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Tag: Fayose

  • Oni slams Fayose on tax imposed on pupils

    Oni slams Fayose on tax imposed on pupils

    •Deplores ‘waste’ of funds on helicopter

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni, has condemned the imposition of taxes on pupils in private and public schools in Ekiti State.

    Oni advised Governor Ayo Fayose against wasting scarce resources on hiring helicopter to fly around the country, saying the harsh economic realities do not support such “frivolities”.

    He warned Fayose against making “inflammatory” comments and face governance instead of launching verbal attacks against President Muhammadu Buhari, which are not sanctioned by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Speaking on a personality interview on Radio Nigeria Progress 100.5 FM, Ado-Ekiti, FOCUS, monitored by our reporter yesterday, Oni described the creation of the state on October 1, 1996 as a “gift from God” and wondered why the PDP-led administration is making life difficult for the people.

    The former governor urged Nigerians to be patient with Buhari as his administration continues to clear the mess left by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.

    Oni assured the people of better days ahead, despite the hardship and challenges they are going through under Fayose. He described the tax on school pupils as “sacrilegious”.

    He said: “It is sacrilegious to collect any money or tax from pupils and taxing private schools is not a good idea. What are we doing with it?

    “We were given this state as a free gift from God, something that the Ijebu are struggling to have despite their wealth. This is something the people of Oke Ogun are struggling to have.

    “It is not good for leaders to use this state to enrich themselves. When I was governor, we gave pupils in public schools scholarships and carried out school feeding programme. If you can’t reduce the burden on the masses, don’t add to it.

    “Helicopters are not cheap if you don’t have money for such frivolities. I only travelled by helicopter once and I paid for it from my private pocket and not from government coffers.

    “It was the time I went to collect my certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the governorship rerun election.”

     

  • Fayose’s detractors, enemies of democracy

    SIR: I wish to disabuse the mind of the general public of the erroneous and maligning comments being made about the governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. Every student of political history knows that there is no democracy where there is no opposition. It appears that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is bent on stifling the voice of the Ekiti governor, who, undoubtedly, is the remaining voice of opposition in the country.

    Since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the general election last year, even the vocal publicity secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, appears to have been cowed to silence. But Governor Fayose has remained undaunted in criticizing perceived anti-people policies of the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. There still are many PDP leaders whose voices should be heard as active opposition to the APC government. But lull is the word within the rank of the party leaders. I personally believe that Fayose has remained unbending in the face of harassment by federal government agencies, perhaps, because he has no skeleton in his cupboard.

    Moreover, despite his visible contribution to national politics, paucity of funds and federal government harassment, Fayose is doing a yeoman’s job in the state he was elected to govern. The dual-carriage way he constructed from Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to Ikere-Ekiti during his first stint as governor had been left by successive governments to deteriorate. Fayose is back on the site of the road now, reconstructing the road and even extending it further. He has completed the dualisation of the Awedele – Textile road with street lights. This is apart from a new road from Pathfinder area to Police headquarters. All these were done within his first one year in office.

    Fayose has demolished the old Erekesan (oja oba) market. Construction of an ultramodern market has since begun at the site. He recently flagged off the construction of a flyover starting from High Court to Okeyinmi area. All these are testimonies that despite his participation in national politics, governance in his state has not suffered neglect.

    It is evident that Fayose’s detractors are merely playing to the gallery. Theirs is not politics of objectivity and development. They seem at best to be federal government’s paid agents whose sole aim is to stifle the remaining voice of opposition. If they are not stopped immediately, Nigeria might be heading towards autocracy in a supposedly democratic environment.

     

    • Adeola Oloko,

     Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

  • Flyover: APC slams Fayose

    Flyover: APC slams Fayose

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for failing to pay workers’ salaries and building a N5.7billion flyover.

    The party said it was clear that the governor never loved the people as he claimed, judging by his alleged anti-people policies.

