A former Leader of Government Business, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye, was on Thursday elected the Speaker of the Sixth Assembly.
The 26-member Assembly also elected a former Special Assistant to the state Governor on Research and Documentation, Hakeem Jamiu, the Deputy Speaker.
The Assembly, which was inaugurated by the state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, also re-elected the immediate past Majority Leader, Gboyega Aribisigan (Ikole I), while Tajudeen Akingbolu (Ekiti West I) and Bunmi Adelugba (Emure), emerged Deputy Leader and Chief Whip, respectively.
Fayemi, during the inauguration, said he would partner the lawmakers to move the state forward.
The governor said, “There is nothing like a rubber stamp legislature under me. I don’t believe in it. We are going to operate with mutual respect for a greater Ekiti.
“The Ekiti project is what we all believe in. We must defend it. The process leading to the reclamation of our lost values needs our collective efforts and we must fight hard to achieve this.”
Fayemi charged the presiding officers of the Assembly to perform their duties with utmost dedication and trust so that they could earn the respect of their colleagues.
Afuye, who was the state Commissioner for Information during Fayemi’s first term, said he was committed to meeting the expectations of the people of the state.
He promised to be just, fair and transparent in carrying out his legislative duties.
He said, “I promise that I won’t betray the confidence reposed in me as the Speaker. I shall treat everybody equally and think Ekiti all the time.”
