Traffic
was at a standstill for several hours yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti
State capital, where a coalition of interest groups protested the
alleged involvement of Governor Ayo Fayose in the looting of funds meant
for the purchase of arms.
The protesters expressed outrage over
properties allegedly bought by Fayose when many people are finding it
difficult to survive over the government’s failure to pay workers’
salaries.
They asked Fayose to resign.
The protest, which was spearheaded by
the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), was also joined by
youths, students, artisans, commercial motorcyclists and other members
of the public.
They expressed their support for the
anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying all those indicted must
be brought to justice.
According to the protesters, the EFCC’s
freezing of Fayose’s account, which is said to contain N1.3 billion
received from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA),
Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), was justified following the revelations.
The protest started at Fajuyi Park,
moving through Okesa, Ojumose, Okeyinmi and Old Garage before it
terminated at Ijigbo Roundabout. Policemen, Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps officers and Department of State Services (DSS)
counterparts gave a security cover to the protesters.
Traffic was grounded Ijigbo as vehicles
were diverted to other routes. The protesters massed at the roundabout
where they sang and called the governor unprintable names.
Some of their placards read: “Who is
Afraid of EFCC Investigation”; “Fayose stop destroying our image, we are
Honourable People”; “You can’t escape justice”; “Fayose is not above
the law”; “Immunity is not impunity”, “Immunity is a not a licence for
criminality and impunity”; and “Fayose must return ekiti money in
Dubai”.
The APC Deputy Chairman, Mrs Kemi
Olaleye, expressed regrets about how the immunity conferred on Fayose
in line with Section 308 of the Constitution, had been impeding his
prosecution for alleged embezzlement of funds.
She said: “We are tired of immunity
clause. Immunity has become impunity in Ekiti. We condemn Governor
Fayose’s corrupt tendencies. Things must change. The EFCC must do its
job and ensure that looters of Ekiti are brought to justice.
“Fayose has disgraced us in Ekiti, Ekiti
people are honorable people and theft of any kind is not in our culture
and anybody that steals in Ekiti land will be ostracised and nobody
will have anything to do with such an individual.
“I want to tell Ekiti people that we
will continue with this protest until Fayose is brought to justice. All
those who hide under election to steal our money must be made to refund
same and be punished for their action.”
A students’ representative, Samuel
Olaoluwa, praised the anti-graft agency for coming up with
comprehensive data of how Fayose allegedly looted Ekiti, saying nothing
must be spared to ensure that all the monies are recovered and culprits
prosecuted.
The state CNPP chairman, Mr. Tunji
Ogunlola, challenged Fayose to waive his immunity and face prosecution
for alleged involvement in the sharing of the N4.7 billion arms cash. He
demanded the investigation of 17 House of Assembly members for alleged
certificate fraud.
Ogunlola said: “On the issue of the
Ekiti State House of Assembly, we ask the 17 members alleged to have
falsified their certificates to submit themselves for prosecution. It is
very unfortunate that their primary roles have been abandoned for
Fayose’s defence.
“We also plead with the Federal
Government not to release bailout for payment of salary to Governor
Fayose. The Federal Ministry of Finance should pay into workers’
accounts directly, because we have lost confidence in the government.
The previous N9.6b bailout should be probed.
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