By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Ado-Ekiti
A High Court in Ado Ekiti yesterday affirmed that Governor Ayodele Fayose acted constitutionally by setting up a commission of inquiry to look into the financial transactions of the state under the Kayode Fayemi administration between 2010 and 2014.
Delivering judgment on the suit filed by Fayemi against the commission of inquiry, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye said governor Fayose acted pursuant to Section 2 (1) of the Commission of Inquiry Law Cap C10 Laws of Ekiti state.
He said the governor did not need to consult the House of Assembly or anyone before setting up the commission of inquiry.
The court, however, agreed that the state Assembly had no right to direct the governor to set up the inquiry.
Governor Fayose had in May this year, constituted a judicial panel, led by a former acting chief judge of the state, Justice Silas Oyewole to probe Fayemi’s administration between October 2010 and October 2014 over alleged financial misappropriation.
Fayemi had alleged that all the members of the panel were the governor’s apologists, adding that there was no way the panel could be fair to him.
Reacting after the judgment, Fayemi’s counsel, Mr. Akingbade Ogunmoyela, said the court has affirmed that the state Assembly has no right to direct the governor to set up the inquiry, saying it was of the opinion of the court based on the Ekiti Commission of Inquiry law that the governor has right to set the commission.
He said he wouldn’t know whether or not his client would appeal the judgment.
In his reaction, counsel to the state government, Mr. Sunday Ashana said he was happy with the judgment because the court established that the governor has the right to set up the commission, stressing that, government acted in accordance with the law that set up the commission.