    The APC said Fayose’s preference for building an airport, market and flyover bridge contradicted his campaign slogan to “tar stomachs” before building physical infrastructure.

    It added that it was sheer opportunism and lack of integrity to deceive the people during campaigns with mouth-watering promises only to turn around to deny them such.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC said the policies embarked upon by the Fayose administration has impoverished workers, pensioners, traders and business owners.

    Olatunbosun regretted that the governor had been playing on the people’s intelligence since he assumed office.

    “We knew from the onset that the governor had no programme to lift Ekiti people out of poverty.

    “At best, his stomach infrastructure slogan was meant to dishonestly set the people, particularly workers, against the Kayode Fayemi administration, which embarked on massive infrastructure development.

    “As an anti-development politician, Fayose started promoting “stomach infrastructure” with the promise not to owe workers.

    “Now, the governor has turned full circle, telling workers that they should expect  their pay three times in a year.

    “Even though he criticised Fayemi for borrowing money for development purposes, Fayose has borrowed N10 billion to build a needless flyover while workers and pensioners are being owed between five and six months in arrears.

    “The money was in a fixed deposit account for some time but Fayose has not told Ekiti people how much interest has accrued on the money.

    “Fayose has not paid teachers, local government workers and state retirees their benefits, yet he sees nothing wrong in borrowing N10 billion to build a flyover to nowhere.

    “Even he knows that thepeople don’t need any flyover in that area.

    “We can only sympathise with workers, pensioners, traders and school pupils who are now paying taxes and urge them to keep praying for divine intervention,” he concluded.

  • Fayose’s misplaced priority

    SIR: The recent flag off of the construction of flyover in Ado Ekiti shows that Governor Ayodele Fayose is not a good leader and economist who should know how to prioritise the state’s needs.  The flyover project could be necessary but not at the expense of workers’ salaries.  Workers in Ekiti State have not been paid since the beginning of the year, and Governor Fayose is not feeling the pulse of the people. Instead he has decided to channel the fund that should be used to pay workers’ salaries to construct a flyover.

    The governor should as a matter of urgency pay the workers because he who has been beaten to death by hunger will not have the opportunity to use a flyover.

     

    • Taiwo Nelson ‘Toba

    Ojodu Berger, Lagos.

  • CNPP kicks as Fayose begins N5.7b flyover in Ado-Ekiti

    CNPP kicks as Fayose begins N5.7b flyover in Ado-Ekiti

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday performed the groundbreaking of a N5.7 billion flyover project in Ado-Ekiti expected to be completed in two years.

    The governor gave the assurance that the 1.2 kilometre project from Fajuyi Park to Ojumose will be completed on time and will not join the list of abandoned projects.

    But the state chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) condemned the execution of the project at a time government still owes workers about four months arrears of salaries and retirees five months arrears of pension.

    The body doubts the capacity of the government to complete the project as scheduled expressing fear that it may turn out to be another abandoned project.

    Speaking shortly before launching the flyover construction, Fayose described the project as a dream come true, saying the work would not be hindered by paucity of funds as being feared in some quarters.

    He said only N1 billion came to the state from the Federation Account for March while the wage bill still stands at N2.6 billion.

    Fayose promised to extend the dualisation of Ikere township road to the town’s roundabout while he would pursue the construction of an ultramodern State High Court complex before he leaves office in 2018.

    He disclosed that his administration has been executing various projects, including township roads in many parts of the state, promising to touch all parts of the state.

    Promising to abide by the court order stopping the airport project by paying the damages to the affected farmers and landowners, Fayose still promised “to do something” on the airport.

    He urged the people of Ado Ekiti “to go on excursion to various parts of the town” and continue to publicise the projects executed by his administration.

    But the CNPP after its monthly meeting yesterday described the flyover project as “ill-timed and misplacement of priority in a land afflicted by hunger, want and poverty”.

    The CNPP in a statement by the Chairman Tunji Ogunlola and Director of Publicity Ayo Adelabu said although the project was a good intention but the timing is wrong “as the state economy is at lowest ebb”.

