Posted by By BOLU-OLU ESHO, Ado-Ekiti on
Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile, allegedly shot two members of Action Congress (AC) on Monday while they were protesting against the constitution of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in preparation for council elections in the state.
•It's a lie, he says
Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile, allegedly shot two members of Action Congress (AC) on Monday while they were protesting against the constitution of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in preparation for council elections in the state.
The speaker was alleged to have shot into the midst of the AC members, who were protesting and heading for the state House of Assembly in support of the party's lawmakers, who had stormed the House to prevent the sitting of an ad-hoc committee which was to screen members of the SIEC. Two of the protesters were hit and injured by the shots from the pistol.
However, Bamisile, while addressing newsmen, denied shooting the protesters. He, however, admitted running into them while on his way to the House.
The two victims of the gunshots were Tayo Aladeloye, a councillorship aspirant in Ward 11, Ado Local Government Area, and a member of the party from Oye Local Government Area, Segun Babatunde.
It was alleged that the Speaker used the pistol of his orderly, Gowon Momor, to shoot the protesters.
The victims were immediately rushed to the State Specialist Hospital for treatment, which was beseiged by members of the party, families and sympathisers.
The duo were lying on their the hospital beds as at press time.
According to an eyewitness account, Bamisile was allegedly infuriated by the abuses heaped on him by the protesters when he ran into them, wound down the window of his official vehicle, a Toyota Land cruiser, and allegedly aimed at the protesters and successfully brought two of them down. The shooting took place at the front of Conoil filling station at Oke Isa, opposite the Prison Command Headquarters.
Following the shooting, the House turned to a wrestling ring, as members from AC and PDP engaged themselves in a show of strength. This was quickly quelled by a detachment of riot policemen, which shot teargas canisters into the air to disperse supporters of both parties.
Some people allegedly tried to escape with the mace, which is the House symbol of authority, but the attempt was truncated by AC members and security agents.
Journalists, who ventured to cover the crisis, were harassed and the bus in which they drove to the House had its door damaged by policemen.
In his reaction, Chairman of the AC in the state, Mr Olajide Awe, described the alleged involvement of the Speaker in the shooting saga as a dangerous development. He implored security agencies to investigate the incident and bring any person involved to book.
Awe said the alleged shooting incident had rendered the Speaker unfit to occupy the exalted office.
He said: 'It is a dangerous development in the state where we have been trying to make peace. I was informed that the Speaker caught up with our party members around Okesa-Fajuyi area and turned back, wound down the glass brought out a gun and shot two of our members.
'I don't know why somebody who calls himself a Speaker will be carrying guns about."
In his defence, the Speaker said: 'I left my house this morning. There was a big mob, but nobody was killed, nothing of such happened because I was told that somebody was shot dead. There is nobody that was shot dead.
'If it is true that somebody was shot, I commiserate with him, but there was a bit of tension as I left my house this morning to go to my office and there was a big mob on the street and if somebody was shot dead, there must be a body to show for it.
'Let us see the body to know that there was indeed a killing and I can assure you, without any shadow of doubt that there was no tension again and nobody was shot in Ekiti State. I stand to be corrected."
Bamisile, also at the press conference, dissolved all the House committees, saying they had outlived their six months tenure.
The AC leader in the House, Hon Funminiyi Afuye, described the Speaker's announcement of an ad hoc committee on SIEC as a 'criminal offence," which runs contrary to Section 219 of the House Standing Rules. He accused the PDP chieftains of heightening tension in the state.
In his words: 'The people representing the interest of government in the House are attempting to usurp the House. The Speaker's announcement is unconstitutional, only the House has such powers.
'We are going to correct all irregularities committed in the House so far, especially the emergence of the Speaker, who was elected by only PDP House members. The Speaker's announcement is a criminal offence."
The state Police Commissioner, Yomi Onashile, confirmed the incident on telephone and said he had deployed his men to the scene of the crisis.