A former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr.
Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday failed to appear before the Ekiti State House
of Assembly to defend himself against the allegations that his
administration misappropriated N852m Universal Basic Education
Commission fund.
The Assembly had at its plenary presided
over by Speaker Kola Oluwawole on March 9, in a resolution pursuant to
Sections 128 (1)(2) and 129(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),
ordered the Minister of Solid Mineral to appear before it on March 22.
Instead, Fayemi through his Personal
Assistant, Tolulope Ibitola, wrote the Assembly, saying he could not
honour the invitation “due to prior scheduled state engagements”.
He wrote, “The minister has however
asked that I should draw your attention to the fact that all matters
relating to his stewardship as Ekiti State Governor between October 16,
2010 and October 15, 2014 as well documented in his handover note,
which was duly submitted to the government at the expiration of his
tenure on October 15, 2014 as statutorily required.
“The minister will be pleased to respond
to specific clarifications the House may wish to make further to your
diligent examination of the handover note.”
However, the speaker said Fayemi could
still be invited to defend himself over the UBEC fund, despite
responding to the first summons of the House via a letter.
Oluwawole said this while answering
questions from reporters after an obituary session of the House held in
honour of a Third Assembly member of the House, Ajewole Asaolu.
He said, “You will recall that during
our last sitting, we invited Fayemi to come and explain how the
government he led managed or mismanaged the missing SUBEB counterpart
fund.
“We expected him to appear today, but he
did not show up. He, instead, responded through a letter, saying that
he wouldn’t be able to come owing to certain official duties. He said
his stewardship was detailed in the handover note he presented to
Governor Ayo Fayose and that the issue of the SUBEB fund was also in
it.”
Oluwawole said a copy of the letter had
been forwarded to both the House’s Committee on Public Account and
Committee on Finance and Appropriation for scrutiny.
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