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Tag: Ekiti Assembly

  • Fayemi assents to 8 bills as 5th Ekiti Assembly ends

    Fayemi assents to 8 bills as 5th Ekiti Assembly ends

    Eight bills have been assented to by Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti as part of activities marking the end of the fifth Assembly in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a new 26-member Assembly made up of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would be inaugurated on Thursday.

    Fayemi signed the bills into law at an event held at the Government House, Ado Ekiti.

    According to Fayemi, his action was to further demonstrate the strong political will of his administration to always implement good laws for the people of the state.

    Bills assented to include the Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency Law 2019 , Ekiti State Administration of Civil Justice Law 2019, and College of Agriculture and Technology Reenactment Law 2019.

    Others are Ekiti State Logo Reenactment Law 2019, Ekiti State Local Government Administration Law 2019 and Ekiti State Property Protection and Anti Land Grabbing Law 2019.

    The rest are Ekiti State Security Trust Fund Amendment Law 2019 and and Ekiti State Waste Management Authority Repeal Law 2019.

    The governor gave an assurance that the laws, including those before it, would be implemented to ensure the overall development of the state.

    “History is made in different forms, but I consider our partnership as historic partnership, not minding that many of you came from the PDP, while the executive branch that took over on Oct. 16 , 2018, was from the APC.

    “Some believe that the two parties can’t have points of engagement, but this was not so. I always talked about belonging to Ekiti and that is what you have done.

    “I cannot recall anytime in the last 20 years when eight bills were signed into law, so this is significant and these are laws that are important to our state.

    “The Administration of Civil Justice Law was pioneered by Ekiti State. Some of the laws like, “Land Grabbing Law” will help us tackle some of our challenges with land owners.

    “As you have rounded off today, this is not the end of the road for you, with the way you have demonstrated your love for this state.

    “That culture of belonging to Ekiti party, you are all exemplars of it and I commend you, ” he said.

    Addressing the gathering, the outgoing Speaker of the House, Ebenezer Alagbada, said that the assembly had been able to pass 10 bills since Fayemi took over.

    “We also thank his Excellency for the South African trip that we made. This journey had enriched our knowledge of legislation and I know the Clerk will relay such knowledge to our successors to guide them in their duties.

    “We must learn how to separate politics from governance by doing our best and operating with love in whatever capacity we find ourselves.

    ” The last four years have been so eventful. We have come, we saw and we have conquered, “he said.

  • Drama as Ekiti Assembly suspends PDP lawmaker for ‘interrupting’ speaker

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday banned former Deputy Speaker and Peoples Democratic Party member, Segun Adewumi (Ekiti West Constituency 1) for six weeks for alleged undue interruption of the Speaker, Adeniran Alagbada.

    The suspension followed verbal exchange between the Speaker and the former deputy Speaker at the plenary, prompting the Speaker to exercise his powers with which he banned him in accordance with Section 17 of the House Standing Order.

    Following the suspension, the Speaker said Adewumi would be prevented from participating in any plenary session, but
    could only be involved in off-plenary activities of the House.

    Alagbada said: “I am still the presiding officer of this House and it constitutes an infraction for any member to interrupt me when I preside, except you have an observation to make.

    “But with what transpired today, it seems Hon. Adewumi did not make any observation, but only wanted to stall this proceeding and he is hereby banned for six weeks.”

    Other lawmakers, in their submissions, agreed with the action, saying the Speaker did not circumvent the Constitution and standing order in arriving at the punitive measure against Adewumi.

    The Assembly, however, passed a bill to repeal Ekiti State Official Logo Amendment Law No. 28 of 2014; while the bill to re-enact Ekiti State Government Official Logo Law 2011 was passed by the Assembly.

    The lawmakers also considered Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency Bill 2019 and fixed another legislative day for further legislative processes.

    However, the screening and confirmation of some political appointees earlier fixed for Tuesday was shifted on the request of the Executive.

  • Fayemi sends list of commissioner-nominees to Ekiti Assembly

    Ekiti State Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi on Tuesday forwarded a list of 14 Commissioners- nominees to the House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.

    Fayemi transmitted a letter to the Assembly, requesting for legislative approval to constitute the state executive council.

    The Speaker, Adeniran Alagbada, who read the Governor’s letter to his colleagues at plenary, said the governor’s action was in consonance with section 192 of the 1999 constitution.

    The commissioner-nominees are: Dr Adio Afolayan; Dr (Mrs.) Moji Yaya Kolade; Chief (Mrs.) Moji Fafure; Mr. Emmanuel Foluso Daramola; Mr. Folorunso Olabode; Engr. Dele Faparusi and Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo.

    Others are Mr. Olusoga Davies; Mr. Sola Adebayo; Mr. Michael Awopetu; Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua; Mr. Femi Ajayi; Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu and Mr. Febisola Adewale.

