By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
An Akure based Human Rights lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele has accused the Ekiti state Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose of allegedly harassing and intimidating Members of the State House of Assembly into passing a resolution asking the Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti,Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin to stop parading himself as a traditional ruler.
Ogele also accused Governor Fayose of muzzling the legislature and the judiciary in the state.
Addressing a press briefing in Ado-Ekiti, Ogele lamented that the principles of separation of power as enshrined in the Constitution has been eroded in Ekiti with the other two arms of government rendered prostrate.
Ogele, an Ikere indigene and lawyer to Obasoyin said the governor did not allow the House Committees on Public Petitions and Chieftaincy Matters to conclude their assignment before issuing them the order to pass the ‘controversial’ resolution.
He maintained that his client (Obasoyin) would never succumb to any threat from the Fayose government vowing to pursue the case to the highest court in the land to ensure that he gets an official recognition as a monarch.
Ogele who described Ekiti under Fayose as a “Desert of Knowledge” claimed that his client has not been served with any copy of the resolution as he only heard it on the radio like other citizens of the state.
He declared that a situation in which judges and lawmakers are afraid of performing their constitutional duties in Ekiti will no longer be tolerated as a “battle line has now been drawn against lawlessness, constitutional breaches and impunity”,
According to him,the governor sparked a riot in Ikere with the destruction of Olukere’s billboard on his (Fayose’s) way from Akwa Ibom State on February 3 and later summon some Ikere leaders demanding an apology from Olukere.
Ogele who led the Olukere to the Assembly complex last week to defend his petition to the lawmakers with documentary evidence, said the two committees promised to invite the Ogoga and his supporters to hear their own side after which the two sides will be invited before a recommendation is sent to the executive.
He said: “An hour after the proceeding, Fayose started to call members of the committees accusing them of calling Olukere an Oba. Hardly had the committees started to work when Fayose invaded the Assembly complex with his gang harassing, intimidating and molesting members of the committees that they should put everybody on notice that Olukere should stop parading himself as an Oba.
“Initially, members of these committees resisted the sordid order of Fayose but when his harassment was getting to a dangerous point, they all accepted although against their conscience.
“It is no longer news that the government of Ekiti is fast liquidating democracy in the state. We are running a gangster government in Ekiti which has fused the three arms of government and put them under his (Fayose’s) control.
“We all witnessed how Fayose invaded the High Court complex in Ado- Ekiti and scores were wounded. It is no longer news how Fayose led a gang of thugs and blocked all roads leading to the state in a commando operation and prevented House Members from sitting.
“Again, he invaded Ekiti State House of Assembly in a commando operation, read the budget and passed same. I pity all the members of the committees set by the Assembly because they are helpless and could not do anything contrary to Fayose’s order.”
