Ekiti Assembly Speaker sacks commissioners, Oni’s advisers
By Tony Amokeodo, Olusola Fabiyi and Bisi Olaniyi
Published: Thursday, 19 Feb 2009


Fresh crisis broke out in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Wednesday when the Acting Speaker, Mr. Saliu Adeoti, announced the sack of all the commissioners and special advisers appointed by former Governor Segun Oni.

The purported sack also affected all the chairmen and members of boards of commissions, agencies and parastatals.

The development invariably heightened tension following the nullification of Oni’s election by the Court of Appeal, Ilorin on Tuesday.

But just as Adeoti made the contentious announcement after his inauguration, the Acting Governor, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi, said all government machinery in the state would remain intact.

The Acting Speaker did not give any reason for the removal of the commissioners and the other political appointees. But his action drew immediate condemnation from some of the Assembly members, especially those in the G-8.

The G-8 comprises eight of the 13 PDP lawmakers in the Assembly. A rival group is the G18 which is made up of 13 Action Congress members and five PDP lawmakers referred to as “Progressives.”

When the former Speaker, Mr. Femi Bamisile, was removed in July 2008, the 13 AC members and five PDP progressives facilitated Odeyemi’s emergence as Speaker, before his elevation as Acting governor on Tuesday.

Proceedings commenced peacefully in the Assembly around 1.35pm on Wednesday when the Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Tunde Famoyegun, said that with Odeyemi’s elevation as the state’s Acting governor, Adeoti, an AC lawmaker who was his deputy, would be inaugurated as Acting Speaker.

Immediately after his inauguration, Adeoti expressed optimism that the three months Odeyemi would be away from the Assembly would be peaceful.

He lauded the members of the Assembly for their support, patience and understanding.

After his brief speech, Mr. Olufemi Adeleye then raised a Point of Order in which he reiterated that Adeoti was only acting as speaker, pending when the Acting governor would return to the Assembly.

Adeoti simply noted his observation and then announced that Famoyegun was the Assembly‘s substantive clerk.

The Leader of Government Business in the Assembly and a PDP member, Mr. Lai Oke, moved a motion to adjourn the sitting. It was seconded by Mr. Femi Fakorede.

It was at that point that the Acting Speaker announced the sack of the commissioners, the special advisers and the dissolution of boards of all commissions, agencies and parastatals.

That immediately caused a row in the Assembly, forcing the Sergeant-at-Arms and some of his officials to take away the mace, the Assembly’s symbol of authority, for safe-keeping.

All the lawmakers then rushed out of the chambers, with some of those in G-8 complaining loudly about the development.

But the 13 AC legislators and the ‘progressive’ members, as well as politicians in the public gallery in the Assembly expressed happiness about the removal of the commissioners and the other political appointees.

However, two members of the G-8, Mr. Bisi Kolawole and Mr. Adeolu Aluko, told journalists after the session that the Acting Speaker was on his own.

Kolawole said, ”He (Adeoti) is naive. He does not know what he is doing. He has no right to either sack the commissioners, special advisers or dissolve the boards.

“The Assembly cannot act in a unilateral manner. Adeoti did not consult us (other lawmakers). The persons he claimed he had sacked should continue in office. The Acting Speaker is on his own. The decision is personal to him. It is mere wishful thinking.”

On his part, Aluko said, ”This is not a military era. The sack and dissolution will not work.

“No question was put to members before the decision was reached. The House had adjourned before the Acting Speaker made the pronouncement.”

Two prominent lawyers backed their arguement, saying he had no the power to do so.

One of the lawyers, Mr. Festus Keyamo, said, “It is not possible for an acting speaker to sack the commissioners. Only the acting governor has the power to do so.”

The second lawyer, who preferred anonymity said, “The acting speaker does not possess the power. Only the acting governor can sack political appointees, as all commissioners and advisers are deemed to have gone with Oni.”

However, at the state executive council meeting earlier on Wednesday, the Acting Governor, Odeyemi, said every machinery of government would remain intact.

The state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Odunayo Ategbero, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said that apart from ensuring continuity in government, the present administration would not do anything capable of paralysing government activities in the state.

According to him, Odeyemi had noted that the state witnessed tremendous development while Oni’s administration lasted.

The acting governor, according to him, warned that his government would not tolerate any act capable of portraying the state in bad light.

Odeyemi later told PDP supporters who paid him a solidarity visit that the re-run election would be won overwhelmingly by the PDP.

He said, “We have done it before and we would do it again. If I was not in PDP, I won’t be a member of the House of Assembly; if I’m not in PDP, I won’t be the Speaker of the House of Assembly and today, if I’m not in PDP, I won’t be an acting governor.

“I urge you to go back to your various wards and work assiduously towards ensuring victory for the PDP and on my own part as a party man, I will do everything lawful that will support our victory during the election, which will come up a few weeks. I therefore wish to congratulate you in advance.”

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said it is yet to receive a copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which nullified Oni’s election on Tuesday.

The Commission’s Director in charge of Public Affairs, Mr. Segun Adeogun, who disclosed this told one of our correspondents in Abuja on the telephone on Wednesday that until the commission received a copy of the judgment, it would not be able to comment on it.

He also said that it would be too early to talk about preparations for the re-run election as ordered by the appellate court.

Adeogun said, “You know the judgment was delivered yesterday (Tuesday). As I speak with you now, we are yet to get a copy of the judgment.

“We need to get the judgment and know what the court ordered for. We cannot base our judgment on what we read on the pages of newspapers and magazines, or televisions.

“We need the judgment to enable us study it and know what to do, without that I don’t think it is proper to be talking about it.”