    The Speaker also read another letter from the governor on the reconstitution of the board of the local government service commission.

    Chief S A Abejide will serve as chairman while other members are Mrs. Abiola Adeosun, Barrister Dele Oloje, Comrade Bisi Dada and Alhaja Mariam Bimbola Ogunlade.

    The commissioners designate and local government service commission members will face the lawmakers on Thursday, April 4, 2019 for screening.

  • Ekiti Assembly impeaches Deputy Speaker for second time

    Ekiti State House of Assembly on Thursday removed the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Segun Adewumi, for alleged gross misconduct.

    Adewumi, (Ekiti West Constituency I) in the assembly was elected on June 6, 2015 as the number two man in the Assembly.

    He was removed in 2018 by pro-Ayodele Fayose lawmakers for alleged disloyalty.

    The PDP lawmaker was reinstated as deputy speaker last year few days before Dr. Kayode Fayemi was inaugurated as governor.

    The Assembly elected Olaposi Omodara (Irepodun/Ifelodun constituency 1) as new Deputy Speaker.

    Adewumi was earlier impeached in May 2018.

    Back then, the Assembly accused Adewumi of committing several acts including personal conducts likely to bring the Assembly to disrepute, obvious threat to peace of members and obstruction of constitutional functions of ‘The House.’

    He was also accused of “dereliction, desertion, abscondment and abandonment of constitutional vested responsibilities of the Office of the Deputy Speaker.”

     

  • Ekiti Assembly denies impeachment move, passes vote of confidence on Fayose

    Ekiti Assembly denies impeachment move, passes vote of confidence on Fayose

    Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have said they have confidence in the State governor, Ayodele Fayose.

    The lawmakers also distanced themselves from the alleged plot to impeach the governor following the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress candidate in the July 14 governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    The Speaker of the House, Kola Oluwawole, had on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged invasion of the Assembly premises by riot policemen in order to pave the way for the three APC members of the House to reconvene a week after the members had gone on recess.

    He accused the APC lawmakers of forging the signature of the clerk, Mr. Tola Esan, in a letter purportedly written to request police protection.

    But speaking after paying a solidarity visit to the governor on Friday, the Spokesperson for the Assembly, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, on behalf of the 23 members said they remained loyal to Fayose.

    The chairman, House Committee on Information, said the Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers were fully in support of the move by the party’s candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, to reclaim his mandate.

    He said, “We are here on a solidarity visit to the Governor and to show our displeasure to the stealing of the mandate freely given to Prof Kolapo Olusola. We also want to use this medium to register our displeasure to the illegality being perpetrated by security agencies threatening to make the state ungovernable.

    “As you can see, we are 23 members and 21 is present here. Mrs. Titi Owolabi is not here because she is bereaved, and one of us travelled overseas. We are 26 members; three are on the other side. We are united and irrevocably committed to the cause of Fayose.

    “We are solidly behind him and our party the PDP. We support the decision of the party to go to court to retrieve the stolen mandate and also to tell the whole world that if 23 members are on the same page, we want to see how they want to use three members to perpetuate illegality in the state.

  • Lawmakers order indefinite closure of Ekiti Assembly

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly has been shut indefinitely over alleged invasion by strange policemen.

    The Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, announced this at a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

    He said the shutting down of the Assembly became necessary because two units of heavily armed riot-policemen stormed the premises on Wednesday without an official request.

    When our correspondent visited the Assembly on Thursday, there was no policeman in sight.

    Oluwawole, who addressed journalists in company with 17 other lawmakers, said members of the All Progressives Congress in the Assembly were the brains behind the alleged strange Police deployment.

    He said the Police were acting on a letter forged by the three APC members using the name of the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esan, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed, calling for deployment.

    He said the letter and the request were “unwarranted.”

    Recently, three PDP House members had defected to the APC. They are Gboyega Aribisogan, Sunday Akinniyi and Ebenezer Alagbada, who left the PDP after a disagreement with Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    Oluwawole said the Assembly would remain shut until security of lives of lawmakers and staff of the hallowed chamber could be guaranteed.

    The Speaker said the Assembly had petitioned the CP to raise allegation of forgery against Aribisogan, Akinniyi and Alagbada.

    He recalled that the Clerk had, on July 25, written a similar letter dissociating himself from the letter purportedly written by him requesting Police cover at the Assembly.

    He urged the Police authority to conduct unfettered investigations into the issue and bring the culprits to justice.

    The Speaker said, “This is strange in democracy, for lawmakers to wake up and see unauthorised Police deployment in the legislative arm of government.

    “On Wednesday at about 9pm, Police authority deployed two detachments of heavily armed policemen to the premises of the Assembly. This came to us as a shock because we are in a recess and such action was unwarranted.

