The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Governor Ayo Fayose

  • New Paris Club refund: Workers, pensioners hopeful

    New Paris Club refund: Workers, pensioners hopeful

    States have received another tranche of the Paris Club refund, it was learnt yesterday.

    Ekiti, which got N9.5 billion in the first tranche, has received another N4.772 billion; Abia got N5.715 billion. The state received N11.4 billion in the first tranche. Governor Ayo Fayose’s Media Adviser Lere Olayinka confirmed Ekiti’s receipt of the second tranche. Commissioner for Finance Obinna Oriaku confirmed that of Abia.

    But the total amount paid out by the Ministry of Finance could not be confirmed last night. Top officials of the ministry said they were waiting for clearance from Minister of Finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun before giving out that information.

    President Muhammadu Buhari initiated the refund to enable states to meet their financial obligations, especially to workers and pensioners.

    In the first tranche, a total of N516 billion was released to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Ministry of Finance spokesman, Salisu Dambatta, in a statement after the release of the cash, said:  “The debt service deductions are in respect of the Paris Club, London Club and Multilateral debts of the Federal Government and states.

    “While Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in October 2005, some states had already been overcharged.

    “The funds were released to state governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.

    “The releases were conditional upon a minimum of 50 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions.

    Oriaku said what Abia got was lower than the N11 billion to N12 billion it was expecting. He added, however, that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had directed that despite “the shortfall, the funds should be committed wholly to salary arrears”.

    He said the state could no longer meet up with its promise to clear all arrears of wages at the end of this month because of the reduction in its entitlement.

    The shortfall, the commissioner said, would impact on the government’s plan to clear outstanding salary arrears as promised by the governor.

    Oriaku said labour leaders were informed of the development at a meeting yesterday, adding: “Despite the shortfall, Governor Ikpeazu has instructed that the funds be committed wholly to salary arrears”.

    He said the committee of government officials and labour leaders that shared the first tranche would also share the second tranche, adding that areas that needed more attention would be given priority.

    According to him, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) workers were owed one month salary. Some agencies’ workers are owed much more, he added.

    State NLC Chairman Uchenna Obigwe expressed concern over the development saying workers and pensioners were full of expectations.

    Obigwe said they learnt from their colleagues in other states that the state that got the highest amount got N6 billion.

     

  • Witness to Court: Fayose distributed money after 2014 court attack

    Witness to Court: Fayose distributed money after 2014 court attack

    A witness, Akin Apanisile, on Friday revealed how Governor Ayo Fayose distributed money to his loyalists on September 25, 2014 after the State High Complex was attacked in a bid to prevent the hearing of his election eligibility case.

    He made the revelation while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Ahmed Tafa, before the presiding judge, Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye.

    Apanisile testified as Prosecution Witness 5 (PW 5) in the murder case instituted by the state government against seven persons accused of complicity in the murder of former state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Omolafe Aderiye.

    The defendants in the case are Adebayo Aderiye a.k.a. Ojugo (1st) Adeniyi Adedipe a.k.a. Apase (2nd), Sola Durodola (3rd), Kayode Ajayi (4th), Oso Farotimi a.ka. Oso Polo (5th), Sola Adenijo a.k.a. Solar (6th) and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu a.k.a. Mentilo (7th).

    Aderiye, a loyalist of Fayose, was murdered on the same day (September 25, 2014), some hours after people suspected to be political thugs attacked the court, beat up a judge, Justice John Adeyeye.

    Apanisile (22) told the court that Fayose (who was then governor-elect) gave money to those who followed him to the court on the day of the incident at Spotless Hotel owned by him (Fayose).

    The witness revealed that Fayose handed the money to the late Omolafe to distribute to the boys who followed him to the court on that fateful day.

    Apanisile claimed that the late ex-NURTW boss did not give money to the followers of the 1st accused person (Ojugo), who was the Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) at the time which, he said caused a rift among the duo.

    The witness said: “We went to Spotless Hotel and at the hotel, Fayose gave the late Omolafe money to distribute to those who went to the court but Omolafe did not give the boys of Ojugo money and Ojugo was angry and said he (Omolafe) did not owe him (Ojugo) more than seven
    bullets.”

    Under cross-examination from counsel to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, Mr. Biodun Fasakin, Apanisile said: “We followed Fayose to the court on September 25, 2014 and on that day, I rode on my bike. There was a big crowd of people cheering Fayose on that day.”

