|
|
|
The Rape of Ekiti
The arrest of Governor Ayo Fayose’s Personal Assistant by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opens another chapter in his unending battles
Governor Ayo Fayose
of Ekiti State
 |
By Emeka Alex Duru
and Tony Egbulefu
It was a comic relief two weeks ago, watching Ayo Peter Fayose, the Ekiti State governor, dancing and gyrating in a fray of women and exuberant youngmen, who were singing his praises and urging him to run again for the state’s Government House in 2007. As he danced with a bold grin, his youthful look accentuated to with a tennis cap, a pair of jeans trousers and a white linen shirt, upon which he hung his dark sunglasses, a happy Fayose, declared to the fawning crowd that he was ready to serve. As it has become customary of the embattled governor, he seized the moment to take jabs at his swelling army of enemies in the state.
This solidarity show, no doubt, came as a soothing balm to the governor, who since last year, has been on a hot seat in the state, following mounting accusations of aggravated official corruption from both the high and low in Ekiti State, most of which are tied to the Ekiti State Integrated Poultry Scheme, which his government initiated in 2004, and was contracted out to Biological Concepts Limited, on September 24, 2004.
The hues and cries of the people of the state over the untidy financial deals that characterised the poultry project, attracted the periscope of the dreaded anti-graft agency – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which began to haul in some officials of the state government, for interrogation.
Among those nabbed few days ago were the Personal Assistant to the governor Goke Olatunji and his associates. They were taken in by the commission’s operatives last Monday. Olatunji’s arrest was most dramatic as he was about to board an aeroplane for an overseas trip with his boss when he was picked up. Rattled by the development, Fayose cancelled his trip and hurriedly packaged a press conference in which he proclaimed Olatunji innocent. Circumstances of Olatunji’s arrest however began to unfold last Wednesday, when the EFCC arraigned him before a Lagos Federal High court on a 15-count charge of money laundering and other related offences. Upper most in the allegations against Olatunji and Gbenga James, his friend, was their alleged role in the controversial N1.5 billion poultry project. James, notably, is the chairman of Biological Concepts Ltd, the firm that executed the projects.
While Fayose made efforts to solidarise with his embattled aids, The Source gathered that the governor’s opponents in Ekiti, launched themselves into a victory dance as they saw in the apprehension of Olatunji, a prelude to eventually getting at him (Fayose). Sources maintained that the detained aide is generally seen as the governor’s link man in most of his deals.
The Source was told that before Olatunji was arrested last Monday, EFCC had for two years, beamed its search light on him and had at a time interrogated him and other aides of the governor. Particulars of their allegation criss-crossed the poultry projects and other sleazy deals. The poultry project however topped the list. The Source learnt that the curiosity of the anti-graft agency was aroused following series of petitions it received from prominent indigenes of the state, since the poultry project was initiated.
The project, said to have been conceived on September 24, 2004 through an agreement between Biological Concepts and the state government, was to establish, construct and equip the administrative unit, feed mill and processing plant at the headquarters, farms in each of the 16 local government areas and four designated centres. The project cost was initially proposed at N800 million, out of which the state government was to provide N400 million and the remaining N400 million contributed by the 16 councils. It was later jacked up.
The headquarters of the project, was located at Afao Ekiti, Fayose’s home town. While the designated four special centres are Ayede Ekiti, Erio Ekiti, University of Ado Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere Ekiti.
The scheme had hardly taken off when Ekiti political elite, who are not comfortable with the governor, alleged that it was a mere pipe drain which he had fashioned to siphon the state’s lean resources. A particular group, Ekiti Justice and Equity Movement, EJEM, led the pack in crying out against the governor’s antics. Apart from questioning the modalities and intentions of the project, the group drew attention to what it considered as a huge scam in the award of contract to renovate the Kayode Oluyemi Stadium in Ado Ekiti. The contract, awarded at N200 million, drew the ire of EJEM because the same rehabilitation job had allegedly been awarded to another firm in August 2003 at the cost of N34 million. The group’s point of opposition was that the only qualification of companies that were awarded the contracts was that they belonged to Governor Fayose’s friends. The award processes were said to have side-tracked the state’s tenders board. There were other allegations including the N600 million contract award for 100 housing units, the cost of which was paid 100 per cent when not much work had been accomplished.
