By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan
The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Rauf Olaniyan has said that the investigation by the committee set up by the Oyo state Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola, is a charade that can not stand the test of time.
Olaniyan made the remark on Monday through his counsel, Afolabi Fashanu (SAN), while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ibadan over his impeachment.
NAN reports that the Oyo State House of Assembly had on Monday morning impeached the deputy governor following adoption of the recommendations of the report of the seven-man panel set up by Abimbola.
NAN recalled that Abimbola had on Friday constituted a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations levelled against the deputy governor by the state House of Assembly.
The House in June directed Abimbola to constitute a panel to investigate Olaniyan.
It had served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment over alleged gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, among others, following his defection from PDP to APC.
Fashanu, had also jointly taken the state House of Assembly; the Speaker, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin and the House Clerk to court over the impeachment move by the lawmakers.
He said: “We appeal for an order of injuction restraining the respondents from enforcing or implementing the judgment on Thursday.
“This is pending the determination of the appeal lodged against the said judgment.
“It’s expedient that an order of injuction be granted so that the outcome of the appeal will not be rendered nugatory," he said.
Fashanu said the Chief Judge with respect breached his oath of office by ignoring the service of notice of appeal and application for injunction pending appeal when he proceeded to constitute the investigation committee.
This he says is against established law and practice.
"On the part of the panel, they were appointed and paid to do bodge and botched jobs which must be contrary to good conscience.
"They served the Deputy Governor on Friday around 10. 45 a.m and asked him to appear at 11.a m.
"We wrote to inform them that His Excellency needed time to prepare for his defence, in their desperation to do the job for which they were paid, they rejected the letter, sat on Saturday and completed their task the same day.
"Where is the fairness here? The members of the committee are supposed to be men above board, you have a Reverend father, J. P, Alhaji among them.
"This is a clear evidence that we are not yet ripe for democratic practice," Fashanu said.
(NAN)
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