Dismissed commission chairmen tackle Gov Abdulrazaq

…says sack political

Kwara PDP rejects dissolution

By Mumini AbdulKareem

Last night, some dismissed chairmen of statutory commissions challenged the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to prove any act of misconduct cited as reason for their dismissal.
The Governor, in three separate letters to the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Yakubu Danladi Salihu, on Tuesday, requested the approval of the dissolution of the chairmen in accordance with the provisions of section 6(2) of the state House of Assembly Service Commission Law (as amended) and section 201(1) of 1999 Constitution (as amended) on the ground of alleged misconduct.
According to him, the affected officials had by their acts of misconduct demonstrated that they were incapable of discharging the functions of their offices, adding that due process and fair hearing were complied with.
The affected commissions are the Kwara State Civil Service Commission chaired by former Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Sakariyah Onimago, Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSlEC) led by Taiwo Banu Eleja and the Kwara State Assembly Service Commission under the leadership of the former speaker, Hon Babatunde Mohammed.
But in separate telephone chats on the matter, yesterday, the affected chairmen said they are yet to be officially communicated over the matter about 48 hours after the development adding that neither the Governor nor the state House of Assembly invited them before wielding the stick.
According to Onimago, the issue is a political one and the Governor is not comfortable with the set up.
“All these allegations are in want of something to say. It is just that they have not felt comfortable with the set up, nothing more than that.
“We didn’t do anything and nothing transpired between us that could have warranted all these. If they have any issue of gross misconduct, maybe they can put it out that this was actually what happened. It’s all politics and we will keep our fingers crossed.
“There was no invitation from the House and nobody asked us anything. The closest to that was the query sometime ago that we did not attend functions of the Governor and I replied that we don’t have any schedule in that regard. They have not replied us since and that was how that one rested. The game is about Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, that’s all.”
Asked whether they may consider legal action being a tenured statutory commission, Onimago said, “I am not the only person there and we have other colleagues. So we shall keep our fingers crossed and put heads together. I have to carry others along.
“Maybe you will have to find out from them what the misconduct was? If you accused somebody; you will have to come out with the allegation. In the case of Fiscal Responsibility Commission, they quickly moved in on them because they found out a clause on the statute that established it as a voluntary commission. But because ours is statutory, they have taken time to ruminate over how to go about this one. None has done anything which was out of place among the three of us. So if they now say they don’t want to see us, that is their choice”, he noted.
On his part, the former chairman of KWSIEC, Eleja, who corroborated Onimago said, “Let’s wait and see as events unfold.
“There has not been any communication from anywhere to that effect and as far as I am concerned, nobody invited me for any misconduct, whether from the House or anywhere. So I don’t know what the misconduct is all about.
“Let us wait for official communication on this issue. I don’t think there should be any communication from the House of Assembly with respect to my chairmanship of KWSIEC. If there is going to be a decision on me, I expect the office of the SSG or Government House to have contacted me and nothing like that yet. So the option of considering legal action has not even come up.”
Speaking further, he said “There was a time a query was sent to me that there were some meetings I needed to attend but I refused to and I have responded that KWSIEC as an independent body should be seen as an unbiased umpire and associating with one party will jeopardise whatever duties we hope to discharge. It’s an issue we have resolved.”
On the issue of funding, Eleja said there has not been any special funding except the normal monthly allocation adding that he only received that of one month which is equivalent to a stipend of which he has no hand in its spending. So, if anybody is saying misconduct or abuse of office, I don’t know what that language stands for”.
On his part, the former speaker, Mohammed maintained that he has not been officially communicated.
“No official communication till now and once there is, I will let you know. I learnt there is no sitting today (Wednesday) and you know all the resolutions passed by the House, yesterday, was supposed to be in today’s vote and proceedings. So we have not been officially communicated or formally briefed about the issue. Once that is done, you will have my reaction”.
Other members of the three commissions are former lawmaker, Hon Nimota Aduke Ibrahim, former commissioner for health, Atolagbe Sulieman Alege and Hon. Alex Bankole Kehinde (Assembly commission).
Mr. Samuel Bamisaiye, Alhaji Sharu Koro Mohammed and Alhaji Abdul Salam Apobiyi were members for the Civil Service Commission while Jimoh Gabriel Yemi, Nasiru Ayo Lawal, Issa Abdul Kayode, Dr. Dele Kayode (JP) Saidu Issa Abdullahi and Mohammed Adesina are members of KWSIEC.

…PDP rejects dissolution

By Mumini AbdulKareem

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last night, rejected dissolution of three statutory commissions by the Kwara State House of Assembly following request from Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.
The affected commissions are the Kwara State Civil Service Commission, Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) and the state Assembly Service Commission.
The party said it viewed the dissolution of the three commissions as a brazen disregard for due process and barefaced abuse of power by the lawmakers and the All Progressives Congress-led state government.
The PDP in a statement signed by its state chairman, Engr. Kola Shittu called on the House to immediately rescind its decision.
The statement reads in part:
“As it was the case with the unlawful suspension of local government chairmen, this latest action by the Kwara State House of Assembly is undemocratic, illegal and ill-advised; it is impunity taken too far. The Assembly cannot arbitrarily sack chairmen and members of statutory commissions that were duly appointed for no justifiable reason.
“The lawmakers have once again put the cart before the horse as no proper investigation was conducted neither were the affected individuals invited for questioning.
“There is absolutely no iota of truth in the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against the officials who had barely stayed in office for three months. This is nothing but a case of ‘give a dog a bad name and hang it.’
“Our party, therefore, demand that the House immediately rescind its decision on the dissolution of the commissions, as it is wrong and undemocratic.
“We also call on the chairmen and members of the affected commissions to remain calm and utilise every lawful means to seek justice”.