It was therefore welcome
news that on Friday September 29 or thereabout, impeachment notices
involving a total of nine serious charges were served on both
Governor Fayose and his Deputy Abiodun Olujinmi. It was about
time.
The thoroughness with
which the EFCC under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has for some time now been
investigating the cases against the duo is very commendable. The
courage of the 24 Ekiti legislators under the leadership of Speaker
Hon. Friday Aderemi who served the notice is to be praised. The
unrelenting watch-dog role that various individuals such as Chief
Afe Babalola and Mr. Femi Falana, activist groups such as ours (Ekiti-Pag),
E-11 (under the leadership of Mr. Femi Ojudu), Ekiti Justice and
Equity Movement (led by Mr. Morakinyo Ogele), Ekiti Agenda (under
the leadership of Chief Odeyemi), Ekiti Rescue Mission ERM (led
by Dr. Kayode Fayemi), political groups such as the Alliance for
Democracy (AD), the National Conscience Party (NCP) and Egbe
Majeobaje (a progressive faction of the PDP), and others that have
been on the case of this administration since its inception has been
vindicated.
Following these
impeachment notices, which have now been acknowledged to be received
and impeachment proceedings going on smoothly, we expect
constitutional due process to be scrupulously followed. The dual
cases of the Governor and his Deputy should be dealt with with
wisdom consistent with the need for order and stability in our
state. With courage of the Legislature, cooperation by the Judiciary
(under the leadership of Chief Judge Kayode Bamisile) and
commitment of all Ekiti citizens and friends, we are confident that
all necessary actions will be wrapped up within the few weeks, and
that a new and inclusive set of leadership will be installed at the
helm of affairs in Ekiti State.
We warn all political
merchants and jobbers, particularly those from outside of Ekiti
State, to steer clear of our state, because we are DETERMINED to
choose our own leaders ourselves henceforth and ensure that they are
accountable to us and to no one else. In particular, we demand that
certain well-known individuals who are reported to be trying to
intervene to help Fayose in his self-inflicted ordeal to understand
that their interference will not be tolerated, and that they should
mind their own domains. "Oko o le je ti baba ati ti omo ki o ma
ni ala" is a deep proverb of our great Yoruba people, implying that
there are limits to interference even among close family members.
Any untoward outcome of their continued insistence of interfering
will not be quickly forgotten by the long-suffering people of Ekiti
State.
At this time when we
should be truly celebrating ten years of the creation of our state,
unfortunately we are saddened by the kind of leadership that we do
not deserve. However, we now have a golden opportunity to start
afresh in a transition period that is bound to begin soon, and we
must seize it with both hands and minds. That transition period
must see to the installation of an inclusive Government with
integrity, accountability and transparency at its watchwords, whose
two main tasks should be to clean up the finanncial and moral mess
created by the Fayose regime, and to create a level playing field in
preparation for elections in 2007.
We call for vigilance in
Ekiti State. All hands must be on deck. Opportunists must be
avoided, and only those committed to rescuing Ekitiland from its
recent past and creating a new and proud Ekiti State must be
engaged.
Ekiti a gbe a o !
Released by EKITI-PAG
Akin Michael Adebayo
Gbenga Adesokan, MD
Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
Adebayo Arowolaju Sr.,
PhD
Anthony Ayodele
Samuel Ayodele
Emmanuel Abiodun Dada,
PhD
Titus Bodunde Folayan
Paul Olatoye
Samuel Oladimeji Rotimi