    “Before now, we had it on good authority that Police were planning to provide cover for the three defecting lawmakers to perpetrate violence in the Assembly and cause confusion and also to endanger the lives of our staff.

    “As we speak, the lives of our people are no longer safe, because the Police and APC thugs have laid siege to Ekiti Assembly and under this circumstance, our staff are no longer safe and we declare indefinite closure of the Assembly pending the time security can be guaranteed.

    “We have not recovered from the harassment and abduction of our members by Police during the July 14 election. But let me say expressly that such strange police deployment was unsolicited, unwarranted and ultra vires,” he said.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Caleb Ikechukwu, could not be reached, as his phone was switched off.

  • Ekiti Assembly rejects election results, adjourns sitting till October

    Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday condemned and rejected the result of last Saturday governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Recall Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was defeated incumbent Deputy Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as declared by INEC on Sunday.

    The assembly also adjourned sitting till October 8, 2018, due to alleged harassment of members by security agents.

    The adjournment followed a motion moved by the Leader of Business, Akinyele Olatunji.

    Speaking at the House plenary in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, Olatunji described the process leading to the election and final results as unfortunate.

    He condemned the harassment of Governor Ayodele Fayose, Peoples Democratic Party leaders across the state and members of the state assembly by security men.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Samuel Omotoso, said the election did not meet all democratic credentials.

    He pointed out that the election was marred by outright brigandage, vote buying and falsification of results.

    The Deputy Whip, Ekundayo Akinleye, remarked that the outcome of the election had shown that Nigerians should not expect free and fair elections in 2019.

    The Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, described the election as a show of shame with thugs and security men openly working for the opposition All Progressives Congress.

    Oluwawole alleged that figures were brazenly doubled to favour the declared winner and expressed confidence that the stolen mandate would soon be retrieved.

    The lawmakers called on the security agencies to leave Ekiti State to allow government business to thrive unhindered.

    The PDP has majority of the lawmakers in the state assembly.

     

  • Alleged N852bn scam: Fayemi has no moral standing to be Minister – Ekiti Assembly

    …orders Gov. Fayose to set up Judicial Panel to probe his administration

    Sequel to the alleged discrepancies in the finances of the Ekiti State under the immediate past Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, the State House of Assembly on Thursday said the former governor has no moral standing to remain as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The House therefore ordered the executive governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose to set up Judicial or Administrative Panel to probe the administration of Fayemi as governor of the state.

    The Assembly said the step became imperative sequel to Fayemi’s refusal to appear before the House to shed light on the alleged diversion of N852 billion Universal Basic Education Board’s fund during his time.

    Relying on Section 129 0f the 1999 constitution, the Assembly had on March 22, 2016 and 7th February, 2017 ordered Fayemi to appear before it and clear his name over the foregoing allegation and many other misappropriation allegedly perpetrated during his time.

    Fayemi, however refused to appear and the former governor later approached the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti and slammed N500 million libel suit on the Assembly , citing alleged defamation of character to justify his action.

    The House as its plenary on Thursday, presided over by the Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole, berated Fayemi for treating the Assembly with contempt, saying this was not expected of him as a former Governor of Ekiti State.

    After exhaustive deliberation, where Hons Samuel Omotoso, Abiola Jeje, and Ekundayo Akinleye had contributed on the need to compel the Executive to compose the panel to probe Fayemi, the Majority Leader, Hon Tunji Akinyele moved the motion for the adoption of the motion and it was seconded by Hon Jeje.

    Before putting the motion to a voice vote, the Speaker said: “Dr John Kayode Fayemi has slighted this house by his conduct by refusing to honour our invitation. This Assembly duly invited him to come and explain how he managed the finances of this state , particularly the SUBEN fund and other projects.

    “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”, he said.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon Omotoso slammed the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris and other security agencies over their lukewarm dispositions to arrest Fayemi despite the valid warrant of arrest issued by the Assembly against him.

    “The IGP Can’t claim that Governor 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 , Prof Yemi Osinbajo that Fayemi has no moral standing to be a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , having breached the1999 constitution by his refusal to honour us. If we fail to act now, then the country will be operating a banana republic where there re no rules”, he said.

    Honourables Jeje and Akinleye , in their submissions said the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola to live up to expectation in composing the judicial panel to unravel the mystery behind the state’s finances under the immediate past administration.

  • JUST IN: Ekiti Assembly slams N1m fine on ex-gov, Kayode Fayemi

    JUST IN: Ekiti Assembly slams N1m fine on ex-gov, Kayode Fayemi

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Tuesday imposed a N1m fine on the immediate past governor of the state and current Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    The Assembly slammed the Minister with the fine for failing to honour the three summons served on him.

    The decision to fine Fayemi was taken by the lawmakers at their plenary on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

     

    Details Later…