Ekiti bars Fayemi from public office for 10 years

Ekiti State government has barred the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi and his ex-finance commissioner, Mr Dapo Kolawole from holding any public office in the state and Nigeria for 10 years.

This followed the acceptance of the report of the White Paper on the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the government to probe the administration of Fayemi who was governor between 2010 and 2014, by the State Executive Council. 

The ban was predicated on the refusal of the duo to appear before the commission, even after the determination of a case before the Ekiti State High Court challenging the inauguration of the panel.

Even though, it is constitutional for incumbent governors to look into the activities of their predecessors, such exercise must be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. But despite the fact that the idea of using report by Judicial Panel of Inquiry to indict individuals has been faulted by the law court, the state governors in a bid to get at their estranged predecessors have continued to rely on it rather than the court as required by the constitution.

The Ekiti panel that barred Fayemi from holding public office is not quite different from what the government of Nyesom Wike did to his predecessor and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers State. Today, Amaechi is still a Minister.

Even when it may be obvious that Fayemi may have some questions to answer on his stewardship as former governor of Ekiti, report of the panel lacks the constitutional requirements to bar the former governor from holding public office.