  • Between Wike and Fayose

    Between Rivers’ Nyesom Wike and Ekiti’s Ayo Fayose, southern Nigeria risks two ticking retrogressive bombs, set to blow, into smithereens, their respective states.

    Incidentally, both rode to power via suspect mandates, nevertheless sanctioned by the highest court in the land.  Ironically too, both cases epitomise how the judiciary, the apogee of lawful civility, by commission or omission, haul the society right back into Stone Age outlawry, where brutes and savages hold sway.

    It’s a scary neo-Hobbesian state that the coming generation won’t find funny at all.

    From Fayose’s Ekitigate comes the rancid ooze of electoral rot, which high-powered conspirators in the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency cooked.  It was sheer executive banditry, involving the security forces, real and fake, that put the legal force of the state to the unfettered service of election criminals.  But even with the military arm of that conspiracy apprehended and punished, their civilian counterparts, led by Fayose himself, roam free and run amok with even more outlawry.

    When bandits are bivouacked in State House, they proclaim lawlessness as the new law.  And boy, has Ekiti trodden that chequered path!  From a governor-elect sacking the courts, mugging lawyers and judges and shredding court papers, with the collusion of the Police, Fayose has become the unfazed outlaw cynically manipulating the law; and is not unimpressed by his own legendary uncouthness and devil-may-care barbarism.

    Unfortunately, Ekiti, the famed land of professors, would be the ultimate loser.  As it happened, within one electoral mandate, Obafemi Awolowo vaulted his Western Region into progress and civilisation, that continues to be the envy of the rest of the country.  Ekiti, the pristine land of honour and integrity, was a prime and proud beneficiary.

    Well, Fayose with his infantile brinkmanship, uncouth noise and empty demagoguery is set to take Ekiti on a reverse gear.  Again, Ekiti Kete would be the prime — and proud? — losers.  Just as well, as almost everyone over there, elders and youth, men and women, appear too dazed, deaf and dumb!

    As for Wike and his Rivers, the scenario is no less scary.  Wike “won” a controversial governorship poll, in the run-up to which people were freely slaughtered.  After getting a judicial seal for that blood fest, he is also “winning” the legislative reruns: no less blood flowed, many were roasted, a few others beheaded and the majority scared from making any choice.

    Wike, the electoral warlord, is flush with victory; and looks even more foreboding, to the blood-cuddling cheer of his savage troops and even the people — a very good number, it would appear, from the vote tally so far.  Rivers appear well and truly proud of their descent into the Hobbes state of nature.

    But the question is: will that victory last or would it be pyrrhic?  That is in the belly of time.  Still,   history would record two Rivers consecutive governorships.

    One branded itself on futuristic model public schools, Port Harcourt, its capital, as World Book Capital and other indices of renaissance, enlightenment and development.  The other is branding itself the beheading capital of Africa, haven of bloodthirsty cultists and equal-opportunity criminals; and where supposed democratic elections are nothing but Hobson’s choices, pressed by free and heinous mass murder.

    The future of Ekiti and Rivers are well buried in the past — unless of course, someone, somewhere, woke up fast and rolled back this twin-tragedy before it is too late.

     

  • Fayose hails Buhari for admitting errors in governance

    Fayose hails Buhari for admitting errors in governance

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has praised President Muhammadu Buhari for “publicly admitting errors in some policies carried out by his administration since assumption of office”.

    He said the elections conducted in Kogi, Bayelsa and Rivers states in recent times have destroyed the “legacy of good elections” witnessed under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    In a statement yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose advised Buhari to go beyond apologising to Nigerians but take concrete steps towards addressing the problems confronting the nation.

    The governor also advised the President to stop globe trotting and stay more at home to address challenges facing Nigerians, saying “the country must be now given adequate supervision”.

    According to him, the President should to stop seeing himself as a sectional leader or the president of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but as the leader of all groups and people.

