. So, the issue of blackmail being raised was a figment of his imagination.”

     

  • Omirin writes Ekiti Assembly to reverse ‘impeachment’

    Omirin writes Ekiti Assembly to reverse ‘impeachment’

    •Lawmakers turn down request

    Former Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin has written to the lawmakers to reverse his “impeachment” by seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers last year.

    The seven PDP members of the Fourth Assembly claimed to have “impeached” Omirin on November 20 last year and “elected” Dele Olugbemi, who was recognised by Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The House has 26 members and to validly impeach the Speaker, it needs at least 18 members.

    Olugbemi sat on the Speaker’s chair until June 4 when the tenure of the Fourth Assembly expired.

    The “impeachment” was challenged by Omirin at a Federal High Court in Lagos, which he withdrew and was subsequently struck out.

    Omirin, in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, dated October 19, and entitled: “Reversion of Unconstitutional Impeachment” urged the Assembly to reverse the impeachment which, according to him, violated the constitution.

    He said:  “The legislature is to make laws for peace, order and good government and if an institution that is supposed to make laws seems to be violating the laws, the effect will be disorderliness, hence the action taken on November 20, 2014 should be reverted and all records bearing Dele Olugbemi be obliterated.”

    Addressing a briefing yesterday in Ado-Ekiti on Omirin’s letter, Speaker Oluwawole said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to reverse the “impeachment” and obliterate Olugbemi’s record as “Speaker”.

    Reading a reply written by the lawmakers to Omirin to the hearing of reporters, Oluwawole said: “Sir, why we will not comment on the constitutionality of the impeachment or otherwise, one point remains sacrosanct that there was an impeachment exercise against you on November 20, 2014, upon which you instituted the matter referred to above.

    “It must be borne in mind that whether your impeachment was legal or not is for the court to decide, but we, with due respect to your person, are helpless in the circumstances.

    “Against this backdrop, the House is not empowered to obliterate the records of Dele Olugbemi as the speaker between November 20, 2014 and June 5, 2015.

    “As a respected colleague, we may, however, consider a pardon of the reasons that warranted your impeachment, but not for a pseudo re-installment of a period you never acted in that capacity.”

    When contacted to confirm if he wrote the letter, Omirin answered in the affirmative.

    He expressed his readiness to return to court, if the lawmakers fail to accede to his request.

  • Omirin, Fayose in ‘popularity contest’

    Omirin, Fayose in ‘popularity contest’

    Ekiti State Speaker Adewale Omirin has “locked horns” with Governor Ayodele Fayose over his popularity rating.

    Omirin’s Special Adviser on Media Wole Olujobi in a statement yesterday said comparing the governor with former Governor Segun Oni and blaming Omirin for the crisis in the state is turning history to fiction and “unconscionable beatification of the unholy”.

    But Fayose’s media aide Idowu Adelusi said he would not join issues with Olujobi whose outburst he regards as “that of a drowning person pleading for clemency”.

    Olujobi said: “It is amusing that Adelusi is talking about his boss winning election twice.

    “May be he forgot that Nigerians can still recollect the circumstances that gave Fayose victory on the two occasions.

     “The first time, Fayose was a beneficiary of a “do or die” political fraud in the South west when he benefited from a mindless rigging coordinated by the Federal Government.

    “The second time was more daring, with thousands of federal troops seizing Ekiti State to enable Fayose win.

    “This is apart from the revelations in the Ekitigate tape where Fayose himself said he collected  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) soft copies that he printed for the election.

     “It is baffling that a media aide would come in the open to celebrate these frauds as befitting trophies that must be showcased.”

    He said subsequent election victories after Ekitigate  were natural bandwagon effects,  which had thrown several characters up as Ekiti representatives in the National and House of Assemblies.

     The Speaker’s aide said Oni’s removal by the court was more honourable than Fayose’s tempestuous administration fraught with alleged multiple frauds and scandals.

    “The former governor is a man of integrity. His sterling quality and crime-free lifestyle had elevated him to his current position as Deputy National Chairman  (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

     Scoffing at Adelusi’s allegation blaming Omirin for the House of Assembly crisis, Olujobi lampooned the governor’s aide for indulging in reckless misinformation.

     He said Fayose as a lawless governor authored all the crises that rocked the state since November.

    “Adelusi’s argument that Omirin’s absence at Fayose’s inauguration marked the beginning of the crisis holds no water.

    “Was it Omirin’s absence at the inauguration that made Fayose to send unknown names to the House and expected the names to be cleared same day?

    “Was it Omirin’s absence at his inauguration that forced Fayose to impose an illegal speaker chosen by seven lawmakers ?

    Could that explain why Fayose froze the House of Assembly bank accounts and electricity supply cut off from Omirin’s house while his official quarters were locked and his car seized? Is that why the 19 APC lawmakers are being trailed by assassins?

     “Can we say it was Omirin who advised Fayose to recklessly trample on the constitution over which he is facing a supremacy battle between him and the law of the nation.”

