Ekiti State House of Assembly has summoned former Governor Ayodele Fayose to appear before it to give explanation on alleged misappropriation of local government funds during his tenure.
The assembly, during plenary on Thursday, also summoned the former chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Dapo Olagunju; former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Kola Kolade; and 16 former local government chairmen.
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Former speaker of the house, Kola Oluwawole, was also summoned alongside some suspended members of the fifth assembly over the passage of a N10 billion revised appropriation law towards the end of Fayose’s tenure.
Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, was also directed to appear before the assembly for not remitting revenue of above N13 million while he was a supervisor at the state-owned broadcasting service.
The summons done unanimously by the lawmakers followed the adoption of recommendations of the joint committee of the House on Public Petition and Local Governments on a petition submitted to the assembly by eight suspended PDP council chairmen.
On December 18, 2018, the assembly suspended indefinitely 16 council chairmen and 177 councillors to pave way for a forensic audit of the councils’ accounts over alleged fraud.
It reinstated eight in July but the others were suspended for further forensic investigation.
Chairman of the Public Petition Committee, Adegoke Olajide, presenting the report during plenary on Thursday, said the remaining eight chairmen on suspension made a plea to the House for the review of their indictment and possible reinstatement.
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He said the suspended chairmen during an appearance before the committee confessed to having diverted funds of their councils on monthly basis to an account, but said the action was in compliance with the directive of Fayose.
He said the council chairmen, who provided documents to back up their allegations, claimed that the instruction to withdraw the councils’ fund was often passed to them through Olagunju and Kolade.