    Under cross-examination from counsel to 5th and 7th defendants, Mr. Lekan Olatawura, Apanisile admitted that he was among who wielded canes on the day of the attck on court. Apanisile added that none of the accused persons in the dock shot Aderiye on the day he was killed.
    Apanisile had earlier told the court that the late Omolafe adopted him after he lost  his parents claiming that his father died in 2008 while his mother died in 2015 but had earlier told the court that he met Omolafe in 2014.

    He had earlier told the court that the 6th defendant (Adenijo), alongside other defendants stormed the late Omolafe’s private park a white Hilux van on the day the deceased was killed in 2014 but in another breath said he knew Adenijo in 2015.

    Under cross-examination from counsel to the 6th defendant, Chief Anthony Adeniyi, Apanisile was given a sheet of paper to append his signature with his signature tendered and admitted as Exhibit 19.

    The witness’ statement volunteered to the Police was earlier tendered by the prosecution counsel and was admitted and marked Exhibit 18.

    While adjourning the case to next Wednesday, July 19, Justice Ogunmoye stressed that the prosecution should be ready to close its case on the next adjourned date for the defendants to open their defence.

  • Ex-Council Officials to Fayose: Obey Supreme Court, pay our allowances

    Ex-Council Officials to Fayose: Obey Supreme Court, pay our allowances

    Local government officials in Ekiti State who served between 2008 and 2010 on Tuesday took to the streets to protest alleged refusal of Governor Ayo Fayose to obey the Supreme Court order that they be paid the allowances covering the remainder of their tenure.

    The former local government chairmen and councillors who were elected on December 20, 2008, alongside the supervisors and advisers were removed from office on 29th October, 2010 by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    The placard-carrying protesters started their demonstration at the gate of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti before moving to other parts of the town. They expressed dismay that since the Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 9 last year, nothing has been done to pay them
    as ordered.

    Some of their placards read: “Ekiti Government Should Respect the Rule of Law,” “Gov Fayose, Pay Our Money,” “No Individual is Bigger than Supreme Court,” “Mr Governor, Stop Dragging Judiciary Judiciary in the Mud,” “ALGON 2008-2010 Challenge Gov Fayose To Pay Our Allowances as Ordered by Supreme Court,” among others.

    One of the protesters, Babalola Adekunle, who served as Special Adviser on Internally Genrated revenue in Oye Local Government, wondered why Fayose is allegedly punishing fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members by refusing to pay them their salaries, allowances
    and emoluments.

    Babalola who disclosed that they resorted to the protest having waited for seven months without any action from the government said some of their colleagues had died while others are finding it difficult to meet up with their responsibilities.

    He said: “We don’t know why Fayose is delaying the payment of our financial entitlements as ordered by the Supreme Court. We are PDP members like Fayose, he should pay us from the N9.6 billion Paris Club Refund cash.”

    Another protester, Clement Omotoyinbo, who served as Councillor in Gbonyin Local Government, advised Fayose to stop what he called “frivolous projects” and pay the former council officials their entitlements as ordered by the apex court.

    Omotoyinbo said: “Fayose should stop these frivolous projects he is executing and pay us our entitlements. It is only a living person that can climb and ride a vehicle on the flyover he is constructing.”

  • Suspended Ekiti Legislator Shuns PDP disciplinary panel

    Suspended Ekiti Legislator Shuns PDP disciplinary panel

    Suspended member of Ekiti State House of Assembly Gboyega Aribisogan on Thursday shunned the panel raised by the factional People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to investigate him for alleged anti-party activities and disloyalty to Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The five-man panel chaired by Commissioner for Commerce and Industries Michael Ayodele waited for over three hours at the factional secretariat in Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti without Aribisogan showing up.

    Aribisogan was accused of holding meeting in Lagos with the Senator representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, Prince Buruji Kashamu, and other perceived enemies of Fayose.

    Ayodele said: “Sadly, Honourable Aribisogan didn’t show up. We waited for him for hours but he decided not to honour our invitation.

    “However, we are writing our report which will be submitted by next week Wednesday to the State Working Committee, because we were given seven days to complete the trial.

    “We are going to rely on the paper submitted by the PDP ward and local government chairmen in Ijesa Isu Ekiti and Ikole local government respectively as regards his conduct over the allegation.”

