The Ekiti State House of Assembly has issued a warrant of arrest against the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, over his failure to honour its invitation to answer allegations bothering on fraud and misappropriation of funds while in office as the governor of the state.

The assembly, at a press conference addressed by the chairman, House Committee on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotosho, in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, directed the Inspector General of Police, through the Ekiti State commissioner of police, to immediately put machinery in place to ensure that the former governor is brought before the house to answer the allegations leveled against him.

Omotoso, who quoted Section 129(1) of the Nigerian Constitution as the source of its power, regretted that Fayemi had refused to appear before it, despite three invitations sent to him.

Omotosho recalled that the house’s investigation of the former governor followed a report received from the executive on February 2, 2016 on allegations of fraud he committed during his tenure.

He said: “These allegations include financial mismanagement, misapplication and misappropriation of funds, diversion of LG funds, contract splitting and criminal mismanagement of the UBEC counterpart fund described as a serious financial crime by Dr. Dikko Suleiman, the executive secretary of UBEC, which has made UBEC to blacklist Ekiti State since 2013 under Section 9 (B) of the UBEC Act 2004, with serious collateral damage on the education sector, the pupils, teachers, parents and local contractors,” he said.

The Ekiti Assembly has also accused the EFCC of not acting on its petitions against Fayemi.

•Text courtesy of Daily Trust.

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