[size=28pt]Ekiti and Burden of Unproved Allegations[/size]



Ekiti State government  was recently given a clean bill of health by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over accusation of corrupt practices leveled against Governor Segun Oni’s administration. Ademola Adeyemo writes that despite the official  clearance, the controversy is yet to abate

Ekiti State was one of the states created in 1996 by the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha. But the 14 year -old state has been witnessing incessant political upheaval since 1999 when democracy returned to the country.
The state has the highest number of professors and Doctorate Degree holders  in Nigeria. The pride of any family in state is to have a high number of professors. No wonder the state was christened as the “ Fountain of Knowledge”.

With this academic advantage, one would expect that the state will be a role model in terms of peace, constructive engagement and good governance.
However, political developments  in the state since 1999 have  continued to paint the state as politically unstable.
The state has the highest number of acting governors as a result of political bickering. Beside, it is  the second state to witness a state of emergency in Nigeria during the regime former President  Olusegun Obasanjo. 

Even when Governor Olusegun  Oni took over the mantle of leadership in 2007, the political crisis refused to abate as the opposition took on the government in a do-or-die political battle.
As if that was not enough, a new dimension was introduced into the politics of the state, this time around petitions are being written  in large quantities, alleging massive fraud against the Oni-led government.
Shortly after the judgment of the  Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal last year, it was alleged that Oni who was declared the winner the re-run election had procured the judgment with N3 billion.

When the rumour was gaining ground, Oni who volunteered to waive his immunity called on the Chief Justice of the federation to set up a high-power panel of inquiry, which will consist of eminent retired justices of the Supreme Court to investigate the bribery allegation, and promised to face trial if indicted by the panel.
However, the Action Congress (AC), dissociated itself from the allegation claiming that the allegation came from the website of Sahara reporters.

As the allegation was dying down, another one was raised, this time from a  group which called itself  “Coalition for Probity in Government.” the group which   gave its address as Ileosun Street, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, had written a petition dated September 1, 2008, alleging that  Oni was diverting allocations meant for the 16 local councils in the state for personal use.
This allegation, coming shortly after the N3billion  money for judgment allegation were too much for Oni’s government to ignore prompting the governor to ask the  Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to carry out its investigation.

[b]However, reprieve came for  Oni  when the Commission cleared  him of the corruption charges.
ICPC, in a letter with reference number ICPC/P/SW/635/2008, dated July 5, 2010, a copy of which was made  available THISDAY, gave the governor a clean bill of health. According to the letter, ICPC stated that  it found no infraction of the provisions of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act 2000. The letter,  which was also addressed to the petitioner and signed by Enosa Omonighibo on behalf of the Commission  Chairman, retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola  stated. “The petition dated September 1, 2008 on the above subject refers please. “I am directed to inform you that after discreet investigation of the allegations contained in the petition, the Commission finds no infraction of the provisions of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act 2000. “In coming to the above conclusion, the Commission noted particularly the fact that there was no credible evidence found during investigation to show that the Governor chaired the JAAC meetings for personal benefit or for the purposes of influencing the decisions either way for personal benefit or to confer unfair advantage on another; besides, the sharing formula adopted is specified in a law duly enacted by the Ekiti State House of Assembly. “It is hoped that the role played by the Commission and the above information will serve your purpose”[/b]

This letter of clearance  was received with jubilation in the government house. An elated governor, while receiving ICPC chairman and his commission members who paid official visit to Ado Ekiti  in his office  appealed to the anti-graft agencies in the country to make it compulsory  for  petitioners  to always support their petitions with sworn affidavits.
According to Oni, the method if adopted, would prevent writing of frivolous petitions and would enable the commission to concentrate its energy  on investigating only genuine cases and prosecute  corrupt persons.
While commending the ICPC for its positive efforts in tackling corruption, the governor  however noted that  the commission will have to confront some challenges in its efforts at eradicating corrupt practices in the country.

The governor who decried the way honest public office holders are being harassed and distracted by mischievous people whose stock in trade is to derail government  said.  “When people are in public office, it is an opportunity to give service and if they are doing it well, they are not supposed to be exposed to ridicule. Some of these people  write frivolous  petitions  throughout the year and  you begin to wonder if they are full time ombudsmen.
“The motive of some of these frivolous  petition  writers  is purely to malign public office holders and distract the anti corruption agencies as allegations contained in the petitions are most of the time far from the truth. We are trying our best in Ekiti to do things the right way,” Oni said.

