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Tag: Fayemi

  • Fayemi: Ekiti situation has worsened in four years

    Ekiti State Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi has said he is ready to tackle the challenges confronting the Fountain of Knowledge.

    He said the fiscal, economic and social conditions of the state had worsened in the last four years.

    The governor-elect sought the cooperation of residents to get the state out of the woods.

    Fayemi advised the outgoing Ayo Fayose administration to use 80 per cent of allocations expected from the Federation Account to pay the backlog of salary owed workers before the October 16 handover.

    The governor-elect spoke yesterday at the inauguration of the 32-member Transition Committee to facilitate the smooth transfer of power.

    The committee has Senator Olu Adetunmbi as chairman. A retired Permanent Secretary, Mr. Deji Ajayi, is the secretary.

    Fayemi stressed the recommendations of the committee would be far-reaching and serve as template to tackle challenges confronting Ekiti.

    The governor-elect expressed dismay that the state had retrogressed in the last four years.

    He said: “Our situation has become worse since we left government. It seems as if we are starting from the scratch. We must hit the ground running when we are sworn in on October 16.

    “We need to ameliorate the unfortunate situation our people have been put into. We have no reason to disappoint our people.

    “The debt profile is one of the areas the committee will look into. The Debt Management Office, I suspect, has given us underestimation (on the debt profile). There is no reason the outgoing administration should not cooperate with the transition committee.

    “I really like to appeal to the outgoing administration to prioritise salary payment to civil servants and pensioners. The important thing now is: whatever that is coming to the state, 80 per cent of it should go into payment of salary arrears. To me, that should be a priority.

    “Let me say this: neither my deputy governor-elect, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, nor myself consider ourselves as having repository of knowledge or have answers to all Ekiti’s problems. So, we are relying on your wealth of experiences.

    “In your report, tell us those things we should not lay our hands on at all. Also endeavour to indicate those things we can do to have immediate impact on our people when we assume office. That is the most important thing to the incoming government.

    “If you look at the configuration of this committee, we have more financial experts with deep knowledge of fiscal issues. There are four former commissioners, because finance is the main thing in Ekiti on the premise that our situations have worsened than we left it in October 2014.

    “Our people are in a serious mess. Poverty has risen and we have to move fast and ameliorate their sufferings.

    “I want to appeal to the present government, particularly Ekiti State workers, to cooperate with the committee in the spirit of patriotism. They should think more about Ekiti interest than that of any individual.

    “I see no reason why Fayose’s government would not want to cooperate with you because this was what we did in 2014 and which the whole Nigeria commended.”

    Adetunmbi said the team was aware of the huge task before it and craved the cooperation of the outgoing administration.

    He said: “We want to assure the good citizens of Ekiti State that we are not going to act as enemies or adversaries. We are going to be friendly and that we shall do for the benefit of our state.

    “We are coming as friends, not as enemies. We expect maximum cooperation from them so that the new government can start without any hiccup.”

  • Fayemi: it won’t affect APC chances

    EKITI State Governor elect Dr. Kayode Fayemi has said the defection of about 15 senators and 37 House of Representatives members from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to opposition parties will not affect the chances of the party in future elections.

    Fayemi, who spoke with reporters after a closed door meeting with the APC national leadership, said Nigerians should not take an isolated case and draw conclusion based on that.

    He said: “What is mass about the defection? It’s democracy and that doesn’t portend any danger for our party. Democracy is not an event, but a process. You don’t take an isolated event and come to conclusion about that. As one door shut, some other doors will open. Just stay tuned.”

    On why he was at the secretariat, Fayemi said: “My mission here is to see my leaders. I come here regularly, even when I was a minister. I am a foundation member of this party and an active member. So, there is no reason to shy away from coming. But this is my first time of visiting the secretariat since my brother, Comrade Oshiomhole became the chairman.

    “Whether he is chairman of the party, President of the Labour Congress or governor of a state, he has demonstrated his leadership capacity without any doubt. So, he is clearly a man cut for the job.”

