Former Ekiti State Governor,
Kayode Fayemi will not appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry
investigating the management of the state finances during his administration,
his lawyer has said.
At the panel’s sitting, Fayemi’s
counsel, Chief Rafiu Balogun, said he was entering a “conditional appearance”
in protest for his client.
He explained that Fayemi, who is
now Minister of Mines and Steel Development, received summons of the panel but
would not appear in view of circumstances that predated the constitution of the
panel.
Balogun applied to make an oral
application but was advised by the Commission Chairman, Justice Silas Oyewole,
to make a formal application in line with the rules of the panel.
The panel, however, ordered
Balogun to file an application excusing the former governor from appearing on
Monday, September 11.
The panel also ordered the
appearance of Commissioner for Finance during the Fayemi administration, Mr.
Dapo Kolawole, to appear before it on September 11.
This was after Balogun had prayed
for an adjournment for Kolawole, who was summoned to give evidence on Wednesday
(yesterday).
Counsel to the panel, Mr. Sunday
Bamise, had earlier claimed that a lawyer, Mr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, received the
summons on behalf of Kolawole, a claim which was vehemently refuted by another
counsel, Mr. Adeoye Aribasoye.
Aribasoye argued that he,
Olanrewaju and Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu announced appearances as “observers’ at
the last sitting of the panel and never appeared for Fayemi and Kolawole and
never received processes on their behalf.
Justice Oyewole said record
before the panel showed that Olanrewaju signed to receive the summons on
Kolawole’s behalf which may not be to the knowledge of Aribasoye.
He said the panel was on a
“fact-finding mission and not raised to crucify anybody.”
The counsel explained that the
ex-commissioner was not properly served.
Other parties which appeared at
Wednesday’s sitting were CASA Nigeria Limited, Securities and Exchange
Commission, Jichengi Yuyan Limited and officials of Ministry of Works and
Transportation.
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