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A lawyer representing CASA Nigeria Limited, one of the contractors appearing before the Ekiti State Judicial Commission, Adeoye Aribasoye, has called for the disbandment of the panel, saying that it has shown evidence of partisanship.
The panel, led by former Chief Judge of the State, Silas Oyewole, was constituted by Governor Ayo Fayose in May this year to probe the finances of the state between 2011 and 2014 when former governor, Kayode Fayemi, was in office.
Going by the commission’s time table, CASA Nigeria Limited, the construction company that built the State Civic Centre at Fajuyi area in Ado Ekiti during the period being reviewed, was supposed to appear before the panel on September 5, 2017, as a witness.
CASA’s Project Manager, Apata Ayodele, according to affidavit sworn to on September 5 appealed for extension of time for him to appear, because the information about the time table was received late.
Mr. Aribasoye is, however, contending the foreclosure of his client’s appearing, when he had already filed for an extension of time for appearance as directed by the panel.
Speaking to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, Mr. Aribasoye contended that the reason why the panel allegedly schemed his client out was that it didn’t want him to give evidence contained in its preliminary objection regarding the integrity of the commission’s members to do justice in the matter.
“When I appeared before the panel on September 5, I told them that my client will not be available on September 6 and they asked me to formally apply for extension of time with which I will reopen the case. They said I should file all applications regarding this on or before September 11, which I did,” he submitted.
“But to my surprise on Friday, October 6, the matter came up for argument and to my chagrin, the panel gave bench ruling in an issue that was argued for about 30 minutes.
“They didn’t even rise for a second to prepare the ruling which suggested that they had already written the ruling before appearance.
“This confirmed our fear that this panel had a predetermined mission. It was set up for a sinister motive and the members must disqualify themselves in line with the law.”
He also showed a letter dated September 11, 2017 and addressed to the Chairman of the commission to support his claims of applying for extension of time.
While further arguing for the disqualification of the panel members, Mr. Aribasoye cited the case of federal government against late Moshood Abiola.
“The Supreme Court members in the case of Abiola disqualified themselves based on allegation raised by G.O.K. Ajayi (SAN) that the justices could not exhibit fairness and I want the panel to toe the same line,” he added.
But the panel in its counter-affidavit to Mr. Aribasoye’s claim, said the lawyer was the architect of his own misfortune.
It also accused the counsel of failing to file application to reopen his client’s case in time, in
spite of opportunity availed him.
Mr. Oyewole, while ruling on Mr. Aribasoye’s application on extension of time on Friday, for CASA’s conditional appearance, dismissed it on the strength that the application was filed out of time.
“On September 11, we gave him (Aribasoye) the leave to cross examine witnesses he ought to cross examine on September 6,” Mr. Oyewole said.
“We asked him to file whatever paper he wanted to file on or before September 11, but he didn’t file any paper and didn’t appear either to cross examine the witnesses.
“Having failed to appear, the witnesses were discharged. Again, with the way Mr. Aribasoye handled his client’s case, he was only interested in wasting the precious time of the commission.”