     

  • Fayemi raises 32-member transition committee

    •Inauguration holds today

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has raised a 32-member Transition Committee to liaise with the outgoing administration on the need for a smooth transition.

    The body, called Ekiti State JKF/APC Governorship Transition Committee, is chaired by a former lawmaker representing Ekiti North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Olubunmi Adetunmbi.

    A former Chairman of Ijero Local Government Area, Mr. Abiodun Omoleye, is the Deputy Chairman, while a retired Permanent Secretary, Mr. Deji Ajayi, is the Secretary.

    The committee, which has 22 men and eight women, is expected to be inaugurated today at the Conference Hall of AB Hotel, Adebayo, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, at 12 noon.

    A statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor-elect, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said the committee will submit its report on September 7.

    Members of the committee include a former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Bamitale Omole; former Ekiti State Attorney General, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda; former Provost, College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, Prof. Francesca Aladejana; former Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Afolabi Ogunlayi and State APC Secretary, Mr. Paul Omotoso.

    Others are: APC Publicity Secretary, Chief Taiwo Olaunbosun; two former Commissioners Biodun Oyebanji and Dapo Kolawole; two former

    House of Assembly members Seyi Shittu and Mrs. Bunmi Oriniowo; two former governorship aspirants Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade and Mr.

    Debo Ajayi; retired Permanent Secretary, Mr. Philip Amujo and Prof. Eddy Olanipekun.

    The rest are: Chief Ropo Adesanya, Dr. Dare Ojo, Mr. Tunde Olatunde, Mr. Ade Omonijo, Chief Kola Akosile, Mr Tunde Alabi, Mr. Seyi Ayeleso, Dr. Ayeni Agbaje, Mr. Ayo Owolabi, Mrs. Foluso Olaniyan, Alhaja S. Badmus, Mrs. Sola Salako-Ajulo, Mr. Eyitayo Fabunmi, Mrs.

    Toyosi Omope and Mr. Bunmi Akinniyi.

    The terms of reference of the committee members include:

    • Develop a clear framework for liaison and establish clear channels of formal communications with the outgoing administration for the purposes of a smooth transition.
    • Review and make preliminary assessment of the fiscal position of government with particular emphasis on:

    – Status of assets and liabilities of government.

    – Status of implementation of the 2018 Appropriation

    – Revenue and cash flow position of government.

    – Public debt profile of government and their deployment.

    – Salary arrears due to all public-sector workers and pensioners.

    • Determine the status of public procurement of government with particular emphasis on:

    – Government’s ongoing and outstanding contractual obligations.

    • To receive handover documents from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs), with a view to understanding the most important operational, regulatory and/or urgent issues confronting the incoming administration, in order to guide the fine-tuning and prioritisation of programmes and policies in the incoming administration’s governance agenda.
    • Interface with various stakeholders’ groups, such as labour unions, traditional rulers, academia, religious bodies, transport workers, market men and women, artisans, professionals, farmers, community development associations (CDAs), etc, with a view to ascertaining their expectations of the incoming administration.

  • Fayemi to Fayose: pay workers with N5.5b June allocation

    •N34.5b IGR allegedly kept in ‘secret account’

    Ekiti State Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi has advised Governor Ayo Fayose to use the N5.5 billion June allocation from the Federation Account to pay workers’ salary and pensioners’ entitlements.

    Fayemi also advised the governor to use the N34.5 billion Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) cash that had accrued to the state since October 2014, which had allegedly been kept in a secret account with an old generation bank, for the benefit of the people.

    In a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, by the Director of Media and Publicity of Fayemi Media Office, Mr. Wole Olujobi, the governor-elect urged Fayose to make accountability and human face critical factors in the policies of his outgoing administration.

    The statement said: “Information available to us suggests that Fayose, at the weekend, called all the directors in the state service to a meeting in the new Governor’s Lodge, pleading with them not to release sensitive information to the opposition, including non-disclosure of the state’s finances.