  • Marketers condemn Fayose’s threat to demolish more filling stations

    Marketers condemn Fayose’s threat to demolish more filling stations

    Petrol marketers in Ekiti State have condemned a threat by Governor Ayo Fayose to demolish more petrol stations in the wake of withdrawal of fuel supply by national secretariats of Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

    Spokesman of the state chapter of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ademola Ajayi, said the alleged mobilization of thugs to attack some filling stations in Ado-Ekiti last week was a bad signal to investors wishing to do business in the state.

    Ajayi who spoke in an interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM monitored in Ado-Ekiti accused Fayose of ruining businesses with what he called “draconian policies” saying the threat to demolish more filling stations would complicate the crisis on ground.

    The fuel scarcity which was sparked by Fayose’s face-off with local marketers and national unions of associations in the downstream sector has reached the third week.

    He said the threat allegedly issued by Fayose while appearing on a programme on the Africa Independent Television (AIT) was an indication that he (Fayose) has declared war on the marketers and wanted the crisis to drag.

    Ajayi disclosed that Fayose filed a court action against the unions shortly after holding a peace meeting with them wondering why the governor would take them to court after inviting them to a meeting.

    The IPMAN official revealed that  Fayose imposed a levy of N10,000 on each filling station for a training on how to handle emergencies saying: “since we paid N10,000 per station, no training has been held and we have about N3,000 petrol stations and the money has not been refunded.”

    Ajayi said: “The governor went to Abuja and filed a suit in the court against us and other bodies he invited to a peace meeting. He was the one that called them and he was the one that sued them. They were shocked that he could take them to court and they said they won’t allow their trucks to go to Ekiti because they could be set on fire.

    “We are in the process of resolving the crisis, is the court the next place to go? The governor fights everybody; fights pepper sellers, fights palm oil sellers, fights private school owners and tipper owners. Must you fight everybody?

    “Are we supposed to be friends or enemies? If the governor has conscience, his conscience will be telling him that what he did was wrong. Part of the problem is that the governor is demanding payment of other fees.

    “Our business partners said they can’t risk their lives of their drivers to come to Ekiti because of the attitude of the governor. It was the governor that unleashed thugs on our filling stations and he had said this a day earlier when he appeared on a radio programme.

    “He said that some thugs wanted to come out and the thugs came out the following day and there was nothing the Police and DSS could do. We learnt that the thugs who did the job were given N1, 000 each while others were given N5, 000.

    “The matter on ground is beyond us, let the governor listen to our national unions in Abuja and withdraw the case from the court. What sort of despotic behaviour is that threatening to demolish more filling stations?

    “For you to bring a bulldozer to my station and say you want to demolish it? Do you want to render many people jobless, turn them to okada riders and thugs to be given N1, 000 each?

    “We want the people of Ekiti State and other Nigerians to beg the governor. He should create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and not to destroy people’s businesses. People should appeal to him to stop what he is doing because he is the first person to be elected governor in our state. In a related development, the National Chairman of PTD, Otunba Saliman Oladiti, said the crisis could be resolved if Fayose is sincere to dialogue with all stakeholders involved.”

    Oladiti who spoke in a phone-in programme on Radio Nigeria Progress 100.5 FM monitored by our reporter said it was wrong for Fayose to order the marketers to relocate their stations after government have them valid approvals.

    He said: “Unless the government has a sincere dialogue with the unions, there would not be timely resolution of the fuel crisis in Ekiti. The owners of the stations being asked to relocate has C of Os and other papers.”

    Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ekiti State Petroleum Task Force, Elder Adeyemi Adebayo, alleged that the marketers are colluding with outside forces to unleash hardship on Ekiti people saying the governor is
    resolved to sanitize the system once and for all.

    Adebayo said: “When I spoke to the chairman of the tanker drivers in Ekiti, he explained that the directive to prevent petroleum tankers from coming to the state was from the national body of the oil marketers.

    “My advice to the oil marketers is to heed to the directive given by the governor and start to sell the fuel, because the governor is the overall head in Ekiti. He takes the final decision on any issues about the state and his decision overrides anyone outside the state.

    “I also want to advise the national body of oil marketers in Nigeria who have been said to be the brain behind the fuel crisis in Ekiti, to urgently release all the petrol tankers which they withdrew, so that they don’t make the people of Ekiti to suffer.”

  • Ekiti fuel crisis: Elders seek extension of Fayose’s ultimatum

    Ekiti fuel crisis: Elders seek extension of Fayose’s ultimatum

    The Ekiti Council of Elders has called for the extension of the ultimatum issued by Governor Ayo Fayose to oil marketers to allow for intervention in the two-week faceoff.