     He advised Adelusi and other aides, who he said appeared more sober than the governor, to always have special counselling sessions with their boss to advise him on civil approach to political issues.

    Adelusi said: “As a response to his outburst, I will simply refer him to a write-up by Segun Ayobolu on the back page of the May 16 edition of The Nation on Saturday titled: Ekiti Fiasco: Who is to Blame?”

  • Ojudu, Omirin demand retraction of ‘bribery’ report

    Ojudu, Omirin demand retraction of ‘bribery’ report

    Senator Babafemi Ojudu and Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Dr Adewale Omirin have demanded the retraction of a story and an apology from the Ekiti Broadcasting Service (ESBC) for claiming that they were bribed to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose.

    They also demanded N20million damages for the defamatory broadcast, warning that they would begin legal action against ESBC, if the demands are not met.

    In separate letters to the Special Adviser Communication and New Media, ESBC, dated April 21, the lawmakers’ lawyer, Abiodun Ayodele, said the news reports brought the image of senator and speaker into disrepute.

    “Our client, therefore, wish to demand an unreserved apology from you and your establishment for this defamatory broadcast.

    “We demand that this apology broadcast should be on the Ekiti State Broadcasting Service which you had earlier used to peddle the lies. This apology should be on or within the next seven days,” Ayodele wrote.

    The lawyer said the offending broadcast on the state radio 91.5FM and on the state television station claimed that the bribe taken by Ojudu and Omirin even caused a quarrel between them.

    He said the report was “all in a bid to bring the image of our client to disrepute in the eyes of well meaning Ekiti people;” the people Ekiti Central Senatorial District, who Ojudu represent at the Senate; the people of Gbonyin State Constituency, who Omirin represent, and in the eyes of Nigerians.

    “Our client wishes to state in categorical terms that the said news item is not only untrue but is a figment of your imagination…Our client wish to equally demand for the sum of N20million as damages for the said defamatory broadcast.

    “Please take note that this letter serve as our pre-action notice should you fail to comply with our client’s demand as contained in this letter,” Ayodele wrote.

    Senator Ojudu and Dr Omirin have also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, alleging threat to their life.

    According to them, on April 19, 20 and 21, the Special Adviser to the Governor, Mr Lere Olayinka, posted on his Facebook wall their phone numbers, inciting people to call and threaten them because they allegedly took bribe to impeach Fayose and accused them of being the arrowheads of the impeachment process.

    “Since the posting of our clients’ phone numbers on his Facebook wall, our clients have been receiving hundreds of anonymous calls threatening to kill them, their families and to destroy their houses.

    “Our clients have been living in fear since then. The calls and threat still persist till today.

    “We pray you to use your good office to arrest and prosecute Mr Lere Olayinka and his co-travellers in this threat business before they carry our their threat,” the lawyer wrote.

  • ‘No rift between Omirin, Ojudu’

    The Special Adviser on Media to Ekiti State House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin, Wole Olujobi, has said there is no rift between Omirin and Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

    In a statement, Olujobi said the report on state media was the figment of the imagination of the persons peddling it.

    The statement said the Speaker never engaged in any deal with anyone; “it is not also true that Ojudu collected money to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose in 2006”.

    “The report found its way to Channels Television website and upon investigation by the station’s management, it was discovered the report was smuggled into the website by government agents.

    “Government agents have put a Channels TV worker in trouble.

    “Omirin is not pursuing any governorship ambition. “Allegation of fighting between Ojudu and Omirin over impeachment fund is non-existent and diversionary. Nigerians are not fools. They know all the constitutional infractions Fayose has committed.”

     

  • Respect verdict, Omirin pleads with supporters

    Ekiti State House of Assembly, Speaker Adewale Omirin, has appealed to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ekiti people to accept the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ekiti State governorship election appeal petition.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, the Speaker said the Supreme Court, as the last authority on the matter, had spoken and urged the people to respect the verdict.

    Noting that the judges arer human beings who may have erred in the consideration of the petition, he said opportunities still exist to right the wrongs that may have been noticed in the judgment.

    “This is an opportunity for Nigerians to ask questions whether it is morally right for a governor to be impeached this month and next month he is re-contesting the same position he lost over  a breach of public trust.

    “It is shocking that the judges could not take into account details of alleged fraud over which Fayose was indicted, particularly as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is in court trying the governor over the offence for which Fayose was indicted,” Omirin said, adding:

    “For ordinary Nigerians, it was believed that the judgment would consider the particulars of the governor’s alleged fraudulent acts as established by the EFCC that necessitated the setting up of the panel, which the Supreme Court is now saying was faulty.

    “Isolating or discountenancing this important element of the case to now dwell  on the legality of the panel to dismiss the entire case is nothing but a call to criminals to steal their society blind and in the process of establishing a reprimand against them, fault is now established against the probing authority in order to legalise the crime and wish the criminals good luck by allowing them to get away to enjoy their loot.”

  • Ekiti Speaker Omirin greets Nigerians

    Ekiti Speaker Omirin greets Nigerians

    The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has urged Christians and Ekiti people to imbibe the virtue of sacrifice as exhibited by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to save mankind.

