Students of tertiary institutions in Ekiti State on Monday protested against the bid by a former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to stop his probe by the Ekiti State Government.
Governor Ayodele Fayose recently raised a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to probe the finances of the state under the administration of Fayemin now a Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
Following this, the minister approached an Ekiti State High Court to challenge the competence of the Commission
He has also prayed the court to restrain the state government and the Commission from going ahead with the probe pending the determination of two suits he had filed over the matter among other reliefs.
The protesters described the move as an attempt to use the judiciary to shield himself from answering questions on allegations of corruption leveled against him.
Fayemi drew the ire of the Ekiti State House of Assembly when he failed to honour three invitations extended to him to come and defend himself.
The Assembly reacted by slamming an N1m fine on the ex-governor and directed Fayose to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to probe Fayemi.
The angry students made up of members of National Association of Nigerian Students, Federation of Ekiti State Students’ Unions and other students’ unions from tertiary institutions across the country among others, marched from the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado-Ekiti, state capital to Oja Oba garage.
They sang anti-Fayemi’s song and carried various placards like “Ekiti students support Fayemi’s probe,” “We say no to corruption,” “Fayemi don’t hide, come to Ekiti to exonerate yourself!,” “Don’t run from the law you made,” “Fayemi, only the guilty is afraid,” and “We say no to shielding of looters” among others.
Speaking on behalf of the students, President of FESSU, Idowu Peter, urged the Federal Government to extend the fight against corruption across board and not sectional or restricted to only the opposition party.
PUNCH