The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ekiti STATE

  • APC, PDP tango over alleged vote buying with recovered loots

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State on Monday exchanged verbal invectives over allegations the ruling party has reserved recovered loot for vote buying.

    The PDP said the ruling party has perfected plans to re-loot recovered loots from former late military Head of State, Sani Abacha, to buy votes of Nigerians in the coming polls.

    It also alleged the APC was planning to use security operatives and officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to perpetrate electoral fraud.

    But the APC denied all the claims, describing them as figments of imagination orchestrated by the enemies of progressive Nigeria.

    Ekiti Director of Media and Publicity of the Atiku/Obi PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Lere Olayinka, alleged the APC has reserved N112.5bn to buy projected 15 million votes at N7,500 per vote.

    But Director of Media for the state’s Buhari/Osinbajo campaign council, Tai Akogun, described the allegations as cruel and irresponsible.

    He declared Presidential Mohammadu Buhari is man of integrity who would never attempt buying votes.

    Akogun said the President’s monumental achievements in all sectors would serve as pointers, adding Buhari has performed creditably well to be given a second term by Nigerians on a platter of gold.

    The PDP said: “Their plots are in two folds. While they are forging ahead with their covert plot to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    “And rig the elections by getting the electoral commission to produce two sets of result sheets (Form EC8A) for some selected polling units across the country, they are also plotting massive vote buying.”

    But the APC countered, saying: “Everybody knows Buhari as a man of integrity, by this time four years ago, we were already hearing about raising huge funds for former President Jonathan’s campaign where contractors are raising huge funds, but now you can’t hear of any contractors doing that, is this kind of President the one that would waste N112 billion for campaign?”

    Read also: Vote candidates of your choice, Buhari tells Ogun residents

    He added: “Fayemi as our governor is not a frivolous person. He is not a kind of person that will use such money to buy votes.

    “This is a cruel and irresponsible allegation, the PDP is only crying foul because they know they are losing the coming polls.

    “They know that 14,000 Ekiti youth who benefitted immensely from N power and those who also benefitted from Tradermoni will vote massively for Buhari.

    “In Ekiti alone, the railway line that Buhari has built, the federal Secretariat almost at completion at the new Iyin Road and the housing scheme in agric Olope, all in Ado Ekiti is our own N112 billion which will attract votes for Buhari.

    “We challenge the PDP to show us what former president Goodluck Jonathan did for Ekiti in his time. Buhari doesn’t need to buy votes because he has performed creditably well.”

    Olayinka also alleged the APC led Federal Government has instructed security operatives to provide cover for all APC stalwarts to be assigned with the responsibility of ascertaining voters compliance and making payments to voters who complied.

    He urged Nigerians to reject vote buying, the security to maintain neutrality in the coming elections, noting that the security operatives should remain non- partisan and not appendage of APC.

  • Fayemi approves N100 million for arrears of workers’ gratuity

    Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Monday approved monthly release of N100 million to defray accumulated gratuities of retired workers in the State.

    Fayemi, in further demonstration of his administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioner, had last month approved a hundred per cent increase in monthly gratuity payment from N10 million to N20 million.

    A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, explained the directive takes immediate effect, pending the time the state government would be able to find a creative approach to resolve the huge outstanding gratuity obligations of the state.

    Read Also: Fayemi sponsors free cataract surgeries

    The Governor believes the increment will ameliorate the plight of the state’s pensioners and also accelerate their living standard.

    In a related development, Governor Fayemi has also approved the payment of severance allowance and outstanding salaries of 19 former members of the Ekiti State House of Assemblies and their aides who were denied their entitlement by the immediate past administration of Mr. Ayodele Fayose.

    Fayemi said it is unjust to deny workers their wages, stating his administration will ensure that workers and pensioners get their entitlements at the appropriate time.

  • Fayemi sponsors free cataract surgeries

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Wednesday commenced free cataract surgery for 405 residents to ensure effective quality healthcare service delivery.

    Fayemi said his administration was in partnership with the Federal Government and the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria under the Ekiti Free Cataract Surgery/President Buhari Restores Vision Programme to restore the sight of the patients.

    The surgery was done simultaneously at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti; State Specialist Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti and Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.

    The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, said the action was aimed at addressing the burden of increasing blindness from cataract and help residents who are financially incapacitated to sponsor their treatment.

