Ekiti Assembly summons Fayose on alleged misappropriation of funds
Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has yesterday, summoned the former Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose to face the House Committee on Public Account over alleged misappropriation of local government funds during his administration.
The decision of the Assembly followed the adoption of the recommendations of the Public Account Committee saddled by the House to investigate the allegation of misappropriation of local government funds by the past chairmen.
The Chairman of the Public Account Committee, Adegoke Olajide, said the remaining eight chairmen of the 16 LG Chairmen that were suspended, made a plea to the Assembly for the review of their indictment and possibly reinstatement.
Olajide said, the concerned chairmen, during an appearance before the committee, confessed to having diverted funds of the council on monthly basis to an account but said the action complied with the directive of Ayodele Fayose.
He said the chairmen, who provided documents to back up their allegations, claimed that the instruction to withdraw the council fund was often passed to them through the former ALGON chairman, Mr. Olagunju and the Commissioner for Local Government.
The Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, was also invited to appear before the House, asking the EFCC to freeze his account.
Fayose in his response, said he will not dignify the lawmakers with his response.
The statement by his Media Aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, reads, “Former Governor Ayo Fayose will not dignify an assembly of clowns who are under the total control of a governor, who is desperately in search of ways to cover his electoral thievery and failure to secure the acceptance of Ekiti people.
“If they have any evidence of financial impropriety against him (Fayose), they can ask the man, who used Short Message Service, SMS, to appoint them to invite EFCC operatives and accommodate them in the Government House as he has done on many occasions. As for us, we are moving on.”
Others to appear before the State Assembly include, the former chairman, Association of Local Government Chairmen ALGON, Mr. Dapo Olagunju; the former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr. Kola Kolade and the former 16 local government chairmen.
