NASS fact-finding team arrives in Ekiti, pledges fairness

• DSS fails to produce lawmaker in court
• CNPP, CSOs flay gov’s ‘obnoxious’ tax policy
The National Assembly’s joint fact-finding committee has visited Ekiti State to probe the alleged invasion of the state’s House of Assembly by men of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The panel, led by chairman, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Shabba Lafiagi and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Aminu Jaji, promised justice.

Other members of the committee include Mrs. Eucharia Azodo; John Dyegh; Paulker Emmanuel; Laah Danjuma; Diri Douye and Isa Hassan.

As part of its mission, the panel visited the Speaker of the state’s legislature, Kola Oluwawole, Director of DSS in the state, Andrew Iorkay and the Commissioner of Police, Etop James.

It later paid a courtesy call on Governor Ayodele Fayose.Addressing journalists later, Lafiagi said the National Assembly was disturbed by the event and the image it had created for the country.

He said the panel had interacted with critical stakeholders and extracted useful information with a view to guiding it in turning in a comprehensive report.Fayose, who commended the federal lawmakers for the initiative, urged fairness

Meanwhile, the Department of State Service (DSS) has failed to either release or produce in court a member of the state House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni.

The Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti had given the order six days ago.When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, counsel to the detained lawmaker, Obafemi Adewale contended that the non-production of his client was as a result of the alleged recalcitrant posture of the DSS.

Also, the state chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) yesterday staged a peaceful protest in Ado-Ekiti over what they described as ‘obnoxious’ tax policy of the state governor and alleged bad governance.

The coalition, which stormed major streets of the state capital as early as 8.00am, said virtually all businesses in the state had been taxed by government, lamenting that the worst being the imposition of a N1,000 education tax on students in public and private schools, a move it described as the “highest point of wickedness and ‘misrule.”

The state’s CNPP in a statement by its chairman, Tunji Ogunlola and Public
Relations Officer, Prince Ayo Adelabu, blasted the governor for the levy, which they said, resulted in a three-day strike.