    “But we want to say that the state has received N5.52 billion as Federal allocation for June. We demand that the money be spent to pay salary. It should not be subjected to the circus of lies and deceits that often accompanied the sharing of the allocations in the past, whereby local governments were given their shares in the morning and in the night they would be coerced to return the money to the Governor’s Office while local government workers remained unpaid for nine months.

    “Fresh reports on the status of the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) have indicated that between October 16, 2014 to date, the state has a revenue profile of N34,560,000,000 kept in secret accounts in an old generation bank account and another new generation bank account. Yet, there is nothing to suggest that the money was spent for the benefit of Ekiti people.

    “This revenue profile in the two banks is outside the traffic and environmental offences, fines and charges reportedly kept in accounts unknown to the state’s accounting and financial system at an old generation bank at Ijigbo area of the state capital.”

    Regretting that cloudy manner of doing government’s business had rendered the state’s economy comatose, Fayemi said evidence showed that massive fraud existed at the Water Corporation and Sports Council, where government’s cash and vehicles had allegedly disappeared without trace.

    He said: “At the State Water Corporation, where an opaque financial management has left the system in ruins, Ondo State had paid its counterpart fund of N40 million for the upgrading of Egbe Dam, but the Ekiti State government has refused to honour its obligation to the project, even as the money paid by Ondo State cannot be traced to any government’s account.

    “At Ero Dam, despite releasing N1 billion on paper out of N1.4 billion budgeted for the dam’s expansion, there is no sign of work going on there as we speak, while in the same Water Corporation, two multi-million naira serviceable trucks were taken to Afao-Ekiti country home of the governor several months ago under the pretext that they were being taken there for repairs. But up till now, the trucks are still not in the service of the Water Corporation.

    “This followed the same pattern whereby the state lost five unserviceable vehicles at the State Sports Council to new owners without any public bidding and auctioning to take possession of the vehicles.

    “For instance, reports indicated that three Toyota Hiace buses, one 504 Peugeot and one Nissan 120Y had disappeared from the premises of the corporation on the alleged order of the governor.

    “This is besides illegal auctioning of several government vehicles at ridiculous prices to cronies, who later assembled the same vehicles at a motor showroom in Ibadan (Oyo State) for resale to the public.”

    Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, did not react to the allegations last night.

     

    Workers give governor 14 days to pay them

    Ekiti State workers have issued a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Ayo Fayose to pay their salary arrears and pensions of retirees.

    Acting under the aegis of Ekiti State Organised Labour, the workers said the Fayose administration must clear all arrears of workers’ entitlements before a new government takes office on October 16.

    The workers’ demands were contained in a bulletin issued on Saturday.

    Their demands also include payment of over seven months’ deductions, payment of nine months of arrears to local government workers and primary school teachers.

    The bulletin reads: “Workers in the public service of Ekiti State have been suffering over the years with nobody to rescue them in relation to payment of salaries, pensions and other benefits.

    “The import of this is that the condition of service of an average worker in Ekiti is deplorable or poor, despite the huge funds allocated to Ekiti State from the Federation Account between 2014 to date.

    “In view of the present development in the state, occasioned by the result of the governorship election, it has become necessary to assess the implication on welfare of workers, vis-à-vis the arrears of unpaid salaries.

    “To avoid a situation whereby the incoming government may wish to foot-drag on the payment of the arrears of salary on the premise that the organised labour was inept to the payment of same by the outgoing government, thus amounting to a huge financial burden on the new government.

    “The state government is hereby given a 14-day ultimatum to meet these demands.”

  • Fayemi to Fayose: Be ready to account for Ekiti funds

    •Warns against illegal appointment at EKSU

    Ekiti State Governor-elect Dr. Kayode Fayemi has explained why he would probe Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The probe, he said, is not a vendetta mission but an attempt to know how the state finances were managed when he takes office on October 16.

