The legislators also directed Aladejana to take over the functions of the suspended CJ. The new acting judge was mandated to appoint a fresh 7-man independent panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the governor. The lawmakers also warned bank managers where the state’s funds are kept to be wary of honouring cheques from officials of the state government. Giving reasons for the suspension of the CJ, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Friday Aderemi, accused him of gross misconduct by failing to appear before the house.
Aderemi also accused the former CJ of disregarding Sections 188 (5) and 188 (7) of the constitution in appointing the 7-man panel to investigate the allegations against Fayose. The speaker further accused Bamisile of obstructing justice by denying Chief Lateef Fagbemi, counsel representing the legislators access to court processes. During the sitting this morning, thousands of anti-Fayose protesters stormed the assembly complex to demand the removal of the governor. They were kept at bay by hundreds of policemen.
The protesters chanted anti-Fayose slogans.
Section 188 (5) of the constitution which the suspended CJ flouted stipulates that: “Within seven days of the passing of a month under the foregoing provisions of this section, the Chief Judge of the State shall at the request of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, appoint a Panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity, not being members of any public service, legislative house of political party, to investigate the allegation is provided in this section”.
It was discovered that all members of the panel are acolytes of the governor. Consequently, the lawmakers kicked against the composition yesterday.
Also, the suspended CJ flouted Section 188 (7) which stipulates that: “A Panel appointed under this section shall: Have such powers and exercise its functions in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly.” Meanwhile, a Senator representing Ekiti State in the National Assembly, Senator Bode Olowoporoku, has called on the National Judicial Commission (NJC) to remove the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Kayode Bamisile.
He said this became necessary because of what he tagged the unbecoming behaviour of the Chief Judge in bringing the judiciary into disrepute by appointing people with dubious characters into the panel set up to probe Governor Ayodele Fayose of gross abuse of office.
“The CJ went to pick riff-raffs selected for him by Ayo Fayose. People picked have no track records as they are either relatives or people who have worked for Fayose in the past. “I think he is a man who should not be on the bench,” Olowoporoku said.
He also said he is going to write a letter to the NJC because the CJ has become an embarrassment to Ekiti State. “I think Bamisile should not continue to be the CJ of Ekiti State,” he added. He said another panel should be set up or there will be constitutional crisis in Ekiti. The Senator affirmed that the constitution did not give the CJ a freehand to choose whoever he wants to be in the panel, saying that people of unquestionable integrity should be appointed. He said the crisis in Ekiti state cannot stop until Fayose and the CJ are removed.
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