    He disclosed that an average of 250 surgeries was to be carried out per state but that of Ekiti was increased to 405 to give more cataract patients in the state opportunity to benefit from the scheme.

    The governor noted that Ado, Ikere and Ido were carefully designated as centres cutting across the three senatorial districts to make the scheme accessible to people in the grassroots.

    Fayemi explained that 200 of the cases were screened during the first phase of his administration’s Free Health Mission which provided medical services to 67,000 people across the eleven local government areas visited.

    Describing cataract as a leading cause of blindness, Fayemi disclosed that 4.25 million adults aged above 40 are visually impaired while 5.5 per cent of adults aged 50 and above are estimated to be blind.

    He explained government was tackling cataract headlong by offering to sponsor the surgery and helped the patients overcome financial constraints to restore their vision.

    He said: “As a government that is concerned about the well-being of its people, we promised that no one will be left out.

    Read Also: Fayemi dedicates victory to Ekiti people

    “Here we are today practising what we preached by granting free access to the healthcare many people may not be able to afford personally. We are doing this judiciously without age, gender, religion or political colouration.”

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Folake Olomojobi, explained the free cataract surgery programme was part of Governor Fayemi’s Free Health Mission aimed at sustaining a healthy state.

    She revealed that each cataract surgery costs N50, 000 outside post-surgery expenses, which have been undertaken by the state government.

    Olomojobi said the surgery was being performed by indigenous cataract surgeons, adding the scheme was geared towards achieving ‘once I was blind and now I can see testimony.’

    The president of Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Dr. Bade

    Ogundipe, who was represented by Dr. Kayode Ajite, said the body was working in collaboration with state governments in Nigeria to ensure a cataract-free nation.

    He commended the Ekiti State government for not only taking the financial burden of the patients but also providing the post-operation drugs for them.

  • Obaship tussle brews tension in Ekiti community

    The crisis rocking Orin-Ekiti, Ido-Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Tuesday worsened as indigenes staged a protest over the nagging Obaship tussle

    The three royal families- Famokiti, Olubunmo and Ajibewa- are claiming right to produce next the monarch of the town following the death of Oba Oluwole Olubunmo in 2015.

    But majority of the people of the town, kingmakers and the women leaders have jettisioned a 1999 Gazzette, which stipulates a new monarch must be chosen from Ajibewa ruling house.

    The Ajibewa family, the Gazzette insists, is a third of the other two royal families, Olunbumo and Famokiti who, according to the kingmakers, have for over 200 years been taking turns at having their sons installed as successive monarchs of the town.

    The state government has ordered the kingmakers led by High Chief Falua Omodele, to nominate a candidate from the Ajibewa family to fill the vacant Olorin royal stool in line with the extant law as soon as possible.

    The order came through the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, at a meeting with the kingmakers and other community leaders in his office recently.

    According to the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Odunayo Ogunmola, government said the choice of the next king must be in consonance with the Olorin Chieftaincy Declaration, Gazette No 2.

    The Deputy Governor maintained the state government is bound by the law, which recognises Ajibewa as the third ruling house saying “no one can change it.”

    He said: “The state government has no interest whatsoever in who becomes the next monarch of the town, Egbeyemi warned that anybody who breach the chieftaincy laws in the state by presenting himself for kingship or conducting illegal installation and coronation risk going to jail”.

    The Gazzette, which the government supports, came into being over 20 years ago, long before the Kayode Fayemi’s government, he added

    The people of the town led by the kingmakers, community leaders and women leaders and many youths in protest rejected the dictates of the Gazzette.

    They insisted the idea of a third royal family as indicated in it is a fraudulent arrangement by the Ajibewa family to usurp leadership of the community.

    They stated that for over 200 years, the kingmakers have been installing many candidates from families of Famokiti and Olubunmo to fill the Olorin stool.

    They argued Ajibewa family was never of royal blood but belongs to a priest, Aworo ero, which when translated means priest of Ero, a certain god being worshipped by indigenes.

    Read Also: Justice Academy for Ekiti

    Speaking on behalf of the people, kingmakers and leaders of the town, High Chief Falua warned the state government against supporting what he described an illegal action against the traditional leadership of the community.

