The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, on Thursday inaugurated the six State Assembly, with a promise to relate with the lawmakers with mutual respect.
The governor said he would also respect the doctrine of separation of powers, by not making the legislature an appendage of the executive.
However, the assembly in their first sitting elected the former Leader of Government Business in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Funniniyi Afuye, as Speaker of the 6th assembly in the state.
In the same vein, former Senior Special Assistant on Research and Documentation to Governor Fayemi, Hon. Hakeem Jamiu, was unanimously elected the Deputy Speaker.
The immediate past Majority Leader, Hon Gboyega Aribisigan(Ikole 1) retained his position, while Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu(Ekiti West 1) and Hon Bunmi Adelugba(Emure), emerged Deputy Leader and Chip whip respectively.
Addressing the lawmakers, Fayemi said he would partner them in ensuring that the project Ekiti does nit fail
“There is nothing like rubber stamp legislature under me, I don’t believe in it. We are going to operate with mutual respect for a greater Ekiti.”
The governor charged those appointed into positions in the assembly to perform their duties with utmost dedication and trust, for them to earn the respect of their members.
” The project Ekiti is what we all believe in. We must defend it. The process leading to the reclamation of our lost values needs our collective efforts and we must fight hard to achieve this”.
The new speaker promised to be just, fair and transparent in carrying out hi legislative duties
“I promise that I won’t betray the confidence reposed in him as the speaker. I shall treat everybody equally and think Ekiti all the time”.
Afuye added that he will be eternally grateful to Ekiti people the confidence reposed in them, leading to the election of All Progressives Congress candidates across the 26 state assembly of the state.
” I am incurably committed to fulfilling our promises to our people and that we shall attain.”
Commending Fayemi’s strides in bringing infrastructural development to the state, Afuye said: “The governor is a game changer, a master strategist and a tactician, who is changing the landscape for better .
” We are confident that with the way Governor Fayemi had started with his development agenda, the values of our society shall not be degraded again, because our governor is a democrat and someone who believes in the spirit of Omoluabi”.
The new speaker, Afuye, who was also a former commissioner for Information, is representing Ikere constituency 1, Jamiu is representing Irepodun/Ifelodun constituency II.
Afuye was a member of the assembly between 2007 and 2011 under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) .
He was the leader of government business between 2010 and 2011, when Fayemi won through judicial process at the court of appeal.
Afuye was first elected the Leader of Opposition in 2007 when Segun Oni was in the saddle, due to the 13-13 equal configuration between ACN and the Peoples Democratic Party in the then assembly.
He subsequently became the majority leader when Hon Tunji Odeyemi became the Speaker when two PDP lawmakers defected to ACN to stabilise the assembly for Fayemi.
Afuye, is a political scientist and Lawyer .
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