Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has banned his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi,
from holding public offices in Ekiti State and other parts of Nigeria
for 10 years. Fayose’s decision is based on the recommendations of the
Judicial Commission of Enquiry that investigated the alleged
misappropriation of funds and abuse of office of the immediate past
governor of the state now Minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi.
The Nation reports that the judicial committee which was chaired by
former Acting Chief Judge, Justice Silas Oyewole (retd.), submitted its
report on December 13, last year, to the governor, Ayo Fayose and the
report was adopted by Governor Fayose and members of the state executive
council yesterday January 15th.
Also recommended for 10-year ban from public office is the former
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Dapo Kolawole,
who served under Fayemi.
The recommendation followed the receipt of a White Paper on the
report of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry which investigated the
handling of the state’s finances during the Fayemi administration
between October 2010 and October 2014.
The White Paper also recommended that the duo should refund various sums of money to the coffers of the state government.
Fayemi is the Minister of Mines and Steel Development while Kolawole
is a board member of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
The ex-governor refused to appear before the panel on account of a
lawsuit he filed to the effect that he would not get justice at the
panel. He claimed that members of the panel are loyalists, associates
and card-carrying members of Fayose’s party, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP). Although Fayemi is yet to declare intent to run for the
July 14th state governorship election, his suppoters are working to
persuade him to run. His posters with inscription “Happy New Year, JKF
Again” appeared in Ado-Ekiti and other major towns last week.
The recommendation banning Fayemi and Kolawole appears on page 22 of the White Paper.
It reads: “Government accepts the recommendation to bar Dr. John
Kayode Fayemi and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Vincent
Kolawole, from holding public offices in Ekiti State for 10 years.”
On Page 15 of the White Paper, Fayemi and Kolawole were declared
“unfit to hold any public office” for their refusal to appear before the
seven-man jury to give evidence on how they managed the state treasury
when they were in office.
It reads: “Both His Excellency, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, and
Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Vincent Kolawole, are recommended as
unfit to hold any public office in the state for their refusal to appear
before this Commission of Enquiry, even, after the determination of the
case challenging the inauguration of this commission before the Ekiti
State High Court.
“Their disrespect to the constituted authority and the undignified
roles they played in the whole contract saga, were obviously against the
interest of the state.”
The White Paper recommended that Fayemi, Kolawole and other members
of the erstwhile Exco should account for N2,750,000,000 allegedly
allocated for the execution of the contract for the ultramodern market
“which was never executed”.
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