by Godwin Akanfe

The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, has advised the state governor, Ayodele Fayose to demonstrate leadership rather than belligerence, saying propaganda against the APC lawmakers in the state would not move the state forward.

The governor had on state radio and television, at the weekend, alleged that his refusal to bribe APC lawmakers with N365 million was responsible for their antagonism and urged market women and Ekiti masses to rise against the lawmakers to save his government. Fayose further alleged that Omirin and other APC lawmakers demanded N365 million bribe to clear‎ the nominees for commissioner positions and 10 percent of the N2b MDGs funds.

In his reaction, Omirin said he never believed a governor could make such outlandish claims. Omirin further said the Assembly under his leadership had a record of integrity and throughout the former governor, Kayode Fayemi’s administration, during which 75 bills were passed into law, the lawmakers never demanded‎ for one naira before doing the job they were voted to do.

Omirin said rather than blame the seven PDP members for plans to demand 10 percent of the N2b MDGS fund, the governor turned full circle to accuse the APC lawmakers of making the demand.

“I have never seen this kind of incorrigible attitude all my life. He told us to our face that he would lie against us to set Ekiti people against us. I thought it was a joke. In actual fact, it was the PDP members that suggested that we should demand for 10 percent cut in the N2 billion MDGs fund and all APC lawmakers said no. We even called the attention of the governor to‎ this attempted fraud. How the governor has now turned full circle to accuse APC lawmakers of demanding for bribe is baffling. One good thing though is that Ekiti people know the kind of governor they have,” Omirin said.

“The alleged N1.3billion poultry fraud case is still in court. ‎There were many things coated in sugar that he told Ekiti people about the poultry project. Evidence of that lie and allegation of fraud on the people can be found in Justice Adamu Hobon’s court at the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti where details of how the governor allegedly defrauded Ekiti people are being examined for judicial interpretaion. Here we are again on MDG N2b fund.”

The Speaker urged Ekiti people to beware of the masters of theatrics, who have turned statecraft in Ekiti Sate to ‎the theatre of the absurd, where stunts and propaganda have taken the place of reason and candour in the mobilization of people and resources for the growth of the state.

“I am happy that I and other APC lawmakers have clean records. We have never committed crimes either in Nigeria or abroad,” he said. “We don’t have question mark on our certificates. Nobody can accuse us of committing crimes abroad and sneaked to Nigeria through fake identity‎ to escape justice. We have never been accused of murder. None of us has criminal cases hanging on our necks in courts. We are decent men and women who can point to where we are coming from without shame.

“Nobody can accuse us of lying under oath. None of us has ever covered a copy of dictionary with the thick back cover of the Holy Bible and used it to swear an oath to deceive people that he had used the holy bible to take an oath.

“Nobody can accuse any one of us of swearing to an oath in the filling of our Code of Conduct and assets declaration form that he had two mansions‎ in Ibadan before he assumed duties whereas the sites for the buildings at the time of filling the form were in thick forest but the structures were only built two years after assuming duties. Ekiti people and indeed all Nigerians know whose stock in trade is to engage in these lies and criminal acts to circumvent the law.”

Omirin said the APC lawmakers would continue to tread the path of integrity to save the people from dishonest people who want to set Ekiti people against the lawmakers through lies and deceit to achieve sinister motives.

YEditor