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Tag: Kayode Fayemi

  • 2019: Saraki, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, others can’t stop Buhari

    ‘Nigeria now working under Buhari’

    Former Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatization, Senator Ayo Arise, has predicted a landslide victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

    Arise said the President has succeeded in putting Nigeria on the path of recovery, infrastructural revolution and development since assumption of office in 2015.

    He noted that Nigerians will re-elect Buhari on the record of his performance, integrity, transparency in governance and his strong will to stamp out the virus of corruption allegedly inflicted on Nigeria by sixteen years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rule.

    Arise, who represented Ekiti North senatorial district between 2007 and 2011, declared that the likes of Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and others jostling for the PDP presidential ticket cannot stop Buhari’s re-election.

    According to him, the era of sharing the common resources belonging to all Nigerians by a few people has stopped with Buhari’s ascension to power which he said has rubbed off positively on the nation’s economy.

    The former federal legislator who is seeking a return to the Upper Chamber said the President needs a National Assembly that will work harmoniously with (Buhari) in the next dispensation to provide good governance and better standard of living for Nigerians and not lawmakers that will sabotage his efforts.

    Read Also: Tinubu: Saraki, Tambuwal left APC for fear of Buhari

    Arise added that his ambition was borne out of the desire to support the President and Ekiti State governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of Ekiti North and the state as a whole.

    He urged Nigerians to rally round Buhari by voting massively for him in the February 16 presidential poll to “drive the final nail into the political coffin of the vultures gathering together feed fat on the nation’s commonwealth.”

    Arise said: “Although some Nigerians believed that, the President ought to have completely turned around the whole country economy in less than four years, but the fact remains that, nobody can provide all infrastructures needed in a particular nation within a four year tenure.

    “It will be a great injustice or error of political judgement to believe Nigeria woes could be completely nipped in the mud within a four year regime after an ignoble PDP sixteen years in the country.

    “We are all living witnesses of the sixteen years of the PDP government without much achievements when compared to less than, four years of the present administration with many things to show for it.

    “But the present federal government has made an indellible mark in the area of Nigerian economy to include; a railway line from Kano to Port Harcourt, Lagos to Kano, second River Niger Bridge, many roads across the six geo-political Zones of the country, agriculture, health, security and industries among others.

    “Therefore, all Nigerians need to always rally support the president in his efforts at repositioning the country for better and safe for all to live in.

    “President Buhari is no doubt working hard on infrastructures, economy and other social amenities needed by every class and calibre of people irrespective of their status in the world to live comfortably in Nigeria, even without thinking of going for vacation abroad any longer.

    “It is achieveable through the support of all, especially on the fight against the menace of corruption that had destroyed nearnly all the sectors of the country economy and made it unworkable and nearnlly collapsed before the advent of the present administration.

    “The government has therefore, so far taken the bull by the horn at repositioning the deldrum and ailing economy.”

    While congratulating President Buhari and other Muslim faithfuls on the celebration of this year Eid-el- Kabir, the APC chieftain called on Muslims to always promote love and peace in the country to achieve a meaningful development.

  • Fayose: I’m fulfilled leaving worthy legacies behind

    As his tenure winds down in less than two months, Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has said he is fulfilled leaving behind legacies that will not be forgotten in history.

    Fayose said the various developmental projects carried out by his administration will continue to speak for him long after he might have left office.

    He praised the people of Ado-Ekiti for their support during his tenure which he said resulted in construction of legacy projects in the city.

    As the battle for the governorship seat shifts to the courtroom, Fayose urged the people of the state to remain calm and be peaceful.

    Making allusion to the petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the July 14 governorship election who is also his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, Fayose expressed optimism that “God will return the glory of Zion very soon.”

    Olusola was defeated by the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Fayose spoke on Tuesday at the grand finale of this year’s Udiroko Festival in Ado-Ekiti, which marks the beginning of a new year in the town’s traditional calendar.

    This year’s Udiroko was chaired by eminent lawyer and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola and it will be the last to be attended by Fayose in his capacity as governor.

    The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, Aladesanmi III, received homage from traditional chiefs, palace queens, honorary chiefs, traditional warriors, traditional police, market women, ethnic nationalities resident in the town and other interest groups.

    Fayose, himself a honorary chief, paid a special homage to Ewi and prayed that “Ado will not receive an unwanted visitor.”

    The governor emphasized that he still remains in office and will perform some functions until the expiry of his tenure on October 16 when he is expected to make way for Fayemi.

    Read Also: Fayose’s rushed recruitment in bad faith, says Fayemi

    He promised to allocate shops to market women displaced by the construction of the new Erekesan Market including “pepper and vegetable sellers” before the week runs out.

    “I will give the shops back to the poor people who are interested in them and this will be backed with valid documents.

    “The pepper sellers, the vegetable sellers will regain their shops back.

    “I gave you my word that I will perform and work for you and to the glory of God,  I have performed.

    “To the glory of God, I came, I saw and conquered; I came, I saw and I conquered.

    “Very soon, I will roll out the timetable for a tour round the state to say thank you to the people.

    “Even if Eleka (Olusola) had been declared winner, I will still go. Don’t fight with anybody continue to sing the song of praise.

    “By the grace of God, the glory and plunder of Zion shall be returned.”

    Babalola in his speech described Udiroko as a veritable platform for the people of the town to remember the tradition and culture of their ancestors.

    He, however, expressed regret that some events he described as “enemies of progress” have eroded great virtues of Ekiti.

    Babalola decried the upsurge in criminal activities in the state such as robbery, daylight killings, stealing, destruction of property and kidnapping which he said were alien to Ekiti.

