The Ekiti State House of Assembly has called for prosecution and stiffer punishments for two civil servants who were dismissed from the Ekiti State Civil Service for fraudulently diverting government revenue.
The two officers involved had petitioned the House of Assembly in June 2023, claiming to be wrongfully dismissed and asking for a review of the punishment meted to them in 2010.
The petitioners claimed innocence of the allegation levelled against them averring that they were framed up.
One of them claimed that the letter of dismissal was not meant for him as the name written on the letter only has a semblance with his name adding that a lower grade level was quoted.
The second petitioner equally claimed that no enough evidence was available linking him to the crime.
But the house committee on public petitions chaired by Hon. Ayodeji Adegbite stated in its report presented at the assembly plenary that the argument canvassed by the two petitioners were spurious, misleading and unacceptable.
The committee noted in its report that
“Between 2013 and 2023, the two petitioners have petitioned the Civil Service Commission more than three times each requesting for the review of their cases. However, their requests were discountenanced owning to lack of merit as there were no new evidences to exonerate them”
The committee frowned at the defence put up by the Petitioner insisting that a culprit could not merely seek to be excused from guilt by capitalising on technicalities and frivolities.
“the Dismissal verdict handed down to the two Petitioners should be sustained as not enough evidences were presented before the Committee to show that there was miscarriage of Justice to the petitioners by the Respondent. The Respondent in her subsequent Correspondences with Civil Servants should ensure that Names, Designations and Addresses are properly and accurately spelt out to prevent erring Civil Servants from hiding under technicalities and frivolities in writing petitions.” The committee’s report stated.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye in his remarks at the plenary applauded the Adegbite led committee for being painstaking, tactical and logical in handling sensitive petitions.
Other lawmakers took turn to speak to the matter , resolving that the committee has done a laudable assignment.
The house which condemned the audacity of the petitioners, resolved that the affected officers should ,in addition to the dismissal, be prosecuted and made to refund the diverted funds.
Other members of the committee are, Hon Maryam Ogunlade, ViceChairman; Hon Babatunde Oke; Hon Jacob Awoniyi and Hon Iyabo Fakunle Okieimen.