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Tag: Fayose

  • Fayose gives cars to aides over EFCC detention

    Fayose gives cars to aides over EFCC detention

    •Governor to sue anti-graft agency

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has fulfilled his promise to give new cars to the two officials of his administration who spent two weeks in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged diversion of over N680 million from the state’s share of bailout funds.

    The governor yesterday presented the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, and the Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi, with new Kia Rio cars after a thanksgiving service to mark the third anniversary of his administration.

    Fayose said he was honouring the two officials “for their loyalty to the state” in the face of a fresh onslaught by the anti-graft agency.

    The two government officials were arrested in Abuja on September 28 while attending the governor’s declaration to run for President in 2019.

    The governor also held a welcome party for Ojo and Owolabi last Thursday, which he declared as “half-work day,’ to allow civil servants attend the occasion.

    But majority of workers shunned the event.

    At yesterday’s event, Fayose said: “We have to reward you for enduring intimidation, mental and emotional torture and illegal incarceration for the sake of our state. The Constitution of Nigeria does not empower the EFCC to arrest state officials over alleged graft.

    “That function belongs to our House of Assembly. We will sue the EFCC to court for this illegality, pursue the case to a logical conclusion and get damages for this ill-treatment.

    “The Constitution of Nigeria is supreme and has over-riding influence over any government parastatal, such as EFCC.”

  • ‘Olusola will succeed Fayose’

    ‘Olusola will succeed Fayose’

    The Publicity Ssecretary of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jackson Adebayo, spoke with Correspondent ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Governor Ayodele Fayose’s presidential election and the endorsement of Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola for governor.

    Governor Fayose has just declared his intention to run for Presidency. How do you see this ?

    It is a thing of joy and we, I mean the PDP family, in Ekiti State support it 100 percent. First, Fayose is a leader and loyal member of our party and he has the right under the constitution of our party and that of Nigeria to do so. We are also happy that somebody from Ekiti State is taking a shot at the Presidency at this time and I think, we must all, irrespective of our party or religion differences support this project, because it is going to be to the benefit of all.

    And we are going to work for him. So, to us in PDP in Ekiti State. It is a welcome development.

    Recently, some stakeholders of your party endorsed Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola as “sole candidate” of the PDP for the 2018 governorship Election. Can you tell us what prompted such an action?

    As you know that the election that brought in this present PDP-led administration was conducted in 2014 and in less that ten months now another election would hold in Ekiti. Ordinarily, a year in being set aside by any politician to begin the process of prosecuting another election. So this is what informed the action of our party’s stakeholders. In their own wisdom, they decided to do,that now before the party begins to go into a lot of divisions. Leaders of like mind in PDP came together and said among all those jostling for governorship position, who would be sellable? And we discovered that the deputy governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola would fit in.To us as a party, we don’t see it as a crisis because the stakeholders that came together are all members of the PDP, we still have other members with different interests with other aspirants, they can also support their candidates of choice.The party is not angry with them, because we are still going for primary. It is at the primary that anyone who has the majority of votes of delegates would emerge the party’s flag bearer.

    But, you know that once the governor throws his weight behind an aspirant, he or she is likely to win the primary…

    Actually, in some cases, it doesn’t work like that whoever the governor supports would win the primary. It happened in recent elections and most of them did not win. To answer your question, the stakeholders talked to themselves. It is not the party that invited them and they inform the party about their plan and you know that we are also, part of them. I am aware that all the governorship aspirants have been called to a meeting by the governor and the matter was discussed there. At the meeting it was agreed that, if the governor is pursuing his case to complete his remaining seven months in office before his illegal impeachment, they are prepared to drop their ambition. Even the stakeholders meeting that we are talking about, everybody was invited, the governor was on air for two days inviting all members of our party. And that is why you saw some governorship aspirants at the meeting. For those who were not at the meeting, it is not that they were not invited but they refused to come.

    Are saying your party can manage this situation?

    Well, we still have a lot of time and space for reconciliation, understanding and education. The primary cannot be held earlier than next year January. So, we still have more time to appeal to the aggrieved members.