In giving nod to the poultry project, Fayose was said to have directed Abiodun Aluko, his impeached deputy, to act on the advise to release the state’s N400 million obligation even when the Justice Ministry was yet to prepare the necessary contract papers. Aluko reportedly drew the attention of the governor to the implications of the directive, warning that it ran against due process. The Source was told that it was Aluko’s reluctance to carry out the governor’s order that Fayose interpreted a major index of his alleged disloyalty.
Despite the former deputy’s strong insistence on following due process, the contract went ahead. Due largely to what later emerged as untidy details of the contract and other allegations, EFCC was said to have dispatched its detectives to Ekiti. The government, in a bid to cover its tracks, made efforts to compromise them. Some, allegedly swallowed the hook and had it rough with the agency. Detectives that did not succumb to the overtures of the government, stumbled into startling revelations in the entire project. Olatunji was reportedly mentioned in most of the deals.
Last Friday when The Source put across a call to Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi to confirm the level of the governor’s involvement in the poultry saga, his mobile telephone remained inaccessible. The governor had however, earlier told a Lagos weekly news magazine, The News in an interview that he would not in any way be found guilty in any of the allegations against him. Said Fayose: “I am ready for any probe because I know I am clean. I don’t do any thing I cannot defend.”
By the close of last week, the governor had not been officially mentioned in the EFCC charge. His critics in the state however appeared cock-sure that with Olatunji in the net, the governor, would with time, have some answers to render for his actions. Even when the governor in his press conference, swaggered with confidence, reports from Ekiti Government House indicated that the arrest of his trusted aide, marked a huge dampener in his usually boisterous camp. The Source learnt that throughout last week when the news of Olatunji’s arrest filtered into the government house, the whole complex wore a mournful look. The particular concern of the State House staff was that the current impasse, would add to the regime of controversies that had trailed Governor Fayose’s administration since its inception in 2003.
His travails began shortly after his inauguration, when petitions were written against him alleging that he falsified his academic credentials. The governor fought many energy-sapping legal battles before he could have his election upheld.
Shortly after the victory, he went into a consuming fued with Abiodun Aluko then his deputy, whom he accused of disloyalty. With deft manipulation of resources and intrigues, the governor got Aluko disarmed before going for a kill. Tricking Aluko to writing a letter of apology in the vain belief that that would bring an end to their squabbles, Fayose, used the letter as an evidence against the deputy. On Wednesday, December 7, 2005, Aluko was impeached by the state’s House of Assembly. In his place, Alhaji Alade Adeleke, former Managing Director of Wema Bank, was appointed. Few months later, however, Adeleke turned in his resignation letter, claiming that he had an offer from Oodua group of companies. Critics of Fayose insisted however that Adeleke, a thorough professional, must have left after realising that the governor was a very difficult man to work with. With Adeleke’s exit, Abiodun Olujim, a member of the House of Representatives, was appointed the deputy governor.
While Fayose papered with an unprecedented turn over in his number of deputies, he equally took on other opponents. Among these was Taye Fasugba, the chairman of Ado Ekiti Local Government whom he sacked on spurious charges. Next to Fasugba, notable Ekiti intellectuals including Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Femi Falana, Lagos lawyer, Senator Bode Olowoporoku and Babafemi Ojudu, Managing Editor of The News magazine, were taken on by the governor. At a stage in the face-off, Babalola fired a petition to President Obasanjo alleging that the governor was after his life. Fayose denied the charge. But the rift is yet to abate. Rather it has been extended to the traditional ruler of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adjudgbe Aladesanmi. Last week, insinuations were high that the governor had perfected plans to dethrone the monarch. This was promptly dispelled by the governor. But given what has been seen as his huge appetite for controversies, his assurance has not assuaged the fears of his critics.
The Charges Against Fayose's Men |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
