The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose on Saturday blasted the Department of State Services, DSS, over the arrests of some public officials in the State.
He said the DSS had by the action engaged a wrong customer.
Fayose, who boasted that he would be a hard nut to crack for President Muhammadu Buhari, lamented how the DSS had alleged usurped the statutory roles of the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, “just because of desperation and attempt to get at him at all costs.”
Fayose said this in his official reaction to the Federal High Court judgement delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo in Ado Ekiti on Friday, ordering the DSS to release a detained lawmaker, Hon Afolabi Akanni, with immediate effect.
Aside Akanni, the Finance Commissioner, Mr Toyin Ojo, was also arrested and had since been released after interrogation.
The governor, who condemned President Buhari for allegedly aiding the Lawal Daura-led DSS to act beyond its constitutional powers, said there was no quantum of intimidation and harassment that could dissuade him from speaking on national policies that could affect the corporate existence of Nigerian citizens.
“Beyond this judgement , I have always said that the DSS are taking on more than their brief. They have become an instrument of oppression, the law that establish. They are now taking up the job of the police, the EFCC and all other security agencies.
“You would recall that they were at the Akwa Ibom lodge, the government House to harass the Governor. They came to Ekiti too, to do the same thing. But this Ekiti, they are taking on a wrong customer.
“May be they think this will make me to stop criticising the bad policies of the APC Buhari-led government, no. Let me make it very clear to them that majority would have their way, minority would have their say.
“Ours is to continue to help democracy to grow and to help the average man get dividends of democracy by keeping the government in power on its toes. Harassing me would make their government unpopular, I have said that before, and attempting to take me on would bring down their government.
“I’m entitled to my opinion; how would DSS be investigating the finances of a state? How would DSS detain somebody without a court order, and detaining him for one, two weeks?
“Anybody who is supporting this act, one day it would be your turn, it is Ekiti today. I urge all Nigerians to rise up and oppose this act of oppression; this country belongs to all of us.
“It is time to stop this harassment, taking away the right of humanity, taking away the right of Nigerians, anything that would take away our rights should be confronted headlong and be stopped. When they finish with politicians, they would take on lawyers and even the journalists”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, a group under Ekiti State Council of Elders, has warned politicians against causing public unrest with the pervasive bad blood existing among politicians of various parties in the state.
A statement signed by its Chairman, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi and Chairman, for Ekiti State Creation, Chief Deji Fasuan, appealed to politicians not to substitute civilized dialogue with violence, as witnessed during the old western region.
Tactically alluding to the violence that is raging in Ekiti over DSS alleged invasion of the House of Assembly and arrests of some state officials, the elders, said :”the country as a whole has much problem with the economy dipping virtually every day. The fall of naira and ascendancy of dollar are major concerns for policy makers.
“Certainly, we have our own share of this ongoing national debacle. It is advisable that we don’t create more problems for ourselves”, they warned.
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