Ekiti govt, PDP trade blame over alleged sale of Abuja governor’s lodge
THE Ekiti State Government and the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) in the state yesterday traded blame over alleged sale of the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
The state government in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications, Segun Dipe, said that Fayose allegedly illegally disposed off the official land acquired by the first civilian governor,
OGUN State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Akingbolahan Adeniran ( SAN), has said that the legal sector in the state is strategising on the appropriate model law to accelerate justice delivery during and after COVID- 19 pandemic.
Fagbohunlu, who stated this during a virtual workshop with the theme: “Civil Justice Reform: Imperatives During and After COVID- 19” organised in collaboration with the CRID- Lawnet and Justice Reform Project said it was imperative to reopen the courts after the lockdown but with a determination to reform the civil justice system.
In attendance were Akwa Ibom State Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko; the CRID- Lawnet President, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo ( SAN); the convener, the Justice Reform Project, Mr. Yemi Candide Johnson ( SAN); Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Justice C. C. Nweze; CRIDLawnet Trustee, Dr. Tunde Ajibade ( SAN) and a partner in Stewart, an international law firm that recently conducted a remote virtual hearing in the Commercial Court in England, Mr. Daniel Wilmot.
The Ogun CJ said the workshop was organised to discuss on distant remote hearing of time- bound cases filed during the COVID- 19 pandemic as well as making sure the disease does not paralyse the administration of justice. Also, Oyetibo said the workshop was put together by a governmental advocacy group, which is devoted to the promotion of best practices in the resolution of commercial disputes and regulatory issues.
He noted that the group had collaborated to promote civil justice development and to ensure that the administration of civil disputes be treated efficiently and economically.
Otunba Niyi Adebayo, for the building of the state lodge. According to Dipe, the same property was purchased during the Segun Oni- era from a co- PDP governor of Osun State at the time, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, adding that it was not so good for habitation since the roof was leaking and this made Fayose to totally abandon it and thus make it become much worse.
He said: “Now, Fayemi, due to his twin- style of good governance and due process, had to order the demolition of the building because it was found to be structurally weak and dangerous for habitation after it was abandoned for four years by the Fayose administration, hence the decision by the Fayemi administration to demolish and rebuild.
“This was adequately provided for in both the 2019 and 2020 budgets and this is available on the Internet for anyone’s perusal.
The PDP, which accused the government of allegedly looting N770.9 million in the name of constructing new Governor’s Lodge in Abuja last year, said Fayemi must explain to Ekiti people which Governor’s Lodge he spent N770.9 million to construct in Abuja last year.
In a statement yesterday by the Secretary of the State Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Diran Odeyemi, the party said: “We are aware of budgetary provision of N1 billion in 2019 for construction of Governor and Deputy Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
Out of this N1 billion, N770.9 million was spent last year.
The PDP, which described the allegation that Fayose rented his personal apartment located in the same Asokoro axis to the state for his own use in Abuja as false, said: “When you accuse someone of committing fraud, and instead of simply defending himself with facts and figures, he goes about accusing another person, it is obvious that such a person has a lot to hide.
“In this case, what a government that does not have anything to hide ought to have done and promptly too was to lay everything about the lodge bare for public scrutiny.
“If the property has been sold as alleged, to whom was it sold? How much? When was it sold?
“And if it has not been sold, why was the structure on the land demolished? And of what benefit is construction of a new governor’s lodge in Abuja to the people of Ekiti State at this time?”