    The governor further advised Buhari to be wary of those he described as “some selfish persons in the APC who were bent on dropping his name to commit atrocities all in the name of politics.”

    Fayose said: “This is a moment of truth. I commend the president for being bold enough to apologise for his lapses. He has admitted and accepted that criticism is part of democracy. He can do whatever he likes, but it must be within the ambit of the law.

    “The President admitted that there is a sharp drop in electricity and that we are experiencing an agonising fuel scarcity in the country.

    “The President must not, however, stop at apologising. He cannot continue to apologise over everything, he must step up. A leader must think very well before making policy statements.

    “I call on him to do something about the lingering fuel scarcity. Many motorists now sleep at filling stations. Unfortunately, the Federal Government has told Nigerians not to expect solution soon.  The government should end the pains without delay and stop chasing perceived political enemies.

    “The President should also address job. He promised Nigerians jobs but the reverse is the case now.

    “They should also pay attention to security issues, rather than exerting energy on silencing opposition. Look at the Agatu issue. That place is a food basket for the country, we should not fold our arms,” he said.

  • Fayose a threat to national security, says APC

    Fayose a threat to national security, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has urged security agencies to place Governor Ayo Fayose under watch for allegedly conducting himself in a manner that threatens national security.

    The party said Fayose’s recent utterances and actions suggest acts of sabotage targeted at rendering national institutions ineffective.

    The APC said the alarm became necessary, following Fayose’s alleged death-wish for President Muhammadu Buhari and inciting the people against the Department of State Services (DSS) at a rally last Friday to welcome a lawmaker, Afolabi Akanni, from DSS custody.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC regretted that Fayose overlooked an Ekiti indigene, Ayodele Dada, who was the best graduating student at University of Lagos with a Gross Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 in favour of a person accused of sundry crimes against the law.

    Olatunbosun said besides inciting the people against the DSS at Akanni’s welcome rally, the governor also allegedly declared the DSS Director General, Lawal Daura, persona non grata in Ekiti State.

    He also allegedly threatened to bring down Buhari’s government if any attempt was made to investigate allegations of crimes levelled against him (Fayose).

    According to APC’s spokesman, Fayose’s “unguided statements” had exposed him as a man fighting a lone battle against the Federal Government.

    Olatunbosun said: “We have heard of reports of Governor Fayose inciting the people to stone DSS operatives anywhere they are seen. This is besides saying many unprintable things about the President.

    “It is regrettable that Fayose cannot separate his personal views as a man constantly at war with the law from the views of lawful Ekiti people.”

    Accusing the governor of running a government built on his personal image, the APC spokesman said this misconception had “robbed Ekiti people the quality leadership with the right mindset to see governance beyond the prism of self-glorification”.

    Olatunbosun added: “This failure to see governance beyond personal appeal is costing our state good governance.

    “That is why the governor is wasting state resources on helicopter charter to ferry an accused person from Abuja to Ekiti after which he took six pages of newspaper adverts to publish court records on the accused’s bail application and topped it with the donation of a new car to the same Akanni, who is still under investigation over several criminal cases.

    “Fayose has appointed himself national opposition leader just because he wants to help himself in his many criminal cases against the nation’s law. That is why he will never wish Nigeria well to have country where the law works.”

  • Freed Ekiti lawmaker arrives with Fayose in helicopter

    Freed Ekiti lawmaker arrives with Fayose in helicopter

    There was drama in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday when Governor Ayo Fayose arrived with the lawmaker representing Efon in the House of Assembly, Afolabi Akanni.

     Akanni was released by the Department of State Services (DSS) after 18 days in custody.

    The duo arrived in a helicopter with former Special Adviser on Revenue Matters, Ropo Ogunjobi, who was also grilled by DSS.

    The chopper touched down at Christ’s School at about 3.40pm.

    Government officials, party leaders and members had been mobilised to the venue as early as 9am.

    They were welcomed amidst singing, dancing, drumming and trumpeting, despite the searing heat.

