By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
Ekiti State House of Assembly has threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, over the arrest and detention of the state Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo and the Accountant General, Mrs.
Yemi Owolabi. Th e House described the EFCC’s action as act of gangsterism, in clear contempt of the rule of law.
According to the House, the arrest of Ojo and Owolabi was premeditated, malicious, politically motivated, contemptuous and unconstitutional in all ramifi cations.
“It is in view of this that we demand the immediate release of the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo and the state Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi,” the statement said.
In a letter dated October 2, 2017 and signed by the Speaker, Hon Kolawole Oluwawole, the House said there was a subsisting order of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti granted on November 7, 2016, in the case of Attorney General of Ekiti state Vs EFCC, IGP, Ekiti state House of Assembly and 15 others.
“Th e consequential eff ects of the court order, which has not been vacated by a superior court, is that the Ekiti state House of Assembly, being the only institution vested with the powers to appropriate fund for the state government and enforces the judicious use of such, through its Public Account Committee must fi rst carry out its function of investigating the use of fund appropriated for the state government and report of indictment made.
“Th erefore, the EFCC acted in violation of a valid and subsisting court order by arresting and detaining since Th ursday, September 28, 2017, the Ekiti state Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo and Accountant General, Mrs Yemi Owolabi,” the statement added.
Describing EFCC as partisan, the House said; “Despite the petition against former governor of Ekiti state, Dr Kayode Fayemi and others, dated November 24, 2016 and submitted to the EFCC by Ekiti state House of Assembly; you have declined to invite any of those that we complained against.
“Instead of acting on our petition, your commission opted to turn itself into an agent of harassment and intimidation against the government of Ekiti state, acting on every frivolous petition.
” Th e House said, democracy is about respect for the rule of law and the EFCC, being an agency of the federal government established by an Act of the National Assembly, could not act against the constitution of Nigeria by usurping the powers of the state House of Assembly
