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Aftermath of Impeachment Saga... Ekiti Assembly Vandalised

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
October 15, 2006
Posted to the web October 16, 2006

By Toba Suleiman
Ado Ekiti

The theatre of the absurd playing out in Ekiti State over moves to impeach the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, and his deputy, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, continued yesterday as people suspected to be hoodlums invaded and vandalised the state House of Assembly.

THISDAY gathered that the hoodlums invaded the assembly with a view to setting it ablaze but had only vandalised it before riot policemen moved in to abort the burning of the complex.

In the process, the hoodlums involved in the incident were said to have disappeared into Ekiti Government House.

No fewer than six people were said to have been arrested over the development including the driver of Fayose's Personal Assistant, Mr Goke Olatunji, one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) woman political leader and other party loyalists in the state.

Also yesterday, a middle-aged man carrying charms was also arrested at the venue where the sitting panel investigating allegation of misconduct against Fayose was sitting. His mission at the venue could not be immediately ascertained but the police took him away.

It was gathered that the hoodlums besieged the complex about 30 minutes after the Dele Omotoso-led seven-man panel closed its sitting. The hoodlums were armed with dangerous weapons and other items such as petrol and matches with which they planned to set the complex ablaze.

One man who was on guard at the assembly told THISDAY that he saw the hoodlums when they came in three different buses and a number of motor bikes, called Okada and went straight to the complex shouting "who is there, who is there?"

He disclosed further that when the hoodlums discovered that no one was around they started vandalising the frontier alluminuum doors.

Sources disclosed further that the police who shot severally into the air to disperse the hoodlums later chased them up to the Government House.

The source said since it was forbidden to make any arrest within government house, the police had to turn back.

The state police spok-esman, ASP Umar Babangida when contacted said he was yet to be fully briefed on the incident. But he confirmed that some arrests had been made.

Meanwhile, the panel of investigation set up by the acting chief judge of Ekiti state, Justice Kayode Alad-ejana, to investigate alleged gross misconduct against the state governor, and his deputy, which rounded off its sitting yesterday had pledged to submit its report to the state house of Assembly on Monday.

The panel sat for barely 15 minutes to listen to the submission of the counsel to the deputy governor, Mr Omodele Adewunmi, before winding up sitting.

In his submission, Adewunmi asked the panel to discharge and give his client a clean bill of health having been established by witnesses including the contractor to the state poultry project, Mr Gbenga James that the deputy governor did not benefit from the sharing of the poultry fund.

He said the reply of the deputy governor to the charges against her was enough defence that she did not commit any crime as alleged by the assembly pointing out that the evidence made available at the panel only indicted the governor.

"There is no evidence that my client shared part ofthe poultry fund. All evidence presented at the panel only indicted the governor. The fact that she collected an amount on behalf of someone did not make her culpable, moreso that the person who gave the money out has already absolved her of being part of any deal to defraud the poultry project.

"I therefore plead with this honourable panel to strike out the case against my client since no concrete evidence linked her to the sharing of the poultry fund," he said.

Arguing on the issue of non observance of the mandatory one year national service, he said since the prosecution has abadoned the issue, it should also be struck out. Counsel to the assembly, Mr Rowland Otaru, did not object to the submission of Adewunmi on the deputy governor's case.

However, in his submission to the panel, Otaru asked the panel to do justice in respect of the allegations against Fayose pointing out that he had been able to prove all the seven allegations levied against Fayose.

Meanwhile, members of Ekiti Council of Elders yesterday condemned the statement of the chief justice of the federation, justice Alfa Belgore, declaring the suspension of the state chief judge, justice Kayode Bamisile, by the state house of Assembly illegal. A statement signed by the Secretary of the group, Chief Idowu Odeyemi, said the elders, after examining all the issues involved, saw Belgore's utterances as unfortunate and even preemptive.

"His statement is too hasty and personal because even as chairman he alone does not constitute the National Judicial Council (NJC) which has 23 members.

"Justice Belgore's utterances are also in law sub-judice because the issues of legality or illegality of the appointment of the acting chief judge is before a High Court in Ado-Ekiti brought by justice Kayode Bamisile and the matter has been adjourned till Thursday, 19th, October 2006," the council stated.

According to him, the Kwara State Chief judge case has shown clearly that the National Judicial Counci does not have a final say on the appointment of an acting chief judge of a state.

He said in this particular case, the NJC nullified the appointment of the Kwara chief judge, justice Saka Yusuf, on age grounds, but the Kwara state house of Assembly rebuffed the NJC's directive and went ahead to confirm the chief judge's appointment.

He pointed out that even though the chief judge is a judicial officer, the office of the chief judge is political and therefore subject to a lot of political considerations as the Kwara State example has shown.

He asked rhetorically, why the NJC was now talking when it refused to say a word on the impeachment processes in Bayelsa and Oyo States that had been adjudged even by laymen as highly flawed.

"Council notes here that of all the impeachments being carried out in the country since 1999, the processes employed by the Ekiti lawmakers remain the most credible, hence they have Ekiti people's support," he said.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Belgore, had on Friday frowned at the purported appointment of acting Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Aladejana, saying it was unconstitutional as it breached the normal procedure orecognised by law.

Justice Belgore reminded Aladejana that his appointment was a negation of section 271 of the 1999 Constitution.

But the new panel constituted by Aladejana to investigate the allegation against Fayose and his deputy went ahead with its work and wounded up sitting on Saturday.

The first impeachment panel constituted by Ekiti State Chief Judge, Justice Kayode Bamisile, whom the State House of Assembly claimed it suspended, gave Fayose and his deputy a clean bill of health in a record time without calling any witness.



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