The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ecological Fund

  • Ekiti to spend N2b Ecological Fund on dredging

    The Ekiti State government has said the N2 billion Ecological Fund received from the Federal Government will be used to dredge eight waterways in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Conducting reporters round the project sites yesterday, Special Assistant to Governor Ayo Fayose on Environment Bisi Kolawole said the allegation of diversion of the funds was not true.

    He said the government would use the funds to prevent ecological disaster in Ado-Ekiti, adding that ecological problems in other towns would also receive attention.

    The governor’s aide identified communities to benefit from the second phase as Efon, Ifaki and Ilawe.

    The waterways undergoing dredging include Adere, Ureje, Isinla, Elemi and Omi Olori.

  • APC to Fayose: explain how you spent N2b ecological fund

    APC to Fayose: explain how you spent N2b ecological fund

    •I won’t reply deaf people, says governor

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has urged Governor Ayo Fayose to explain how he spent the N2 billion paid into the state’s coffers on December 30 by the Federal Government.

    The party, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, claimed that N10 billion was released to five states, including Ekiti.

    The APC said the governor collected the money, including that refunded for  federal projects embarked upon by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Olatunbosun said: “We want to challenge Fayose to tell Ekiti people how he spent the N2billion Ekiti Ecological Fund he collected on December 30, last year.

    “On that day, N10 billion was released to five states, among which are Bauchi and Ekiti states, which collected N2 billion each.

    “Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda has told the people the projects to be executed with the money. Instead of our governor to do the same, he jetted off to Dubai for days without any indication that he went  there officially on behalf of Ekiti people.

    “It was later Ekiti people learnt about his lavish lifestyle in the bustling economic hub of the Middle East.

    “Governor Fayose denied ever collecting refund of the money ex-Governor Fayemi spent on federal projects in the state.

    “Four days after Fayose made this denial on state television, the Minister of State for Works, Dayo Adeyeye, said publicly at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti that the Federal Government had refunded money spent on the federal projects executed by the state, including Ado-Ifaki and Ado-Akure roads.”

    Olatubosun said the APC later learnt that Adeyeye was scolded for making that public disclosure.

    “Why are they crucifying Adeyeye for saying the truth? Even though we don’t want to believe that our governor was part of ‘January rush’ acquisition of prime property in Dubai, his unofficial journey to Dubai after collecting the money raises our fears that Ekiti State might have run into trouble again.”

    Olatubosun said it was wicked and insensitive to continue to owe workers their salary after collecting September allocation and other refunds running into billions.

    “The governor cannot tell the workers that he won’t pay September salary because he was not governor in September. Why did he not reject September allocation because he was not governor in September?”

    Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media Lere  Olayinka said it was not true that N2billion was paid by the Federal Government to Ekiti State in December.

    He added: “In this ICT age, all that is needed to be done on issues like this is to search the Internet because the Federal Government won’t release ecological to five states without the media reporting it.

    “The truth is Ekiti State government has not received any special fund from the Federal Government and it is important that the APC lying machine should begin to manufacture another lie.”

  • Flood: Anambra urges FG to release Ecological Fund

    Flood: Anambra urges FG to release Ecological Fund

    The Secretary to Anambra State Government, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, has called on the Federal Government to release money from the Ecological Fund to states affected by flood and other natural disasters.

    Obaze, who made the call in a chat with journalists in Awka on Saturday, said the money would enable the affected states to render essential support to victims as well as repair damaged infrastructure.

    He said the damage done by the disasters was too severe for the states to manage alone.

    The SSG said there was need to construct embankment along the banks of the River Niger to avert recurrence of the flood in the state.

    “We are doing our best in Anambra to manage the ecological situation in the state by relocating the victims and providing relief materials but it is not enough.

    “The challenges are enormous; they are beyond the resources of the state; there is also need to build embankment along the bank of the Niger River.

    “And the ecological funds of the federal government are meant for such purposes,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the SSG as saying during the interactive session.