    He insisted that forcing a man from the family of Ajibewa as monarch on the people would brew communal clash capable of destabilising the relative peace enjoying in the town

    Falua said: “For over 200 years now, we have been having men from only two families, Famokiti and Olubunmo becoming monarchs of this town. It has never ever been three.

    “The two royal families were actually descendants of one man, Oba Olayisade who was the eight paramount ruler of Orin-Ekiti.

    “In 1978, before Honourable Justice Adeyinka Morgan, a ruling that confirmed that only the Famokiti and Olubunmo royal houses exist in the kingdom was given.

    “It was documented on the Morgan Chieftaincy review commission and we as kingmakers have copies of this.

    “As a matter of fact, and by hierarchy of succession, the last Olorin was the 16th Olorin of Orin-Ekiti while the first Olorin was Apelua who came from Ile-Ife and was the founder or Orin-Ekiti.

    In a swift reaction, an aged member of the Ajibewa family, Pa Samuel Ajibewa, 77, denied claims that the documents that generated the Gazzette were fraudulent.

    He said that the position of the Morgan commission of 1978 which recognised only two ruling houses of Famokiti and Olubunmo has been canceled in the Gazzette because of an out- of- court settlement by the three ruling houses in 1995, which also led to a judgement of the court the same year.

    He alleged that some people of the town have begun demolishing their family houses in Orin-Ekiti, alerting the police to rescue them

    “We had challenged the Morgan commission’s declaration in court when the late Olorin, Oba Oluwole Olubunmo, was to be installed.

    “The crisis had lingered from 1988 till 1998 when the Famokiti and Olubunmo families and the town pleaded with our family to settle out of court with a promise that once the late Oba was installed, the Kabiyesi and kingmakers would sit and make another declaration that would recognize Ajibewa as a third riling house.

    “We agreed and the declaration was eventually done with the signature of the late head of Kingmakers, Chief Ige Eletin and other kingmakers.

    “We have documents confirming these claims including the one which the town wrote to our family on the agreement which was duly signed and stamped by the then regent of the town, Chief A. Ajayi who ruled before Oba Oluwole Olubunmo,” he said.

    The old man also countered claims that Ajibewa were never of royal blood saying against claims that a certain former monarch of the town had two wives who gave birth to Famokiti and Olubunmo that now became two ruling houses, the monarch in question had had three wives, the third of whose son was Ajibewa.

    Pa Ajibewa said: “The three royal families of Famokiti, Olubunmo and Ajibewa belonged to one father who was a monarch that most successfully ruled Orin-Ekiti in his time.

    “This was why we have our forebears erected their royal family houses inside the Orin palace and these houses are there up till date.

    “Prince Abel Dada Ajibewa, alias Babaeolomo, who was my uncle was a very successful man, a carpenter and business guru.

    “He was a very close confidant of Oba Adekolawolu Olubunmo, during his reign in the late 1960s and they lived in the same palace.

    “My uncle was then like a second Oba in the palace but this cordial relationship upset many people then.

    “When the Olorin from Olubunmo then died, my uncle was to succeed him but he couldn’t as he suddenly disappeared and was never seen till date. That affected our chance of getting the throne then.

    “Again, Anasin, is a chieftaincy title for women who are wives of the Oba, two of these Anasins have come from the Ajibewa family, Anasin is the head of women in the palace, she is a royal wife. Any child she bears could be a monarch.

    “Because there was no rotation then, they would pick an Anasin from another royal house apart from where the Oba on throne comes from.

    “When Oluwole Olubunmo was king, the Anasin was from Famokiti family, when Oba Adekolawolu Olubunmo was king, the Anasin was from Ajibewa family.

    “If we didn’t come from a royal house why would we have had two Anasin from our family in the history of the town?

    “Later in history, the great grandfathers of the Ajibewas became a King. He was Oba Adewunmi Ajibewa Idimehinsuwon and ruled for so long.

    “To also confirm further that the three ruling houses of Famokiti, Ajibewa and Olubunmo have always been one, our farm settlement in Ijere area of Orin-Ekiti which binds us is still there up till now and has been there for so long.

    “The Ajibewa family house is the biggest in the middle of the palace in Orin-Ekiti till date,” he said

  • Obanikoro: No record of cash collected from Dasuki for Fayose

    The Federal High Court in Lagos Monday heard that there is no record of the N1.2billion and $5million which former Minister of State for defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, allegedly delivered to former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Testifying in Fayose’s trial for money laundering before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, Obanikoro, the fifth prosecution witness, said he did not sign for the money he received from former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

    “I did not sign any records at the Office of the National Security Adviser for the monies that I collected,” he said.

