There were series of unfolding dramas on Friday when former Ekiti state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, made an unannounced appearance to the complex of the Ekiti state house of assembly to answer the summon on financial misappropriation leveled against his administration.
The former leader after leaving Ado-Ekitu alleged that he narrowly escaped being attacked while on his way to his home town in Afao-Ekiti.
Fayose alleged that thugs in an unmarked black Hilux Jeep trailed him and hauled stones at his moving Range Rover Jeep.
He, however, did not give details of the attack on him but said he was grateful to God for sparing his life. He said he was not hurt and nobody in his entourage was hurt.
“They were trailing us in a pick-up van and one of them nearly broke my head. But we managed to escape. I thanked God for sparing our lives,” Fayose claimed.
The statement disclosed that after the resolution of the House of Assembly at the plenary on Friday inviting the former governor to appear before the House, he called the Speaker to confirm if the report was true. The Speaker confirmed to Mr Fayose that it was true and that was the end of the discussion.
The statement further disclosed that after Fayose’s phone call, the Speaker intimated two of the lawmakers of his conversation with the erstwhile governor.
Fayose, in his characteristic manner, surfaced at the Assembly Complex claiming that he had come to clarify certain issues bordering on finances during his tenure as governor of the state.
But the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Funminiyi Afuye, in a press release signed by his Special Adviser, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, hinted that Fayose actually plotted to ambush the House of Assembly complex but was resisted because he came unannounced.
The Speaker, however, stated that the former Governor was accorded his due compliment on arrival at the House of Assembly “being a former No1 citizen of the State”.
He then reiterated that the House cannot be harassed or intimidated by anyone “as we are poised to investigate the alleged looting public fund without any fear or favour.”
This came barely 24hours after the ex-governor and one of his aides were summoned by the Assembly over alleged fraud.
The Assembly had in its Thursday plenary session summoned Fayose to appear before its committee on Public Account over alleged misappropriation of local government funds while in office.
Also summoned alongside the former governor are the former chairman of the Association of Local Government chairmen ALGON, Mr Dapo Olagunju, the former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Kola Kolade and all the former 16 local government chairmen.
The Assembly said that its decision followed the adoption of the recommendations of the Joint Committee of the House on Public Petition and Local Governments that were recently directed to look into a Petition submitted to the Assembly by 8 suspended council chairmen in the State
“I am here and if they need any clarification I can answer because a clear conscience fears no foe.”
Fayose went straight to the Speaker’s office and was received by the Speaker, Mr Funminiyi Afuye and the Deputy Speaker Hakeem Jamiu, where he met them behind a closed door for about 40 minutes.
The former governor said he received the summon by the House through the television and decided to come to see the lawmakers. “Let me say that I got their summon on the news media and I called the Speaker last night to confirm whether it is true or not and he confirmed it. You know my style when EFCC wanted me, I told them ‘I am here’.
“Today too, I have come to the Ekiti House of Assembly to tell them, ‘I am here’ and if they need any clarification I can answer because a clear conscience fears no foe. I am saying that I am available.
“The Speaker confirmed that they don’t know that I will be coming. He said that the committee in charge is not immediately available.
“But I want to let them know that for any question whatsoever, I am a leader, I am here and I will continue to be here. So I drove all the way from Lagos to tell them that there is no hiding place for people like us.
“I am ready to give an account of my stewardship. I don’t play politics in that manner; that is why I am here.”
On whether he was given a soft landing by the Federal Government on his case before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he said, “the Fayose you know won’t compromise standard. I won’t follow the multitude to sin.
“While I want to believe that selective justice won’t help our country, I have condemned it severely. Anybody who says when you join APC, you have become a saint, I have said it severally that I will not join APC. If I wanted a soft landing, I would have done it in the past. What is the soft landing? Is it because I am before EFCC? ”
Just as the Speaker was settling down in his office this afternoon, Mr Fayose stormed his office with a retinue of pressmen led by his former media aide, Mr Lere Olayinka, who was equally wanted on another alleged fraud.
The Speaker, who was accompanied in his office by two other lawmakers, immediately stopped the journalists from entering his office and warned Mr Olayinka against writing any fake report as it is usual of him. When Mr Fayose announced his readiness to answer questions by the Assembly members to the Speaker, he was told to go back and await the official invitation letter from the House of Assembly. (Independent)