The Governor, also canvassed for a change of attitude  among Nigerians  noting that many people  believe they cannot succeed  without cutting corners.
“Most people believe you cannot make it without cutting corners. That is why we should praise and encourage honest leaders who are dedicated to  serving  the people “We should celebrate Nigerians who attain success in a honest way.   I want Nigerians to change this attitude so that the world can appreciate us better. I believe that Nigeria is today underrated in the eyes of the world because of the utterances and activities of  some Nigerians. We have done a lot of things right that we should celebrate,” Oni said.

The governor however advised the anti-graft agencies   not to limit their search lights on  political office holders alone as  corruption was a multi-headed monster.
“The anti corruption agencies  should also look also beyond political office holders because corruption is a monster that must be tackled from all fronts.
“Nigeria is getting better. It is unfortunate that as Nigerians we are very hard on the nation. The average Nigerian wants to run the country down, wants to present it as a no-go-area, wants to say that every thing is wrong but they should remember that things are also wrong in other lands too. So the attitude of our  people  should be how to lift  the nation  up, Oni said [lmao from Oni himself]

However, as news of Oni’s clearance got to town, a  group, the Positive Force in a statement picked holes in the  corruption clearance.
According to its  Coordinator, Mr. Bola Ogundana, the group wondered why the agency hastily arrived at such conclusion "in the face of overwhelming evidence of graft in government activities".

Besides, the group  alleged that the corruption charges against  Oni’s administration “were dropped without proper investigation”.
It said this "came strangely on the heels of a courtesy visit to Oni by the ICPC Chairman, retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola.
The group said Justice Ayoola should not have put himself in such a compromising situation since he could not have been oblivious of the fact that Oni was under investigation by the anti-graft agency he heads.

The group argued that the visit and the purported claims of the agency was too strong a coincidence and one worthy of scrutiny by security agencies.
But Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre , Chief Press Secretary to the governor Oni while reacting to the group’s response said  people who created controversial impression in the state are the disgruntled ones, who feel that for a governor to rule a state, he must belong to their party or political lineage, and somebody they can toss around.

Ojo-Lanre  wondered how a governor that is tarring  roads, building schools and hospitals, beautifying the state capital, Ado-Ekiti and  providing potable water everywhere and paying salaries  and pension can be abused by those who never do well and described as running a corrupt administration?
He  blamed the incessant controversies in the state on the few  elites in the state.
He said “If governance is about rendering selfless services and someone is already doing that in Ekiti State, one would then be compelled to, therefore, ask: What really do they want?
Also in his response during the visit, Justice Ayoola said  the activities of the Commission were guided purely by the principles of justice,_thoroughness, fairness and standing by the truth at all times.

He said the commission was in the state as part of  its new anti-corruption strategy of promoting the virtues of excellence, hardwork, dedication to duties, transparency and the spirit of a New Nigeria.
He urged the Local Government Councils in the state to take part  inthe commission’s Local Government Integrity Initiative aimed at deepening accountability at the third tier of government.
The Commission chairman who decried corruption in all its ramitification, said  his agency is committed to total eradication of corrupt practices at all levels.


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=180053

Thanks!
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Long thing.

Ekiti again?

Fountain of allegations? . . . . .

This state makes me sick, because justice has not been done.

chosen04:

Ekiti again?

Fountain of allegations? . . . . .

What do you mean by "again"? Cuz Ekiti hasnt even been in the news lately

Even when mtn proved oni's contacts made calls to the judge

Ekiti sucks, they should get a life

My brain don shut down - too long - but i think i saw icpc gives Ekiti state a clean bill of health . What a big joke - one must very stupid to take the recommendation very serious. more like the blind telling another blind person that their t shirt looks nice

Nigeria is getting better. It is unfortunate that as Nigerians we are very hard on the nation.

lmao.
getting better indeed.

chosen04:

Ekiti again?

Fountain of allegations? . . . . .

skyone:




Ekiti sucks, they should get a life

In mu t'ora rin se t'ora rin o! Haba!

seyibrown:

In mu t'ora rin se t'ora rin o! Haba!

May God bless you

Lets wait till the end of Oni's tenure to confirm

@ Akosbaba,

The case you refer to where MTN records confirmed phone calls made to an Election tribunal judge was in Osun state and not Ekiti. (The lawyer for the PDP Osun State governor-Oyinlola was making calls to the judge that would preside in the election petition of the AC candidate Rauf Aregbesola).