Ekiti lawmakers are hypocrites, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti has branded the members of the State’s House of Assembly “hypocrites” for allegedly violating the Nigerian Constitution on the composition of Local Government Caretaker Committees under former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The party in a statement signed by its state chairman, Chief Idowu Faleye, on Sunday, disclosed that throughout the four years of Fayemi’s administration, the approval of the Assembly was never sought in the constitution of the Local Government Caretaker Committees.
But the Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin, said the allegation was not true because Fayemi followed due process throughout his tenure, adding that the Assembly was not a department in the Governor’s office.
Faleye in the statement said, “In most of the time that the Caretaker Committees were constituted, most members of the Assembly who were expected to be part of the process that will lead to the nominations of members of the committee only became aware of it at the time the inauguration would take place.
“We have many friends among those who served as Chairmen and members of the Committees who confessed that at no time was their names taken to the State House of Assembly for approval or otherwise. So Fayemi and his collaborators in the legislative arm of government had all this while been engaging in mother of all deception over the constitution of the Caretaker Committee.”
Faleye explained that Governor Ayo Fayose was only trying to follow the due process of carrying along the House this time around so as to enable good working relationship with the Assembly.
He added that it was, however, saddening and disappointing that the APC legislators in the House had turned themselves into the clog in the wheel of progress of the state by their inordinate grandstanding.
Faleye equally criticised the Assembly for its refusal to pass the commissioners nominees sent to it by the Governor.
He wondered why the Assembly which passed the list of caretaker committees for the 16 LGs  in November 2010 even when the matter was being argued in court could now adduce judicial reasons for its deliberate refusal to pass the one sent to it by Governor Ayo Fayose.
Denying the allegations, Omirin through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Wole Olujobi said, “At the expiration of the term of Local Government Caretaker Committees, Fayemi would send a request for approval to dissolve and reconstitute the caretaker committees which would be listed on the order paper for mention at the plenary.
“The members would discuss on the desirability to reconstitute the L.G. based on appraisal of their performances. It is then incumbent on the governor to reappoint them based on his conviction.
“Without the Assembly giving the power to the governor, he can’t constitute caretaker committees. Anything outside that is illegal and unconstitutional. It is a rape of Nigeria constitution.
“Fayemi followed due process so the allegation is not true. Local government is a creation of the house of assembly, it is not a department  in the governors office.”
Fayose, and the Assembly have been at logger heads over the constitution of new caretaker committees for the L.G.
The Assembly last week Tuesday refused to deliberate a motion seeking approval for the constitution of Local Government Caretaker Committees’ Chairmen and members.
The Assembly said the request by the Governor was sub judice as the sacked caretaker chairmen of the 16 Local Government Areas and 19 Local Council Development Areas had gone to court to challenge their dissolution.
The 35 caretaker chairmen were sworn in on August 5 by Fayemi, but Fayose on assumption of office dissolved them on October 18.