    Obanikoro was cross-examined by defence counsel Kanu Agabi (SAN) (for Fayose) and Olalekan Ojo (SAN) (for Fayose’s company and co-accused Spotless Limited).

    The former minister agreed that he was also under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and that he was eventually made to return N200million out of the money he received from Dasuki.

    “I was investigated over funds disbursed through the ONSA. I was kept in EFCC custody for 21 days. I reluctantly returned the N200million cash. Some money was seized from an account related to me,” Obanikoro said.

    The witness explained how he came about using the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited to receive money from ONSA.

    He said Dasuki’s successor wrote a petition against him and the company alleging that they collected funds for which no contract was executed.

    “It was the NSA (Dasuki) that requested me to furnish the account. The request to furnish the account was made orally,” he said.

    Obanikoro said Dasuki told him that the account was for the purpose of transferring funds meant for the security of Lagos.

    “The account was for securing Lagos. I sourced the account from Taiwo Kareem. It remained his property. We came about the company (Sylvan Mcnamara) because they made a presentation to the ONSA and was found to have the capacity for securing Lagos,” he said.

    Asked if Sylvan Mcnamara was a security company, Obanikoro said he would not know until he saw the firm’s articles of incorporation.

    Read Also: Obanikoro: it’s painful testifying against Fayose

    “That’s the purpose it was used for (securing Lagos). The decision to qualify Sylvan Mcnamara was that of the NSA. I introduced the company to NSA and the approval was given,” he said.

    Asked what the NSA had in mind when he asked him to source for the account, he said: “The NSA wanted to protect Lagos. I deserve a medal of honour for the protection of Lagos which we did successfully.”

    On why the account appeared to be shrouded in secrecy, Obanikoro said: “Clandestine security operations don’t work the way an average person wants it to work.”

    Obanikoro admitted that some funds were transferred from the account to Rehoboth Homes, such as N74million on May 31, 2014.

    He explained that Rehoboth Homes “must have been one of the vehicles to get the dollar content to Fayose”.

    Other sums, such as N5million, were also transferred to unknown persons from the account on at least three different times.

    Agabi said: “The reason they hide the identities of the recipients is because their job is evil.”

    Obanikoro responded: “I am not an evil doer sir. When a job is for society’s good, it cannot be characterised as evil. You do not keep records for some of these transactions.”

  • Ekiti tribunal upholds Fayemi’s election

    The Ekiti State governorship election tribunal sitting in Abuja has upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate in the last governorship election in the state, Kayode Fayemi.

    The Justice Suleiman Belgore led tribunal, in a judgment that lasted for about five hours on Monday, dismissed the petition by the PDP and its candidate, Kolapo Olusola on the grounds that the failed to prove their case.

    Read Also: Fayemi: ex-Governor Fayose left N155.79b debt

    Justice Belgore, who read the judgment, found that the evidence led by the petitioners was insufficient to prove their claim the election was held in substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

  • Ekiti deputy governor arrests drivers during environmental sanitation

    There was drama during the monthly environmental sanitation in Ekiti State on Saturday as the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, arrested many drivers moving around during the exercise.

    Egbeyemi, who was accompanied by other senior government officials and security men, arrested the commercial and private drivers between Ado-Ekiti and other towns in Gbonyin Local Government Area while monitoring the exercise.

    According to a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Odunayo Ogunmola, Egbeyemi delayed the drivers on the highways for several minutes before he later pardoned them warning them not to violate environmental law again.

    Before pardoning them, Egbeyemi compelled some defaulters to pick refuse by the roadsides stressing that the state government would not tolerate poor attitude to environmental sanitation exercise by residents.

    The deputy governor was also surprised that some residents were holding ceremonies  and markets during the environmental sanitation hours instead of cleaning their surroundings a behavior he described as “unacceptable.”

    Apparently angered by their negligence of duties during the sanitation exercise, Egbeyemi ordered three environmental officers, Mr Sunday Olanrewaju, Mr.  Olamide Anthony and Mr Oguntuminiyi Segun to report to his office on Monday.