    Fayemi said there is need to know why the state government owes several arrears of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ benefits after receiving three tranches of bailout funds, Paris Club refunds, Budget Support Funds and secrecy with which the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is shrouded in the last four years.

    The governor-elect also warned against illegal appointments at Ekiti State University (EKSU).

    He said: “The ongoing staff upgrade at the university to create vacancies for employment is a subtle means to ensure that Governor Ayodele Fayose’s political agents occupy strategic positions they may not have competences to hold.”

    Fayemi was replying to an allegation by the administration of Fayose that his plan to probe the management of the state finances, assets and liabilities by outgoing government was a mission of vengeance and vendetta.

    The governor-elect also urged Fayose and his media handlers to accept defeat in good faith after Ekiti people had realised that they had been dealing with a deceitful governor who can no longer fool them.

    A statement yesterday by the Director of Media in the Office of the Governor-elect, Wole Olujobi, also urged Fayose to be prepared for life outside office and answer various alleged criminal cases hanging on his neck.

    Fayemi said: “We are not surprised that it is now that Fayose is saying that he is ready to open the state’s books for probe and we wonder why he had refused to let Ekiti people know the state’s IGR figures in about four years while nobody knew how he spent budget support facility, Paris Club refunds and bailout cash.

    “Rather than continue to brag shamelessly and issue tissues of lies as press releases as he has been doing in the last four years, Fayose should bury his head in shame for misusing the opportunity of redeeming his battered image.

    “Fayose is one of the luckiest men in history, who has a second chance to redeem himself but he blew it because of greed, arrogance and covetousness.

    “We are also surprised that a beneficiary of 2014 poll fraud through criminal manipulation of Federal resources is the one now describing the free and fair election that produced Fayemi as flawed after Ekiti people went to poll to take their destiny in their hands by voting for Fayemi who can be trusted with power and resources of the state unlike Fayose who secretly collected N117b loans but refused to pay workers their salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.

    “We advise Fayose to brace up for life after government, especially to render accounts of his stewardship to Ekiti people in the last four years and must also be prepared to defend himself over a plethora of criminal cases hanging on his neck.”

    He advised him to accept defeat and be prepared to face the law over his alleged infractions against the law while he was governor instead of launching blackmail against the plan to probe him.

    Fayemi cautioned EKSU Vice Chancellor, Prof Samuel Bandele, against pandering to the preferences of the governor in the running of the university.

    He added: “We know that the strategy is to create more problems for the incoming administration, more so that the decision to employ more hands was taken after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost the last governorship election to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The manner of the ill-motivated appointments lacks merit, coming at the eclipse of Fayose’s administration after failing to recruit staff in the last three years during which time staff were not motivated and infrastructure left to rot away.”

     

  • Rights group, observers insist Fayemi won Ekiti election

    Observers under the aegis of the Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NHRC) have insisted that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, won the Ekiti State gubernatorial election free and fair. At a press conference in Lagos over the weekend, the observers led by Taiwo Adeleye, where the group presented preliminary reports, it said the election was associated with hitches but not enough to invalidate the victory of APC at the poll.

    The NHRC regrets that the status of human rights work is being distorted by the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose who it accused of raising a coterie of false and emergency human right groups and observers with preconceived aim of supporting Dr Olusola Eleka, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate. The group said there were obvious cases of political parties’ involvement on corruption but that it is mischievous to blame the outcome of the election on that note.

    It said that in Ekiti State, the ring leader of electoral manipulation is Mr. Ayodele Fayose. “Since 2014, Mr Fayose has been distributing cash-public funds-to individuals on the streets amongst who are voters. It has become a day-to-day function of the Ekiti state Governor and its officials to distribute cash to people on the streets. There is nothing behind this than a conscious attempt to buy votes. Most of these cases were reported in the mainstream and social media where Mr. Fayose was openly distributing cash to people on the streets.”

