•Governor: we’re honouring her
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ado Ekiti Local Government has criticised the “desecration” of the Heroes’ Park, the resting place of the former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Adunni Olayinka.
The party described the construction of a Women Development Centre on Mrs. Olayinka’s tomb by the Ayo Fayose administration as a “disservice and deliberate extreme partisanship to fight and dishonour the deceased.”
But Governor Fayose described the APC’s claim as “myopic and weird”.
He urged the opposition to stop its endless criticisms, saying its action was attracting hatred rather than sympathy.
A statement yesterday by its Chairman , David Adigun, said the party and its supporters had their reservation that Fayose was honouring the deceased with the project.
The Ado Ekiti APC contended that if Fayose planned to immortalise the late deputy governor, there were lots of open and undesignated spaces across the state capital that could be used for such a project.
It argued that an enabling law duly passed by the House of Assembly supported the establishment of the Heroes’ Park “in tune with global best practices to honor all heroes and heroines of Ekiti origin”.
The Ado-Ekiti APC condemned Fayose’s refusal to complete the civic centre built in memory of the late deputy governor, which had reached 70 per cent completion level.
But Fayose’s, Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said:
“A four-storey edifice to be called Funmi Olayinka Women Development Centre is being constructed in front of the late deputy governor’s tomb.
“To Governor Fayose, dumping the late deputy governor’s corpse in an open space with not benefit to the people is not enough.
“ Rather, while the tomb remains where it is, the government has deemed it necessary to put up an edifice in front of the tomb in her honour and for the benefit of women in the state.”