Drama ensued today at the sitting of the Seven-man panel set up by the Ondo State Chief Judge, Olasehinde Kumuyi to investigate the allegation leveled against the State Deputy Governor, Ali Olanusi, as Olanusi’s legal counsel, Dr. Benson Enikuomehin stormed out of the venue on the ground that the Deputy Governor was not properly served the impeachment notice.
Enikuomehin, who claimed to have appeared on protest on behalf of the Olanusi, engaged in an arguement with legal counsel of the State House of Assembly, Dayo Akinlaja SAN by saying that the Panel headed by Olatunji Adeniyan should not go ahead with sitting since the deputy governor was not properly served.
The defendant’s counsel noted that he appeared at the panel through an information given to him by the son of Olanusi in order to make a complaint on why the panel could not sit on such issue.
He said services on a matter of that nature was expected to be effected on the defendant, adding that Olanusi was out of jurisdiction and that there was no way they could serve a man who was not around.
According to him, “You can’t go ahead with a proceeding just because you pasted the letter on the wall of his quarters whereas the man is out of the country for a medical check up; and they tendered a document to prove that he was going for such trip as far as April 17. I contended that there was no way a service could be effected aside from the day when the commencement of the impeachment started.
“The impeachment process started on April 21, when they said the lawmakers met; the second day, they asked the Chief judge to set up a panel; on April 23, the CJ set up the panel and on April 24, the panel begins to sit. I am sure before the end of the day, the panel will bring out result.
“Meanwhile, they were served of the injunction stopping the governor from using the instrumentally of the state from removing the deputy governor from office; that injunction was granted and it has been served on the governor. The counsel to the plaintiff, Akinlaja SAN now purportedly gave me a copy of the allegation, but I told him, I am not the deputy governor and the defendant must be served; why are they in a hurry?”
But, the counsel to the State Assembly, Akinlaja said the Speaker and members of the Assembly had done the needful to ensure that the notice of impeachment was properly served on the embattled deputy governor.
He revealed that the acclaimed letter written by the deputy governor to the governor concerning the Olanusi medical trip abroad informed that the deputy governor was expected to leave the country on April 27, saying with this, it clearly showed that he was yet to leave the country.
Akinlaja said “it was not proper for the counsel of the defendant to have claimed that information given to him by somebody is that the deputy governor has not been served prerequisite notice. The deputy governor was initially served with the notice as prescribed by the constitution. The attention of the panel was drawn to the fact that the deputy governor has a benefit for second service by virtual of the fact that the notice of the allegations was sent alongside the summon that was issued by the panel set up to conduct the allegation.
“It is interesting that the deputy governor does not claim ignorance that this panel was to commence sitting today (yesterday) and that was why he was able to get a legal practitioner to represent him.
“The deputy governor is only trying to invade his obligation under the constitution with respect to the allegation of gross misconduct made against him. We convince the panel that there was no sincerity that service has not been effected.
“The argument of his lawyer was that the deputy governor was not in the country but we succeeded in bringing it to the attention of the panel that Olanusi, whose counsel was claiming not to be in country, has written to the State Governor that he would be embarking on medical trip on the April 27. It is to show that the deputy governor is still within the country at this moment but only trying to shy away his responsibilities”.
The panel Chairman, Adeniyan, however, ordered the continuation of the impeachment process.
At the sitting, the State Assembly presented the Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Dr. Kola Ademujimi and the Permanent Secretary to the office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Kehinde Temikotan as witnesses against the seven allegations leveled on Olanusi. .
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