    He said in the most trying moment of His life, Jesus Christ elevated salvation of mankind above his personal survival.

    Omirin, in a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Wole Olujobi, urged Nigerians to make service to mankind a major plank of their activities in whatever they do.

    “Jesus Christ demonstrated that making sacrifices is a virtue through which we can save our fellow men. Let this spirit guide you in all you do. It is through generosity of the heart that we can make our impact felt by our fellow human beings for the life of happiness,” Omirin said.

    He urged Nigerians to pray for the country, President Goodluck Jonathan and President-elect Muhammadu Buhari for smooth transfer of power at the federal level.

    The speaker called on Ekiti people to pray for the state for a government that would enthrone peace to allow Ekiti people enjoy their security.

    He advised youths to avoid reckless drinking while also urging drivers to avoid reckless driving during the Easter festivities.

  • Ekiti Speaker demands opening of petrol station

    Ekiti Speaker demands opening of petrol station

    The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, has called on citizens to prevail on Governor Ayo Fayose to open his petrol station, which has been sealed since October.

    He said the governor needed God to touch his (Fayose’s) conscience so that he could rule with the fear of God and stop persecuting innocent people.

    Omirin, who made the appeal in a telephone chat with reporters yesterday, said the petrol station, which had not been officially opened before Fayose returned to power, was his “little contribution” to creating jobs.

    New documents had been pasted on the station which, according to him, had new padlocks.

    The Fayose administration claimed that Omirin’s petrol station had no approval and that it was close to residential buildings.

    The Speaker said the government agents stormed the petrol station on Ajilosun Street in Ado-Ekiti at 2pm on Wednesday and pasted documents purporting that he had failed to produce papers required for the operation of the business.

    But Omirin maintained that he  fulfilled all requirements to operate the business and had obtained  the necessary approvals from relevant ministries and agencies.

    The Speaker said he had documents to back up his claim, noting that he did not see any reason why his station was sealed off.

    He said the fuel bought shortly before the petrol station was sealed was still there about four months after.

    Omirin said: “The place has been sealed off since October and we have not done anything there since. We have not sold the fuel there.

    “I have all the relevant papers and documents, I presented police approval, fire service approval and ministry approval and all the documents were submitted to the Ministry of Lands.

    “It is all victimisation and vendetta; I have a residential building at the back (of the station) which I am planning to move into. Does that mean that I cannot move there?

    “I don’t see any reason for sealing off my station. I have tenants moving in but they cannot have access to it because of this forced closure.

    “I appeal to well-meaning people to prevail on the powers that be to allow me access to my petrol station. This is my little contribution to solving the unemployment problem in Ekiti State.”

    The Special Assistant to the Governor on Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi, said the government’s action was not politically-motivated and was done to sanitise the oil and gas business in the state.

    Ogunsuyi said construction started in the station in 2012 with residents writing petitions to complain about its location.

    The governor’s aide claimed that Omirin did not have an approval to build the petrol station, adding that political meanings should not be read into the scenario.

  • Fayose a maximum ruler, dictator – Omirin

    Fayose a maximum ruler, dictator – Omirin

    The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, on Wednesday opened up on the relationship between the lawmakers and Governor Ayo Fayose saying “the state is being ruled by a maximum ruler and a dictator who runs his administration on lies and falsehood.”

    Omirin who also cleared the air on the statement he was reported to have made earlier on Tuesday to the effect that no assassination attempt was made on his life.

    He also condemned a story aired by the radio and television channels of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) in which the stations claimed that he (Omirin) was misled in the recent actions taken by the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers.

    Addressing a news conference in his Aisegba-Ekiti country home in Gbonyin local government area of the state, Omirin revealed that what was in the undertaking he signed at the state police command was that he did not see suspected assassins that came to his Ado-Ekiti residence Monday night but concerned residents called to inform him of the presence of strange men outside his home.

    The speaker explained that he never said his life was threatened by the coming of the unknown persons, saying what he said at the police headquarters tallied with the content of the statement issued by his media aide, Wole Olujobi.

    He said Fayose has practically made it impossible for the APC lawmakers to perform their legislative functions by writing to the police to arrest them immediately on arrival in the state and at the same time accusing them of abandoning their duty post.

    He revealed that the governor has stopped the salaries of all the APC lawmakers “even when he lacks the constitutional powers to do so” noting that Fayose is emulating the impunity and illegality being carried out at the federal level by his party.

    Speaking on why they held a sitting at a secret location, Omirin who said the Standing Order and the Constitution empower them to do so when their lives are in danger, adding that “abnormal situation calls for abnormal solutions.”

    Omirin went on: “Few days after our last sitting, the governor wrote to the Commissioner of Police that we should be arrested and I told him that all of us are ready for arrest and there is no law stopping us from sitting anywhere if our lives are under threat.

    “The governor has been calling for my head since then and I don’t think that the governor has a genuine love for Ekiti State because each time we are coming to the state, he would accuse us of bringing thugs to the state which is not true.”