Ekiti assembly orders for a judicial probe of Fayemi’s administration―Fayemi

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has ordered for a judicial panel of inquiry into the financial dealings of the administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi state governor between 2010 and 2014.

The Assembly, at plenary on Thursday, presided over by its Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, said it took the step following what it said were discrepancies if had found in the finances of the Ekiti State under ex-Governor Fayemi, for which he had been invited three times to no avail.

According to the house, the step became imperative following Fayemi’s refusal to answer their call to shed light on alleged diversion of N852 million Universal Basic Education Board’s fund during his time, among others.

The Assembly passed the resolution in a unanimous call, saying a judicial panel of inquiry into the financial transactions of the immediate-past government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Dr Kayode Fayemi, should be set up.

The chairman, Committee on Information, Youths and Sports Development of the house, Dr Samuel Omotoso, said “the House, at its plenary, unanimously agreed that the judicial panel should be constituted to make the former governor account for the mismanagement of the resources of the state during his tenure.”

According to him, the house, relying on Section 129 of the 1999 constitution, had on March 22, 2016 and 7th February, 2017 ordered Dr Fayemi to appear before it and clear his name in the allegations but he didn’t respond.

He said the police had been called to bring him to the Assembly, saying “the IGP can’t claim that Dr Fayemi is at large. He has been attending the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting and nobody even called him for questioning or thought of arresting him. That was unfortunate.

“Let me at this time call on the acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that Fayemi has no moral standing to be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, having breached the 1999 constitution by his refusal to honour us. If we fail to act now, then the country will be operating a banana republic where there are no rules.”

The Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, said “the House had summoned him three times, but he disobeyed the regulation of this house. So, the state government should as a matter of urgency set up a judicial or administrative panel of inquiry to look into the finances of this state under Fayemi’s government.”

Reacting, Dr Fayemi, who had earlier gone to Court over the matter, described the action of the Assembly as “rascality.”

Fayemi, who reacted through Yinka Oyebode, his media aide, said “Thursday’s resolution of  the Ekiti State House of Assembly, calling for the constitution of a judicial panel of enquiry into the financial transactions of the immediate past administration led by Dr kayode Fayemi, is nothing but legislative rascality.”

Oyebode said “the decision of the lawmakers was not only ill-advised but reckless, considering the fact that two different law suits surrounding the purported probe are still pending in court.”

He said: “Simply put, the lawmakers’ attempt to institute a judicial panel or administrative panel, while the two cases involving the House of Assembly, its leadership and a top official of the present administration (in an Abuja High Court and Ado Ekiti Federal High Court) are yet to be determined is subjudice.

“And, sadly, this is just a reflection of their poor knowledge of the law.

“The lawmakers are advised to study the constitution properly and understand their roles as well as the limit of their powers, as this desperate attempt to implicate the immediate past administration is nothing but another wild goose chase.”