    But, one of the aggrieved contenders alleged that Governor Fayose was actually plotting to sell the PDP, with the adoption of his deputy. Do you agree with that ?

    That is his own opinion and it is just unfortunate that such is coming from a staunch member of our party. Because, I don’t  think anybody has the capacity to sell any party. Nobody can sell PDP in Ekiti. And Fayose is not planning to sell PDP anyway. Governor Fayose, as a member of PDP has the right to support any candidate of his choice, just like any other.

    How are you going to ensure that the governorship primary is free, fair and transparent?

    The primary is going be conducted by the National Secretariat, the state would only provide the delegates. There is no problem about that because the delegates would emerge from ward level and each ward knows who should be it delegates.

    Are you assuring us that your can manage this crisis?

    It is already being managed. Like I said earlier, it is not a crisis  per se, because nobody has left our party and nobody has said that he or she would leave the party. So,if there is anybody complaining now,it is normal.

    Don’t you think the PDP will suffer same fate as in Ondo State during the last Governorship Election, if aspirants take legal action against it?

    No: There is no legal action that can be taken now. Because, the primary has not been held. So what is going to be the basis of the action?

  • Ekiti 2018: Aspirant promises to surpass Fayose’s achievements

    Ekiti 2018: Aspirant promises to surpass Fayose’s achievements

    Mr Atoye Ariyo-Dare, a PDP Governorship Aspirant in  2018 election in Ekiti State, has promised to surpass the achievements of Gov. Ayo Fayose if voted into office.

    Ariyo-Dare made the promise on Thursday in Ikole-Ekiti through a statement signed by Mr Gbenga Obisesan, his Director of Youth Mobilisation.

    “Our humble team is offering the people of our dear state a new social contract that will bring about massive human and capital as well as research development in hi-tech farming to spark agricultural revolution as never seen in the history of Ekiti in particular and Nigeria in general.

    “We are going to apply wisdom to leadership, search out the best of Ekiti from the fringes of our states in all over Nigeria in order to create wealth for the electorate,” he said.

    Ariyo-Dare congratulated the governor on his third year anniversary in office.

    “We felicitate with the people of Ekiti and Fayose on the occasion of the third anniversary of his administration.

    “We also reckon with the achievements so far made in education and infrastructure and we wish him a successful completion of tenure,” he said.

    The current administration of Gov. Ayo Fayose was inaugurated on Oct.16, 2014.

    NAN

  • ‘Olusola will succeed Fayose’

    ‘Olusola will succeed Fayose’

    The Publicity Ssecretary of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jackson Adebayo, spoke with Correspondent ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Governor Ayodele Fayose’s presidential election and the endorsement of Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola for governor.

    Governor Fayose has just declared his intention to run for Presidency. How do you see this ?

    It is a thing of joy and we, I mean the PDP family, in Ekiti State support it 100 percent. First, Fayose is a leader and loyal member of our party and he has the right under the constitution of our party and that of Nigeria to do so. We are also happy that somebody from Ekiti State is taking a shot at the Presidency at this time and I think, we must all, irrespective of our party or religion differences support this project, because it is going to be to the benefit of all.

    And we are going to work for him. So, to us in PDP in Ekiti State. It is a welcome development.

    Recently, some stakeholders of your party endorsed Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola as “sole candidate” of the PDP for the 2018 governorship Election. Can you tell us what prompted such an action?

    As you know that the election that brought in this present PDP-led administration was conducted in 2014 and in less that ten months now another election would hold in Ekiti. Ordinarily, a year in being set aside by any politician to begin the process of prosecuting another election. So this is what informed the action of our party’s stakeholders. In their own wisdom, they decided to do,that now before the party begins to go into a lot of divisions. Leaders of like mind in PDP came together and said among all those jostling for governorship position, who would be sellable? And we discovered that the deputy governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola would fit in.To us as a party, we don’t see it as a crisis because the stakeholders that came together are all members of the PDP, we still have other members with different interests with other aspirants, they can also support their candidates of choice.The party is not angry with them, because we are still going for primary. It is at the primary that anyone who has the majority of votes of delegates would emerge the party’s flag bearer.

