The Hypocrisy of Ekiti Elite and its so-called Progressive Politicians
By Olusina Akeredolu
If Chief Obafemi Awolowo could see the ways and manner of political dealings by those who continue to profess to be his disciples twenty seven years after his death, he would cringe even in his eternal sleep. If he could have the chance to see those who now wear a replica of his legendary cap of progressive political philosophy, he would not only turn in his grave, he would curse them and their generations. Dear reader, for you to know where I am coming from, please read the following three quotes:
“A Governor who hurriedly signed ten Certificates of Occupancy in order to meet stringent bail conditions imposed on the murder suspects can certainly not be their friend and thus, cannot share their pains and grief. Fayemi’s frantic efforts towards frustrating the on-going legal effort towards bringing those accused of murdering Ogundare to justice must not be waved aside.” –Dr. Kayode Ojo, Director, Media & Strategy, Ekiti Youths for Continuous Assessment, April 22, 2014
“Omirin was said to have specifically requested that Fayose should direct his Attorney General to enter nolle prosequi in the alleged murder trials involving two members of the assembly, as well as other members of APC charged over the killings. The governor was said to have told them at the meetings that such commitment could not be made without a sitting AG that should advise him, with parties reportedly agreeing on speeding the clearance of the three nominees” –Nigerian Tribune, Tuesday, November 18, 2014
“It was learnt that the APC lawmakers were insisting that the deal would only be seen through if Fayose stopped police from executing the arrest warrants on the affected lawmakers and party faithful. At the twilight of Fayemi’s administration, his Attorney-General had reportedly entered nolle prosequi to stop the prosecution of party members indicted over the killings of Labour Party (LP) members in Emure and Erijiyan during the governorship campaign. Police, however, reportedly resumed investigation into the killings, with arrest warrants issued on suspects, including the two APC lawmakers. APC had complained of police harassing and chasing their members around over the killings.” –Nigerian Tribune, Tuesday, November 18, 2014
These quotes have to do with the men of yesterday who by virtue of Nigeria’s court system had the opportunity to be the occupiers of the Ekiti government house from October 2010 to October 2014. For you, dear reader to know where I am heading to, I will give you the names of those in opposition who were politically and brutally assassinated in Ekiti during the four year rule of Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his ACN/APC as follows:
- Adeleye Awolumate, killed on November 18, 2010 at Moba local government
- Michael Ipinlaye, killed on March 3, 2011 at Ekiti East local government
- Kehinde Fajuyi, killed on March 3, 2011 at Ekiti East local government
- Teslim Abiola killed on September 26, 2012 at the Ekiti State University campus, Ado-Ekiti
- Ayo Jeje, killed on March 30, 2013 at Erijiyan, Ekiti West local government
- Mrs. Julianah Adewumi, mercilessly shot inside her house on March 30, 2013 at Erijiyan, Ekiti West local government later died of the several gun shots.
- Foluso Ogundare killed on November 3, 2013 at Emure-Ekiti
- Omolafe Aderiye killed on September 25, 2014 at Ado-Ekiti
Seven out of these unjustifiable deaths were politically motivated. They said Fayemi is a gentle man and that he cannot kill. May be, but when ACN’s (now APC) political opponents, 6 of them from Awolumate in 2010 to Foluso Ogundare in November 2013 and Aderiye in Semtember 2014 were being felled one by one under Fayemi and ACN/APC’s government just because some people were decamping from ACN, what did he do to stop the violence which continued up to some few days to the termination of his government? Why did Fayemi not publicly condemn any of those politically motivated killings? Even if he did not author any of them, his not condemning the dastardly acts or taking any step to stop the violence is an indirect approval of it. His not doing anything to sooth the anger of the victims’ families by visiting any of them is a minus to him and his government. The victims’ friends, families and communities were hurt by the killings and they all waited for the election’s day to show him.
Look at the killing of the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, Mr. Omolafe Aderiye, the same day he followed Ayo Fayose to the High Court premises, Ado-Ekiti for the inaugural hearing of the petition filed against him at the Election Petitions’ Tribunal. The noise and crisis that took place at the High Court premises that day are not enough to lead to the termination of Aderiye’s life. The only strong opponent that Fayose had at that point in time was the Ekiti APC which was covertly behind the E-11 and its so-called eligibility cases against Fayose. Dr. Fayemi and his people cannot claim innocence of the killings. If he wants to do so, his actions (accessory after the fact) will betray his defence. His actions to free all the murder suspects with immediate alacrity, the actions of his lieutenants (as reported by Tribune) after he left office to negotiate total freedom for the murder suspects to deny the victims of those killings and their families of justice did not only show that they are very mean, it concludes that they are evil.
Their time of reckoning is here and by the grace of God, they will not escape it. I marvel at those who are now asking President Jonathan to save them and their lives from Fayose. I marvel again at those elite who benefited immensely from Fayemi’s government who are now castigating Fayose, calling his government that is barely one month old all sorts of names. It is understandable, the reasons are not farfetched. But where were they when the people listed above were brutally murdered within 4 years under the nose of their hand-in-hand governor and friend? I was at the funeral ceremony organized for one of the above victims of political killings in September last year. Fayose came from Lagos, beating all traffic on an environmental Saturday to attend the burial too. From the way he spoke at that event, it was clear to me that Fayose cannot kill.
Fayemi and his political entourage and collaborators have no fear of God in them. That was why they did not care a hoot about the victims of politically motivated assassinations and thuggery during their reign. That was why instead of spending the state money to alleviate the suffering of the poor Ekiti people, they chose to use the same to build a castle on the hill, giving the house an untold furnishing for their comfort that God and Ekiti people say will not be. The families of the victims of political killings in Ekiti between October 2010 and October 2014 are, in unison, thanking God and Ekiti people for giving them the opportunity to seek justice for the shedding of the blood of their innocent relatives and for sending those who call themselves progressives, when they are in fact devils, to their political Siberia.