The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open
Leadership, CACOL, has reacted to the arraignment of former Governor of
Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.
CACOL lauded Fayose’s arraignment at the Federal High Court in Lagos on
Monday over alleged fraud and misappropriation of N30.8bn, which came
after the expiration of the ex-governor’s immunity from prosecution.
In a statement by its Coordinator for Media and Publications, Adegboyega
Otunuga, CACOL recommeded speedy trial of the former Governor, while
calling on other public office holders to learn from Fayose’s
predicament.
The centre said, “It would be recalled that the immediate past governor
of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, had, on October 16th, the very day his
tenure elapsed, submitted himself at the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC’s Headquarters, in Abuja, for offences that border on
corrupt enrichment and diversion of public funds, part of which includes
allegedly receiving N1.3bn (One Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira)
from the former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, which
was used to allegedly rig the 2014 Ekiti state governorship election in
his favour.
“We would also recollect that, on the following day of submitting
himself to the EFCC’s office in Abuja, the anti-graft agency approached a
Federal High court to obtain an order of detention and subsequent
arraignment in court within two weeks which was duly granted.
“This was followed up by his arraignment in court, earlier today for
misappropriation and diversion of public funds totalling N30.8bn. Our
organization, CACOL, as an anti-graft coalition, takes keen interest in
this elongated corruption issue that involves a notable
politically-exposed person (being a former governor) and commends the
EFCC for following due process in taking the ex-governor into custody
and his eventual arraignment.
“Without any prejudice or emotion about all the melo-drama that has
characterized this high-profile corruption case, we expect the EFCC to
have done its preliminary findings and investigation, well enough to
diligently prosecute this matter and leave no stone unturned in
recouping almost all of the public funds that must have been criminally
siphoned and misappropriated. In similar vein, we recommend speedy trial
and avoidance of undue judicial filibustering to enable the generality
of ordinary Ekiti people, who have been at the receiving end of the
fleece of their scarce resources, to heave a sigh of relief and rekindle
their long lost hope in the ability of the system to redress social
ills, irrespective of whose ox is gored.
“It is pertinent to also note that the arraignment and subsequent
prosecution of ex-governor Fayose, is a signal to all office holders
today, that no matter how long it takes to enjoy ‘immunity’ and thereby
escape justice, the people’s power would always catch up with those
whose pride is in betraying people’s mandate and trust that conferred
power and public till unto them as nobody could permanently run away
from their shadow.”
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