    But, you know that once the governor throws his weight behind an aspirant, he or she is likely to win the primary…

    Actually, in some cases, it doesn’t work like that whoever the governor supports would win the primary. It happened in recent elections and most of them did not win. To answer your question, the stakeholders talked to themselves. It is not the party that invited them and they inform the party about their plan and you know that we are also, part of them. I am aware that all the governorship aspirants have been called to a meeting by the governor and the matter was discussed there. At the meeting it was agreed that, if the governor is pursuing his case to complete his remaining seven months in office before his illegal impeachment, they are prepared to drop their ambition. Even the stakeholders meeting that we are talking about, everybody was invited, the governor was on air for two days inviting all members of our party. And that is why you saw some governorship aspirants at the meeting. For those who were not at the meeting, it is not that they were not invited but they refused to come.

    Are saying your party can manage this situation?

    Well, we still have a lot of time and space for reconciliation, understanding and education. The primary cannot be held earlier than next year January. So, we still have more time to appeal to the aggrieved members.

    But, one of the aggrieved contenders alleged that Governor Fayose was actually plotting to sell the PDP, with the adoption of his deputy. Do you agree with that ?

    That is his own opinion and it is just unfortunate that such is coming from a staunch member of our party. Because, I don’t  think anybody has the capacity to sell any party. Nobody can sell PDP in Ekiti. And Fayose is not planning to sell PDP anyway. Governor Fayose, as a member of PDP has the right to support any candidate of his choice, just like any other.

    How are you going to ensure that the governorship primary is free, fair and transparent?

    The primary is going be conducted by the National Secretariat, the state would only provide the delegates. There is no problem about that because the delegates would emerge from ward level and each ward knows who should be it delegates.

    Are you assuring us that your can manage this crisis?

    It is already being managed. Like I said earlier, it is not a crisis  per se, because nobody has left our party and nobody has said that he or she would leave the party. So,if there is anybody complaining now,it is normal.

    Don’t you think the PDP will suffer same fate as in Ondo State during the last Governorship Election, if aspirants take legal action against it?

    No: There is no legal action that can be taken now. Because, the primary has not been held. So what is going to be the basis of the action?

  • Fayemi treated us better than Fayose, say workers

    Fayemi treated us better than Fayose, say workers

    Civil servants in Ekiti State have said they enjoyed a better welfare package and standard of living under former Governor Kayode Fayemi than incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose is giving them.

    The workers, under the aegis of the Enlightened Workers Forum (EWF), slammed labour leaders for being in “unholy alliance” with Fayose.

    They said this had denied them their rights and made them poorer.

    EWF Coordinator Mike Bamidele, who spoke yesterday on a Yoruba current affairs programme, Isejoba Rere, on Radio Nigeria’s Progress 100.5 FM, said workers enjoyed salary increment four times during the four-year administration of Fayemi.

    Bamidele said the former governor approved Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Workers Salary Scale (CONHESS), relativity salary increase from N9,250 to N13,000 across board and Federal Government approved National Minimum Wage in which the least paid worker in Ekiti got N19,300.

    He credited Fayemi with increment of pension of permanent secretaries, who retired in 1999 before the minimum wage and relativity, to N200,000, in line with economic realities.

    According to him, it is ironic that the same workers are owed salary arrears of between six to nine months, with the organised labour unable to fight for their welfare.

    Bamidele expressed dismay that the state failed to defray arrears owed its workers, despite various financial lifelines received from the Federal Government, including bailout funds, Paris Club refund and Budget Support Fund.

    He said: “Many families now eat once a day, owing to non-payment of salaries. In fact, a Level 12 officer committed suicide because of frustration arising from non-payment of salaries. This has not happened in the history of our state.

  • Arrest of Fayose’s aides shouldn’t cause salary delay, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has said the arrest of the Commissioner of Finance, Toyin Ojo and Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not the cause of the delay in the payment of workers’ salaries.