    The council at its emergency meeting on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti expressed concern with the development which they described as “worrisome.”

    In a statement issued at the end of the meeting signed by the council’s Chairman, Prof. Joseph Oluwasanmi and General Secretary, Niyi Ajibulu appealed to marketers to commence sales of the commodity to the public.

    The statement reads: “The Ekiti Council of Elders at an emergency meeting today, Thursday, 25th May, 2017 noted with concern the worrisome development in the fuel crisis in Ekiti State.

    “The Council equally noted the ultimatum for the reopening of the fuel stations and the stand of the operators. We appeal for calm from all stakeholders, the government, the petroleum dealers, the drivers and the governor for the extension of the ultimatum in order to give the Council the opportunity to intervene towards an equitable settlement of the impasse.

    “The Council is fervently appealing to the marketers to commence sales of the product in the wide interest of the public which they normally serve.”

  • Progressive youths condemn Fayose’s alleged ‘Anti-People’ Policies’

    Progressive youths condemn Fayose’s alleged ‘Anti-People’ Policies’

    Youths in the progressive’s bloc under the aegis of Southwest Youths and Peoples Movement (SWYPM) Friday staged a protest in Ado-Ekiti against what they called “anti-people policies” of Governor Ayo
    Fayose.

    They described some of the policies of the Fayose administration as “retrogressive and inhuman which has inflicted hardship on the people of Ekiti.

    Carrying placards with various inscriptions, they marched through the streets in Ajilosun area of Ekiti State capital chanting solidarity songs. They said the cancellation of some populist policies of former
    Governor Kayode Fayemi by Fayose has brought untold suffering on the people.

    SWYPM National Coordinator, Taiwo Ajayi, said some of the policies of the Fayose government which has allegedly set Ekiti back include the scrapping of N5,000 social security allowances for 25,000 elderly
    people which he said has caused the death of over 2,946 beneficiaries.

    Ajayi also condemned the cancellation of 19 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), scrapping of Ekiti State Peace Corps, reduction of Ministries from 24 to 14, sacking of over 900 street sweepers employed
    by Fayemi, sacking of over 200 House of Assembly staff, denial of leave bonus to civil servants and non-payment of workers’ salaries despite receipt of federal allocations and other funds.

    The SWYPM boss criticized the execution of what he called money wasting ventures and projects by Fayose noting that the aborted airport project claimed the life of a plantation farmer whose land was
    taken over and his crops destroyed without prior negotiation or compensation.

    Expressing dismay with “massive hunger in Ekiti”, Ajayi claimed that Fayose’s stomach infrastructure policy has not brought relief to the people as “the random distribution of 5 kg bags of rice and two-week
    old layer chickens” cannot be compared with wealth or job creation programmes that can bring food to the table.

    The youths at a meeting before the street protest resolved to commence early mobilization of Ekiti youths and other stakeholders to ensure that a progressive government that will return Ekiti back to the good old days return.

    They also called on the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the National Assembly, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Police and other relevant agencies to intervene in the alleged victimization of innocent youths especially those who are active members of the defunct Buhari Campaign Organization in Ekiti.

    When contacted for his reaction to allegations of Southwest Youths and Peoples Progressive Movement during their protest, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, promised to react later.

    Adelusi simply said: “We will react tomorrow “.

  • Police arraign Fayose’s Commissioner for ‘Stealing’

    Police arraign Fayose’s Commissioner for ‘Stealing’

    The Police on Wednesday arraigned an aide to Governor Ayo Fayose, Dare Omotoso, for allegedly stealing granite worth N5 million.

    Omotoso, who is Commissioner 2 in the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), was docked at an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

    The 64-year-old commissioner pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him by the court clerk.

    The charge sheet reads: “That you, Dare Omotoso, sometimes in the month of August 2016 and September 2016 did steal granites and stone dust valued about Five Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira (5,140,800:00) property of Primadet&Co.Ltd thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 390(9) of Criminal Code Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State 2012.”

    Police Prosecutor, Inspector Caleb Leramo, told the court that he has lined up five witnesses to give evidence against the accused person including the complainant.

    He, however, applied for an adjournment to study the case file and documents relevant to the case.

    Defence counsel, O.B. Farounbi, pleaded for bail for his client in accordance with Section 15 of Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2013.

    Farounbi urged the court to grant the commissioner bail on liberal terms promising the court that the accused would always make himself available for trial whenever the matter is called.

