EKITI State government and the state All Progressives Congress (APC) traded words yesterday on the forceful eviction of residents and demolition of buildings.
The government justified its action, claiming that the residents, who were yet to complete their payments, were owing over N800 million.
It maintained that the sealing of the houses of defaulters had no political undertone, alleging that the affected persons “have bluntly refused to meet their contractual obligations to the government”.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the government said of the 254 allocated houses in the estate, only 37 allottees had paid fully.
He added that 217 allottees were yet to complete payment.
“The total amount being owed by the allottees as at the time Governor Ayo Fayose assumed office was N904,635,556.57.
“Total amount recovered since the governor assumed office was N82 million. Some of the allottees have sold or rented out the houses allocated to them.
“The allottees cut across political parties, as there are notable leaders of the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and APC among them. It is, therefore, not political. Over N800 million is being owed by the allottees as at today.
“Today alone, over N5 million was paid by some of the allottees. The government is insisting that allottees, who have declined to pay for the houses allocated to them, must pay. Those who are not defaulting did not have their houses sealed.”
But the APC alleged that the action was primarily targeted at its leaders, members, innocent civil servants and the public perceived to have sympathy for the party.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC described the action as “barbaric, heartless and brutish, as a four-day-old baby and her mother were locked inside the house”.
The APC said: “The action was like a movie from the blues as dangerous-looking thugs and some policemen from the Government House invaded the estate and started harassing residents, sealing off their houses.
“This caused panic among residents, including women and children, some of whom suffered shock,” he explained.
Olatunbosun regretted that the governor behaved “in this reckless manner”, even though there were subsisting mortgage agreements, which allowed the residents to pay over five to 10 years, “but Fayose insisted that all the money must be paid within one month”.
“As if this harassment was not enough, bulldozers have been moved into the estate to demolish structures, which they claimed were constructed without approval in an apparent move to inflict pain on our members.
“If approval was not obtained, the right thing to do is to ask such people to pay the required amount and not to resort to demolition, which is in bad faith,” he said.
Olatunbosun added that the governor earlier impounded monetised vehicles to political appointees, who served in Fayemi’s administration.
Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to save APC members from the governor’s iron rule, Olatunbosun warned that further harassment of APC members would be resisted.
“Fayose should be called to order by all men and women of goodwill, as his reign of impunity is becoming embarrassing to all citizens of the state. His continuous trampling on the fundamental rights of citizens should be checked without further delay,” Olatunbosun said.