Alleged funds diversion: Ekiti Assembly summons Fayemi

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has summoned the former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, to appear before it on Tuesday, February 7, to answer questions regarding his alleged involvement in the diversion of funds belonging to the State’s Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.

While issuing the summons on Thursday at plenary, the Assembly noted that the former governor had failed to honour two earlier summons, the first which was issued on the March 8, 2016.

The Assembly had alleged that Mr. Fayemi diverted the sum of N850 million State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) counterpart fund.

The summons came barely 24 hours after Mr. Fayemi, who is also the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, took a member of the Assembly, Samuel Omotoso, to court for defamation.

The minister is claiming N3billion damages against Mr. Omotoso and Lere Olayinka, the spokesman of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, for libellous statements against his person.

But the Assembly frowned at the conduct of the minister in not honouring the invitation, accusing him of causing the setbacks witnessed in the development of the state.

“The house is empowered by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under Section 129, Sub section 6, to issue a warrant of arrest to bring him before the court,” Mr. Omotoso said in his comments on the floor of the house.

Another member of the house, Titilayo Owolabi, said the former governor should be given another opportunity to appear before the House on February 7.

She said the former governor should be compelled to obey the summon as “nobody is above the law’.”

Ekundayo Akinleye, another member, expressed dismay at the damage the former governor had caused the state.

Spokesman for Mr. Fayemi, Olayinka Oyebode, said the summons seemed a joke, because he only read about it on the social media.

“We are yet to see any summons as I speak to you, but if there is anything like that, it will not be unconnected with the fact that the minister took one of the members to court for defamation,” he said.

According to him, no further comments would be made until a formal letter of invitation was received from the Ekiti State Assembly.