    The place was turned to a political rally as Fayose used the opportunity to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Akanni said his travails had inspired him to be loyal to Fayose.

    He claimed that his detention was politically motivated and an attempt to get at the governor who he described as a “reliable leader”.

    The lawmaker said: “What manner of democracy are we practising? How can DSS invade a House of Assembly and arrest a lawmaker with intention to impeach a governor?

    “They even came without a warrant of arrest. Is this democracy?

    “Is it an offence to be loyal or committed to a governor? Fayose is our leader and I can’t betray him.

    “Ekiti people must stand behind him. Mr Governor, I am assuring you that I will always stand by you.”

    Ogunjobi said he was quizzed on the alleged laundering of N22 billion refund on federal roads, allegedly paid into Fayose’s accounts, which he described as “blatant falsehood”.

    He said: “They even said I helped Fayose to launder  N1.3 billion out of the N2.5 billion ecological fund released to the state.

    “I said all these were lies. I can’t lie against Mr Governor.”

    Fayose, who said he has won another battle against “federal forces” declared that the alleged attempt to unseat him won’t work like that of 2006.

    He describedAkanni as  a hero.

    The governor said: “President Buhari and former President Obasanjo are not democrats.

    “They have no respect for the constitution and the rule of law. But no matter what they do, we won’t succumb to intimidation.

    “Today, I am excited because we have won the battle again. They took Akanni to Abuja as a captive, but he is back  as a hero. Shame unto DSS. Shame unto our oppressors.

    “Our economy is bad. People are losing their jobs daily. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has no answer to this bad economic situation.

    “When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power, a dollar was N200, but today it is almost N400.

    “We thank God that we have a House of Assembly that refused to join forces with them. That was why I told them that they had engaged a wrong customer.

    “They should forget about impeachment, because this is not 2006.

    “President Buhari should face Nigeria’s financial problems.”

  • Court stops Fayose’s airport project

    Court stops Fayose’s airport project

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose’s dream of building an airport has suffered a setback as displaced land owners and plantation farmers have secured a major court victory.

    The judicial hammer fell on the airport project, which has generated controversies even before the foundation stone is laid.

    An Ado-Ekiti High Court yesterday ruled that the forcible takeover of the land for the project and the destruction of economic trees, crops and buildings were unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no effect.

    Justice Bamidele Omotoso ordered the payment of N5 million as general damages to the claimants for the loss they suffered for the damage of their crops and economic trees.

    The embattled farmers and land owners had sought N650 million as general damages in their motion on notice.

    The claimants are Faluyi Ayeni and eight others who sued for themselves and on behalf of land owners and farmers of Iwajo, Aso Ayegunle Farm Settlement on Ado-Ijan Road.

    The defendants are Fayose (first), Commissioner for Works (second), Commissioner for Lands and Housing (third) and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice (fourth).

    Justice Omotoso held that the purported revocation of the right of occupancy of the claimants to their land was unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void and of no effect.

    Another relief granted in their favour was a declaration that the forcible entry into their farmsteads by the defendants, their agents, servants, privies and assigns on October 2, last year, was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, inequitable and violation of their rights.

    The court further held that the forcible entry into theclaimants’ farmsteads on October 2, last year, and subsequent occasions to clear and remove their crops and buildings without proper enumeration while purportedly acting on Notice of Revocation dated September 18, last year, was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and ineffective.

    The court equally granted an order of injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants, privies, workmen, appointees, consultants from treating the rights of occupancy of the claimants as having been revoked by virtue of the Notice of Revocation captioned Land Use Act Nigeria dated September 18, last year.

    The defendants and their agents were also restrained from forcibly entering, trespassing, coercing, intimidating, harassing or in any other manner whatsoever from accessing the claimants’ farms and landed property.

    The court also granted an injunction sought by the claimants restraining the defendants from further removing, harvesting, clearing or otherwise damaging the economic crops, buildings and chattels on the land.