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Suspensions in Ekiti House: The imperatives of discipline

IN recent weeks, a gale of investigations of some members has hit the Ekiti State House of Assembly, resulting in the suspension of two of its members. This is never by design. The House had, for close to three years, been a cohesive, impregnable entity.

Obviously, the latest development has been a result of perceived misdeeds by a few. As the 2018 and 2019 elections draw near, expression of interests cannot but crop up. But the House is never averse to any member’s ambition. After all, the Assembly is populated by humans. However, as made clear by the leadership of the Assembly on many occasions, any such ambition ought not to cast aspersion or odium on the integrity of the hallowed House.

It is noteworthy that the Ekiti State House of Assembly is uniquely composed by 26 members from the same political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Any move by any member to hobnob with any opposition party would naturally put others on the defensive. Mutual suspicion would naturally arise. This happens to be the case with the issue of Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan, representing Ikole Constituency 1. He was the first to draw the ire of his colleagues. It is, however, pertinent to state here that the matter might not have landed in the public domain. This is because members of the House have a veritable in-house mechanism through which they resolve any misunderstanding within their fold. However, it appeared that every entreaty made to the Ikole-Ekiti-born legislator did not work, as he was reportedly asked to, at least, show remorse for the offence he was alleged to have committed; that is, holding meetings with the Senator representing Ogun West in the National Assembly, Buruji Kashamu, a known anti-PDP element. All efforts to make a truce were said to have been rebuffed by Chief Aribisogan, as he appeared to have made his mind to dump his colleagues.

This was even more evident in his speedy defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), even when his period of suspension from the House was yet to lapse. He had since been referring to himself as “Minority Leader of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.” There are strong indications that the rank of the extremely cohesive House was under attack of infiltration. But the House leadership would have none of that hence the decision to rise, wield the big stick and invoke its legal machineries needed to address such development and protect the sanctity of the Assembly.

As if that was not enough, another issue reared its ugly head. Two members were investigated for alleged financial impropriety and disrespect to the authority of the House Speaker by a special committee of the House. In the spirit of camaraderie, they were asked to tender unreserved apology. While one retraced his steps and showed remorse, the other appeared hell-bent on maintaining his stand. This resulted in the suspension slammed on Honourable Fajana Ojo-Ade on Wednesday,

August 30. Till date, both legislators are still considered as colleagues and allies of the remaining 24 legislators. But according to the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Dr Samuel Omotoso, discipline among members of the House remains a sine qua non. This, he maintained, was to protect the integrity of the institution, a creation of law, and give it a good image in the presence of posterity. This is the unanimous stand of the entire members of the House of Assembly.

According to the Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Kola Oluwawole, “any society, gathering, association or institution where there are no laws or rules of engagement is bound to crumble like a pack of badly arranged cards. We are all humans; anybody can err, but there must be due process, punitive and corrective measures.”

The Speaker opined that the mutual love, loyalty and sense of purpose that had existed within the House members were the most important needs for them to serve the people of their various constituencies as expected. He added that the remaining members had not wished and still don’t wish to establish any kind of enmity with their colleagues, but that they wanted sanity to prevail; and adherence to the rules of the legislature be upheld.

In spite of this momentary hitch, however, the Ekiti House is solidly coherent. There is a unanimous resolve to continue to legislate to bring dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of every Ekiti citizen. Besides, the support of members of the Assembly and their cooperation with the Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose administration has neither waned nor wavered. Similarly, the members have assured that they remain committed to performing the expected crucial roles in their various constituencies in the coming elections. With these assurances, it is clear that the ship of progress and development in Ekiti State, which can only reach its fair haven through a focused and people-oriented House of Assembly, is still on course.