    The lawyer described his client as “a well-respected person in the society who is serving as a commissioner in the state.”

    Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye granted Omotoso bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties with verifiable addresses in like sum.

    One of the two sureties, according to the magistrate, must be a senior civil servant.

    He subsequently adjourned the case to June 9 for hearing.

     

  • I’m not in Ekiti to fight Fayose – New Ekiti CP

    I’m not in Ekiti to fight Fayose – New Ekiti CP

    A new Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Chafe, has assumed headship of Ekiti State Police Command dismissing insinuations that he was deployed to destabilize the administration of Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Addressing his maiden press conference at the command headquarters in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Chafe who was transferred from neighboring Kogi State he is in his new duty post to fight crime and make the state safe for investment.

    Chafe also denied being posted to Ekiti State to rig the 2018 governorship election in favour of a particular political party saying he only knew that the election will hold in the state after his assumption of duty.

    He said: “I am not under any instruction to come here to fight anybody. Even when I was transferred, I did not even know that Ekiti election is coming soon; it was when I got here that I knew that election is coming here soon.

    “I value my profession and personality above any other thing. Even if you check all the elections that had been conducted recently, President Buhari didn’t interfere in police works. So, I am here to perform my statutory duties.

    “I am a Nigerian and wherever I go to, I see myself as part of that community and I can’t come here to cause trouble. I have worked in all the six geopolitical zones of the country and I have good records.”

  • S/West PDP hails judgement sacking Fayose’s men from exco

    S/West PDP hails judgement sacking Fayose’s men from exco

    The Southwest Zonal Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed an Ado Ekiti Federal High Court judgment which sacked the factional exco loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose saying the verdict has signaled an end to impunity, abuse of party constitution and one-man dictatorship in Ekiti State chapter.

    The PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Makanjuola Ogundipe, said the zonal leadership of the party wholeheartedly welcomed the judgment which he said would reposition the Ekiti chapter and make the platform attractive to politicians and electorate ahead of the next elections.

    The Court had on Tuesday sacked the Gboyega Oguntuase-led exco loyal to Fayose and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize and conduct official business with the Williams Ajayi-led exco which instituted the case.

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday on the heels of the court verdict which took the control of the state structure from Fayose, Ogundipe hailed the court for doing justice and rescuing it from the stranglehold of the governor whom he accused of sending prominent leaders and members away from the party.

    Ogundipe said the Judiciary has once again demonstrated an uncommon courage and never allow “those intoxicated with transient power” to pocket it adding that “this arm of government has been the saving grace of the nation’s democracy.”

    The zonal party boss who claimed that Fayose has turned himself to an “emperor” in Ekiti PDP alleged that the governor wrote a list of the exco of his faction in his sitting room and masterminded parallel congresses where he imposed his stooges most of who left for Labour Party (LP) with him before returning in 2014.

    Ogundipe said: “We wholeheartedly welcome this judgment; it is a judgment for the people, judgment for the rule of law, judgment against imposition, judgment against impunity and judgment against dictatorial tendencies of one man.

    “We want this judgment to transcend to every part of the Southwest for our party to move forward and teach people like Fayose some lessons that there is no room for impunity, lawlessness and abuse of power in our party again.

    “Here is a governor who will never respect the constitution of our party; the congress guidelines say that we should go and conduct congresses in our various wards and in his own case, he produced a list from his own sitting room but in our case, we went to the streets and brought our party men to the congresses to vote.

    “Fayose doesn’t respect the rule of law and that is why he has used his power to prevent the swearing-in of Toyin Obayemi as a member of the House of Assembly contrary to the judgment of the court by resorting to delay tactics.”

    Ogundipe who was the state party chairman when Fayose won the 2014 governorship poll said many PDP chieftains within and outside Ekiti are now regretting their support for the governor as he chased some out of the party while others who could not leave have been sidelined.

    He said further: “Fayose has selfisihly sent away everybody that contributed to his emergence as governor. Some of us who were part of the process had warned that Fayose was coming to exhibit a winner-takes-all attitude in PDP in Ekiti.

    “Fayose told us that he was a changed man and the question I want to ask is that can anybody see any change in him? In my own judgment, he was getting worse and that was why we were skeptical supporting him because it would do our party no good but the truth has come out now.

    “When you find a leader who does not trust any follower, that kind of leader should not be trusted. We want to thank the Judiciary for coming to the rescue of our party in Ekiti and we believe that this judgment will help our party to move forward.”