    The state’s number two citizen expressed dissatisfaction over the level of compliance to this month’s environmental sanitation exercise in the State held on Saturday.

    According to him, the first environmental sanitation in the year would be used to sensitize the people on the need to take care of their environment.

    Egbeyemi said: “We don’t want to start with strong hands by sending people to prison because of this exercise but there are sanctions.

    Read Also: Fayose’s core loyalists join APC in Ekiti

    “At times we ask them to pick refuse, even in Ado while we were coming, we asked some men and women to pick because they were caught moving without doing nothing.”

    While maintaining that conducting  ceremonies during the hours of sanitation exercise constitutes environmental offence, Egbeyemi said anyone caught in the future would be charged before Environmental Offences Mobile Court.

    Egbeyemi accompanied by the Permanent Secretary Bureau of Arts, Culture and Tourism, Mr Kola Ajimobi, the Coordinating Director, Gbonyin Local Government, Mr. Olaniran Owajoba and officials of Gbonyin Local Government  Council berated the manner at which officers of the State Environmental Sanitation performed their duty during the exercise.

    The Deputy Governor noted that their complacency in enforcing the extant laws governing the exercise encouraged the people to disregard the exercise by moving around.

    Egbeyemi warned that government would not hesitate to enforce stiffer sanctions in subsequent exercise to serve as deterrent to offenders.

    The deputy governor stressed the need for the residents to keep their environment clean in order to prevent the outbreak of avoidable epidemics.

    “The government cannot come and clean your environment for you. Some even pass faeces in their environment but we thank God such act has drastically reduced in Ekiti State.

    “Your environment must be clean, once your environment is clean, healthy living they say prevent the outbreak of diseases,” he added.

    Apart from Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the Deputy Governor monitored the exercise at Ijan, Iluomoba, Aisegba, Agbado and Ode, all in Gbonyin Local  Government Area.

  • Parents of street hawkers will be arrested – Fayemi

    The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has said that the state will henceforth arrest parents of pupils found hawking during school hours.

    The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olayinka Oyebode, made this known on Sunday in Ado Ekiti.

    The governor gave the warning while meeting with stakeholders in the education sector at the weekend.

    The governor asked parents to take advantage of the free education policy of his administration to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

    Fayemi said all hands must be on deck to checkmate the declining school enrolment in the state regarded as ‘Fountain of Knowledge’.

    Read Also: ‘My parents forced me into robbery’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Fayemi had, shortly after his inauguration in October 2018, declared free education from primary to senior secondary schools in the state.

    He also abolished all education levies and the education tax introduced by the immediate past administration in the state.

    At the meeting, Fayemi said that many parents were yet to take full advantage of the free and qualitative education policy of the administration.

    He noted that part of the responsibilities of government was to ensure that children and youth who were the future of the nation, were properly groomed through qualitative education that would prepare them for the future.

    The governor said the current school enrolment rate of 55 per cent as against 96 per cent recorded in 2014 was unacceptable to his government, adding that something must be done urgently to reverse the ugly trend.

    He said that the state government had started compiling records of retired teachers with a view to determining available vacancies in the teaching service and how to fill them.

    Fayemi also added that the present  administration would soon commence recruitment of competent and qualified teachers who would help to raise the standard of education in the state.

    He also disclosed that the administration had commenced the process of returning mission schools to their original owners, but stressed that government would continue to monitor them to ensure that the schools do not decline in standards.

  • Group hails Fayemi’s monumental achievements in first 100 days

    The Ekiti-11 group has lauded the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for his monumental achievements within his the first 100 days in office.

    Ekiti-11 popularly known as E-11 is a group of accomplished Ekiti sons, who are in various professions and with varying economic and political interests.

    The group described Fayemi as richly rewarding, saying the governor has exemplified excellence in governance since assumption of office.

    In a congratulatory message to the governor which was made available to journalists by the group said “Fayemi just like he did in his last administration has “followed in the tradition of responsibility, responsiveness and focused administration in setting the pace for delivering on his campaign promises and democratic dividends to the people”.

    “Ever since he assumed office for second time, Fayemi has left no one in doubt about his capability and competence as a tested and trusted administrator and technocrat of repute in discharging his constitutional responsibility, creditably to the admiration of the good people of Ekiti State who are delighted that they made the right choice at the polls on July 14th, 2018”, the group said.

