N3.3bn: Fayose to pay for Fayemi’s action

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti will have to cough out N3.3 billion for the actions of his predecessor following a court judgment on Friday.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the payment of N3.3 billion to local government chairmen and councillors, who were sacked by former governor, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

Fayemi, now the Minister of Solid Minerals, had in 2010 during his assumption in office as governor sacked the appellants 15 months into the end of their tenures.

Fayemi appointed caretaker committees to carry out the functions that the local government chairmen and councillors would have done.

In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Chima Nweze, the Supreme Court held that the sack by Fayemi was illegal and unconstitutional.

Nweze ordered that the chairmen, who were unlawfully removed by the governor, be paid their salaries and other allowances for the period they were unlawfully removed from office.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Wole Ayeni, former Chaiman of Ikole Local Government and Mr Ogunbiyi Olasunkanmi-Synergy commended the court for the good judgment.

According to them, the judiciary has come to life since this matter started many years ago.

They, therefore, commended the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.