    The party described the claim by the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, as “another conspiratorial role that some labour leaders have been playing to sabotage the interest of their members”.

    In a statement yesterday, Ekiti State APC’s Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatunbosun expressed regrets that Labour had failed to protect the interests of workers but was ready to defend Governor Ayo Fayose’s alleged failure to pay their entitlements.

    Olatunbosun said: “It is common knowledge that a section of the Labour movement has compromised their office in the protection of workers’ interest. But Fayose should not hide under the arrest of the Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojo and the Accountant General, Yemisi Owolabi, for non-payment of salary.

    “Ojo is not a signatory to any salary account; there are two other alternate signatories who include the Director of Funds Management.

    “Ekiti people and workers in particular should also note that when the Accountant General was on leave for about three weeks recently, the financial transactions of the state were going on unhindered.

    “Therefore, contrary to TUC’s claim, there is no reason the arrest of the two state officials should be an excuse for non-payment of salaries by the governor, which of course, he has not been paying before their arrest.

    “Fayose has received several billions of naira in the form of bailout and Paris Club refund but has refused to pay workers’ salaries for five months: local government workers for eight months’ and pensioners’ 13 months’ allowance arrears. These include his refusal to pay the severance package of former political office holders after the funds for these purposes were captured in tranches of bailout and Paris Club refund.”

  • Fayose’s policies making Ekiti poorer, says Oni

    Fayose’s policies making Ekiti poorer, says Oni

    Former Ekiti State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Chief Segun Oni, has promised to raise millionaires among the youths through economic empowerment schemes.

    Oni, who is also the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), faulted the “stomach infrastructure” policy of Governor Ayo Fayose which, he said.

    He disclosed that his campaign organisation with support from some corporate organisations will soon send some Ekiti youths to Brazil for intensive training in academics and entrepreneurship under The Youths Progressives (TYP) initiative.

    Oni who disclosed this at a news conference in his hometown, Ifaki-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area where he unfolded a New Social and Economic Order blueprint he hopes to implement if he wins his party’s primary and the July 14, 2018 governorship election.

    He explained that his administration would engage between 10,000 and 20,000 youths in buying, selling and marketing of goods and services to make a minimum of N1 million profit per year.

    Oni said his government will empower the youths to invest in plantation agriculture, rice growing, animal rearing, fishery, poultry, information technology, hospitality and tourism, auto engineering, among others.

    When asked how he would break the cycle of stomach infrastructure and queuing in the sun to collect food and money from politicians, Oni said such a scenario does not dignify Ekiti people and he will end it on assumption of power.

    Oni said: “Who likes to beg? Nobody. If there is an alternative, nobody likes to beg. We are going to create alternatives that will be attractive to people.

    “If you know that within a year, you can make a million, you will prefer not to stand on the road and raising your hands to say “baba ke.” Because you know that one month, second month, you will be counting and seeing it grow”.

     

  • Ex-envoy Bejide to PDP leaders: call Fayose to order

    A former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Dare Bejide, has urged the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to caution Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose ahead of the 2018 governorship election in the state.

    Bejide recalled that the governor shifted the primaries to select the chairmanship and councillorship candidates for the local

    government elections to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti.

    He said this generated a lot of furore, which may cripple the party, unless PDP’s national leadership intervened.

    The PDP chieftain and governorship aspirant expressed fear that the outcry and disquiet within the party on how Fayose pegged the councillorship age to 30 years and 50 for chairmanship, may reduce the party’s acceptability and lead to its loss of the governorship election.

    The local government election is slated for December 23.

    In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, Bejide urged the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the party to correct Fayose’s alleged “illegality” before the party is further divided.

    Bejide said the PDP constitution and the Electoral Act are unambiguous about where the primaries should be conducted and specified age limits for electoral contests.

    The former envoy said Fayose cannot afford to subjugate and suppress the party’s constitution to achieve his primordial interest under this circumstance.

    Bejide said: “Most worrisome is the fact that this was coming barely one month after Governor Fayose illegally assembled some party stakeholders and came up with the devilish adoption of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as the sole candidate for 2018 governorship election.