    The group highlighted some of the governor’s landmark achievements which included Provision of electricity in some areas that were cut-off for almost four years.

    It added that the Governor has resuscitate and fast-track the completion of abandoned roads and renovation of economically viable but abandoned projects.

    And introduction of free education from primary school to secondary level coupled with payment of WAEC fees for graduating students of secondary schools throughout Ekiti state.

    Read Also: Fayose left N155 bn debt – Fayemi

    Going further, the group said “We are quite aware of how Mr. Governor put smiles on the faces of state and local government workers and retirees from ministries, parastatals and agencies last year December.

    “This was a commendable development by a responsible government and this is a radical departure from our history of shabby treatment of retirees in the public service.

    The group disclosed that the governor has succeeded in restructuring and ensuring financial transparency and accountability through the operation of a Single Treasury Account (STA), the statement said.

  • Ekiti Speaker flays ex–gov for denying them salaries and furniture allowances

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has put the debts left behind by his predecessor, Ayodele Fayose at N155,791,785,214.08.

    Delivering the State of the State address at the State House of Assembly, governor Fayemi said the sum was the total debt profile of Ekiti State as at 16th October, 2018.

    Fayemi said he inherited “a State that was in total chaos and a people severely disorientated under a suppressive government who had raised and promoted deceit into statecraft”.

    Fayemi spoke just as the Speaker of the House , Hon Adediran Alagbada lamented that the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Fayose, denied the House members their salaries and furniture allowances despite making appropriations that covered such expenses.

    The governor stated that his administration had distanced itself from “political witch-hunting and media trials to score cheap political goals” but decided to give the State of the State in order to use the “lessons of the past to create the future of our dreams”.

    Fayemi disclosed that Ekiti State under Fayose received #184.83 billion as income between 2014 and 2018; noting that the former governor had no reason to owe salaries given the huge revenue that accrued to the State during the immediate past administration.

    While giving a breakdown of the debt profile, Fayemi said though borrowing is in itself not a bad thing, borrowing to fund self-serving and unproductive projects is unpatriotic.

    He gave the breakdown of the debt as follows:

    Loans and bonds #57,694,460,298.79; salary arrears #16,777,257,608.52; outstanding leave bonus #4,402,585,167.53; corpers allowances #28,883,959.00; outstanding subventions #4,770,676,870.98; pension and gratuity arrears #39,775,919,872.02, and outstanding contractors claims #28,575,946,572.25.

    Read Also: Fayemi removes indicted heads of institutions

    Others include Outstanding furniture allowance #470,266,137.09; severance allowance #586,144,167.51; monitized vehicle arrears #101,243,387.24; outstanding warrants #386,77,450.64; outstanding FIRS obligation #184,215,623.43; Traditional rulers arrears #150,214,204.10; judgement debts #95,048,963.35 and other outstanding liabilities #1,792,144,931.62.

    Fayemi said the debt profile was a product of the audit carried out by Pricewater Coopers (PWC).

    The governor stated that he had used the first 100 days of his administration to “lay the needed foundation to restore our values and restore Ekiti State to its rightful position in the comity of States”.

    “This is our first stewardship in the series of others to be witnessed in the life of this administration in the fulfilment of our obligation to Ekiti people. As a government, we are more interested in building and strengthening institutions rather than wielding powers or self aggrandizement. This is the world best practice in governance and we are proud to thread that path to attain speedy economic recovery and value restoration for Ekiti State”, he said.

    He called on corporate organisations, donor agencies, the federal government and Ekiti people to support his administration in moving Ekiti State forward “economically, socially and politically”.

    Speaking on the forthcoming election, Fayemi urged everyone to play by the rules and be law abiding; urging Ekiti people to use the election to consolidate the gains of his administration in the last 100 days.

    In his remarks, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Adeniran Alagbada said Ekiti people have now got “new hope through the policies and programmes of the Fayemi-led government”.

    Alagbada who said the 100 days of Fayemi in government is “better than the four years of Fayose” called on Ekiti people to rally support for the governor to succeed.

    He lamented the poor treatment meted out to members of the House by the fayose administration, inspite of their support for the former Governor.

    He said, the House had it on record that it made appropriation for for all government expemses and that it was sad that despite their support the former Governor denied them their salaries, allowances and furniture allowances  were well provided for in the four budgets they passed during the duration of the administration.