    The group added “In Ekiti, workers were paid N3,000 on the eve of the election as bribe so that they could vote for Dr Eleka. This is a well-known fact. He also paid N7,000 each to pensioner on the eve of the July 14 election. The cash paid was not listed as part of their legal entitlements but as inducements to ensure they voted for the PDP. There can be no clearer evidence of election malpractices that this. Under the Ekiti State governor, manipulation of elections through cash inducement is a directive principle of the state which has been entrenched in the state’s convention through the framework of stomach infrastructure.”

    The group said the turn out during the election was impressive. “Ekiti has 842,731 registered voters. This number shortly before the election increased to about 900,000. This is quite commendable considering the total population of the entire state which is 2.7million people. Out of the figures, 667,064 PVCs were collected while 246,270 PCVs were not collected. There are 177 wards in 131 towns and villages located in 16 local governments.

  • Ireland APC tasks Fayemi

    Ekiti State governor-elect, Dr Kayode  Fayemi, has been advised to impact positively on the people of the state so as to justify the renewal of his mandate.

    This advice was given on Wednesday in Lagos by the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ireland chapter, in a statement signed by one of its members,  Otunba R.O.B. Balogun, and made available to journalists.

    The statement described the election as free, fair and peaceful and commended the INEC and security agencies for the wonderful job done before , during and after the election.

    In his own words, the Chairman of the APC, Ireland chapter, Prince Hammed Adefioye, described Dr Fayemi “as an astute administrator, deft politician as well as humanist who will always make life meaningful for the generality of the people”.

    The statement reads in part: “On behalf of the APC, Ireland Chapter executive, BOT and all members, I wish to congratulate Dr John Kayode Fayemi, the governor-elect of Ekiti State.  As a politician, he is humane, humble and focused and the state will benefit immensely from his wealth of experience.

    “His re- election is a confirmation of the confidence reposed in him by the good people of Ekiti State.  The Ireland chapter of our dear party felicitates with him and wishes him success as he steers the ship of the government in the fountain of knowledge state.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all security agencies should be commended for the professional manner in which the election was conducted. We want to reiterate our belief in our institutions to perform their roles diligently if given the necessary field to display.”

    The group declared its support for the second-term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that those opposed are doing so out of mischief and they are agents of looters who are angry that Mr President is repositioning the country for greater heights.

    The group called on all Nigerians to support the second term of Mr President for the good of all and the development of Nigeria.

  • I’ll probe Fayose’s administration, says Fayemi

    ekiti State governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said it will be irresponsible on his part not to probe the administration of the out-going Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Fayemi addressed State House correspondents yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

    According to him, his administration will examine what transpired in the last four years in Ekiti State, including the failure of the Fayose-led administration to pay workers’ salary.

    He said: “Well, I think we need to remove this election from personalities. This was an election that we fought on issues. And it will be irresponsible on my part to come here and say that we will not examine what transpired in the last four years in the manner of government.

    “What was received in Ekiti State and the expenditures in that period? Why were we not able to pay salary in the state?

    “These issues should be examined in the interest of good governance.

    “It is not about probing Fayose or probing Eleka or probing anybody. It is about not repeating the mistakes of the past and giving our people good governance. How to do so will also involve looking at what transpired in the last four years.”

    On the allegation of vote-buying during last Saturday’s governorship election, Fayemi said there was no evidence to justify such an allegation.

    He said: “I haven’t any substantive evidence of allegations of vote-buying and intimidation.

    “In the place where I voted, there was no vote-buying anywhere. As far as our party is concerned, we did not engage in that; it is not our style.

    “We won the election fair and square. It was an election that we fought on issues and not on the basis of any vote-buying. So, whoever has any evidence of that should present it to an independently verifiable audience.”

    Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of the state, was on Sunday declared winner of the election by Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the Chief Returning Officer for the poll.

    Olayinka, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), announced that Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to win the election and thereby defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who had 178,121 votes.

