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 Nation reports.
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.