    “I believe the governor was primarily elected to protect the constitution. But Fayose’s case is different. How can a governor usurp the powers of the State Working Committee (SWC) by personally conducting primaries expected to be conducted by SWC? This is illegal, null and void.”

  • Lawyer to Fayose: stop attacking Falana

    Lawyer to Fayose: stop attacking Falana

    Human rights lawyer and National Coordinator of Ekiti Redemption Group (ERG), Mr. Morakinyo Ogele, has warned Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose against attacking Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN).

    Speaking with The Nation in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Ogele noted that Falana is “an eminent son of Ekiti who should not be pilloried by the governor of his home state but should be celebrated and appreciated for entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria”.

    The ERG coordinator was reacting to a comment the governor made last Thursday while appearing on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where Fayose accused Falana of being among those behind the latest Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) investigation of his administration.

    Fayose said Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was aggrieved by his 2003 governorship election loss when he was candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) and lost to him (Fayose), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

    Ogele advised the governor to tell EFCC investigators how the bailout funds given to his administration to pay workers and pensioners were spent, rather than blame Falana for his tarvail.

    He said: “Falana’s personality and integrity cannot be called to question by anybody. He is one of those who fought for democracy being enjoyed by people like Fayose, who was nowhere when people like Falana were in the trenches.

    “Falana has not been accused of looting Ekiti or being a security risk. Fayose cannot compare himself with Falana because he (Falana) has been fighting for democracy, which earned him detention alongside the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.’’

    “Falana cannot be aggrieved because of the 2003 election; the only thing Falana is craving for is that Ekiti should be ruled within the purview of our constitution. So, Fayose should stop insulting Falana.

    “Falana has earned himself various prominent awards in Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world, for his persistent fight for the freedom of Nigerians, respect for human rights and good governance.

    “What Falana is saying is that Fayose should pay salaries and entitlements of workers and should account for all the funds received from the Federal Government on behalf of Ekiti people.”

     

  • 2019 poll: Fayose, others’ campaign illegal – INEC

    2019 poll: Fayose, others’ campaign illegal – INEC

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has warned politicians and political parties to stop campaign ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    He said the ban on campaign was still on and until it is lifted, it is illegal for any party or politician to commence campaign.

    Yakubu said INEC has also reached understanding with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute more corrupt staff in 21 states who were involved in the 2015 poll bribery scam.

    He said the EFCC was currently prosecuting 205 interdicted staff of the Commission from16 states.

    On the recall of Senator Dino Melaye, the INEC chairman said the agency would proceed courageously with the process.

    Yakubu, who spoke at the quarterly Consultative Meeting with the media in Abuja, described such campaign contravention as illegal.

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had last Thursday declared his intention to vie for the presidency in 2019, contrary to Section 99 of the Electoral Act 201 (as amended).

    The section says:  “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day.”

    But the INEC chairman warned politicians and political parties against jumping the gun.

    He said:  “We want to draw the attention of political parties and candidates that are already going round the country campaigning for 2019 that INEC, the only agency responsible for the release of timetable and schedule of activities, hasn’t done so.

    “And anything that anybody does is illegal under the law. We should wait for the timetable for the campaign.

    “The release of timetable does not mean the commencement of campaign.”

    Yakubu also revealed that the Commission was doing everything humanly possible to ensure that the 2019 elections are credible, including complete overhaul of the personnel.

    He stressed that INEC under his watch was prepared to rid the Commission of corrupt elements.

    He added: “Whatever we have to do, we will do. Even if it means going back to before 2015, getting rid of everybody and the Commission starting afresh for the purpose of 2019.”

    “I want to say this, that this is the first Commission in the history of our elections that, in one fell swoop, disciplined 205 staff based on interim report from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) covering 16 states. Going by the condition of service, INEC is empowered to interdict them. It means that they are placed on half salary and suspended from work until their innocence or guilt is established. The report covered 16 states.

    “Only last week or so I learnt the EFCC has started prosecuting the staff. So this process is ongoing.”