  • APC elders to Fayemi: give Ekiti people good governance

    •Afenifere greets governor-elect
    •Election observer group okays victory
    •Ekiti in Diaspora urges Fayemi to unite state

    The Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders’ Forum has urged Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi to use the mandate given to him at the poll to improve the lives of the people.

    The party elders said Fayemi’s second chance at the helm offers him a wonderful opportunity to restore Ekiti to the path of good governance and make a difference in the life of the people.

    In a statement by its Chairman, Chief George Akosile, and Secretary, Chief Abiodun Ajayi, the Ekiti APC Elders’ Forum also hailed INEC for conducting a free, fair and credible election.

    The forum praised the doggedness and determination of Fayemi and the deputy governor-elect, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, to succeed at the poll.

    It also expressed its gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole; National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; governors, ministers and other party stalwarts for their contributions to the victory.

    Also, the National Leader of Afenifere, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has congratulated Fayemi on his election victory.

    Fasanmi, in a joint statement with the Ekiti State Chairman of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural body, Elder Yemi Alade, issued by the Publicity Secretary, Chief Biodun Akin-Fasae, urged the governor-elect not to disappoint the electorate who elected him.

    He said: “Now that the people have decided which way to go, Ekiti should never allow themselves to be manipulated by deceit and from those whose backgrounds we cannot vouch for.”

    A local election observer group, Democracy Vanguard, has said last Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election was a better improvement over the previous ones conducted in the Fountain of Knowledge state.

    It congratulated the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the residents for ensuring a violence-free poll.

    In a statement yesterday by its State Coordinator, Yetunde Adeoluwa, the organisation hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free, fair, credible and conclusive election with an improvement over previous ones.

    Adeoluwa said: “The peaceful conduct of the INEC and security agencies during the July 14 governorship election shows that our democratic process is improving.

    “There was no record of ballot-snatching, rigging, violence or electoral malpractice, as it was experienced in 2007, while there was no security clampdown, compared to 2014. This is highly commendable.”

    Also, Ekiti indigenes in the United States of America (U.S.A) have congratulated the governor-elect, Dr Fayemi, on his victory in last Saturday’s election.

    Acting under the aegis of Ekiti Coalition for Change, the group urged the governor-elect to align with this biblical command and be fair to all Ekiti indigenes, regardless of their political leanings and beliefs.

    In a statement in Washington DC by its Coordinator, Mr Samuel Ayodele, the Ekiti indigenes saluted the INEC for conducting the election in a manner that aligned with global best practices.

     

  • Why we’ll probe Fayose – Fayemi

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi, on Thursday explained why his administration would look into the financial records of the outgoing Governor Ayo Fayose’s administration.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Fayemi also denied the accusation that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), was involved in vote buying during the July 14 governorship election in the state.

    According to him, the essence of looking into the financial records of the state was not targeted at the outgoing governor, but to find out why the government was unable to pay workers’ salaries.

    He said: “We are in the business of putting the government together. We are in the transition stage and we are beginning to look into the record of the state, its assets and liabilities. We expect the outgoing government to extend its hands of cooperation to us.

    “We will engage also all of our professionals to ensure that we deliver good governance to Ekiti people. That is what they voted for and that is what we intend to give. So, basically, these three months will be used for this purpose.

    “What sold us to the people were really the track records of our commitments to social investment, good government, transparency in government, extensive infrastructure and community involvement. These were the things.

    “Everywhere we went during the campaign, we were able to show what we did for each community. All of our 132 communities, there were projects in all of them and they knew that our government was regular in payment of salaries and support to the weak and vulnerable in the society. That was what really sold us.

    “We have always been interested in seeing that our people live a decent life, a life without hunger, with social support and that is why we were paying social security benefits to the elderly. We provided youth graduate scheme for the recent graduates and provided support for the communities.

    “For us, we never saw stomach infrastructure from any pedestrian manner that the current administration has lived it up to. For us, it is about total development of our people, human and capital development in education, health care, in social services and infrastructure development.”