    According to him, lack of infrastructure like motorable highway, absence of rail lines, airport, steady electricity and water will continue to deny Ekiti of the needed investment.

    Babalola noted that the development of Ekiti is the responsibility of both the state government and the people urging them to join hands to lift their home state.

    Oba Adejugbe in his remarks praised Babalola for siting ABUAD on Ado Ekiti soil describing the University as “one of the best in the world.”

    He urged Ado indigenes who are eligible voters to troop out in large numbers and register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCS).

    This, he said, will allow them to vote for the candidates of their choice in the 2019 general elections.

    The Ewi also hailed Fayose for executing remarkable projects in his palace like the hall, amphitheatre and other infrastructure including the flyover and the new market.

    The monarch said: “Forever, the name of Peter Ayodele Fayose will not be forgotten in the history of Ado-Ekiti.

    “You have done these for yourself and in the future, people will be asking who did these and they will answer that they were done by Peter Ayodele Fayose.

    “You did it during my reign but in your name and I pray that as you leave,  everything you brought here, wife, children and property will not be lost.”

  • Fayemi condemns alleged underhand recruitment of 2,000 new workers

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has condemned alleged massive recruitment of workers by Governor Ayo Fayose less than two months before leaving office.

    Fayemi said “the last-minute employment of workers” was a booby trap to make life difficult for the incoming administration.

    Fayose is expected to make way for Fayemi on October 16 when the governor-elect will be sworn in.

    A statement on Thursday by the Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wole Olujobi, claimed that Fayose had just employed 600 teachers into the Teaching Service Commission, 400 staff into the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and 1,000 into the Ministry of Establishment.

    The governor-elect berated Fayose for embarking on a last minute mass recruitment to deceive the unsuspecting victims and set a booby-trap for the incoming administration.

    Noting that Fayose  was deliberately creating obstacles for the new administration having not employed one person in nearly four years, the statement wondered why the governor embarked on mass recruitment in the last few days to the end of his term.

    Read Also: Fayemi condoles with Ojo’s family

    According to him, Fayose was playing on the intelligence of the people to paint a picture of a man of the masses in clear infraction on the law.

    He said: “It is a grand deception and sheer wickedness for a governor that has refused to pay workers and pensioners for between six and 10 months to now turn around to recruit about 2,000 workers in a selective manner to favour his supporters only.”

    Olujobi described Fayose’s recruitment as an act of desperation by a governor who never cared for the people but would always take advantage of them in a most dehumanising manner.

    “Once again, we call on Ekiti people as we did in our recent press release to be wary of Fayose’s last minute illegal deals, transactions and mass recruitment which do not  follow due process.

    “Any transaction so done shall be reviewed by the incoming administration.”

  • Ekiti election: Fayose’s deputy files 700-page petition against Fayemi

    Urges tribunal to declare him winner of gov. poll

    Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, has dragged the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, before the Election Petition Tribunal.

    Olusola, who was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the July 14 governorship election, urged the court to declare him winner of the poll claiming that he scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

    He urged the jury to set aside the victory of Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to the result declared by INEC, Fayemi polled a total of 197, 459 to defeat Olusola, who received 178, 121 votes.

    Olusola, who was accompanied by his running mate, Mr. Ayodeji Ogunsakin, submitted a 700-page petition at the tribunal registry within the State High Court premises at about 5.30 pm.

    The statutory 21-day grace allowed by the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to file a petition by any candidate aggrieved with the outcome expired on Friday.

    Olusola explained that the team of lawyers that will defend his petition will be led by an Ilorin, Kwara State-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Malam Yusuf Ali.

    Speaking with reporters after filing the petition, Olusola said he was motivated to go to court because of what he described as the “brazen robbery” allegedly carried out by INEC in collaboration with federal security forces.

    He alleged that the poll was manipulated by people he described as “political desperadoes using the instruments of the Federal Government.

    The PDP flag bearer also alleged ballot snatching, ballot stuffing, gross falsification of results and the use of security forces to subvert the electoral wishes of Ekiti people.

    Read Also: Fayemi: Ekiti situation has worsened in four years

    He urged his supporters to keep hope alive noting that he has absolute trust in God and the judiciary to retrieve the alleged stolen mandate.

    Olusola said: “Today, I formally filed the much expected petition against the results of the July 14, 2018 governorship election, which was openly manipulated by political desperadoes, using instruments of the federal government.

    “Like I have maintained, I am challenging the election results not out of desperation to be governor, but for reasons of future and posterity, and largely on behalf of the people of Ekiti, who were taken aback by the outcome of the election.

    “Without doubt, the will of the people was subverted by those who have chosen to take Nigeria back to the dark days of ballot stuffing, ballot boxes snatching and outright falsification of election results and I believe they deserve to get justice.

    “I am challenging the election results not out of desperation to be governor, but for reasons of future and posterity, and largely on behalf of the people of Ekiti, who were taken aback by the outcome of the election.

    “Without doubt, the will of the people was subverted by those who have chosen to take Nigeria back to the dark days of ballot stuffing, ballot boxes snatching and outright falsification of election results and I believe they deserve to get justice.

    “As law abiding citizens of our country, the only path of honour to take in a situation like this is the process that we have initiated today, to seek redress against the use of security forces and other instruments of the federal government to suppress the will of our people.

    “Sadly, the desperation of the APC to take over all States in the country, especially those under governors like Dr. Ayodele Fayose perceived as uncompromising has destroyed all the gains made by the PDP government regarding free, fair and credible elections.

    “The mood of Ekiti people when the beneficiary of the electoral robbery was declared winner and up till today is a pointer to the resolve of the people not to accept the subversion of their will and we have answered their calls to use the judiciary to get back their mandate.

    “In doing this, we have presented overwhelming discrepancies in the results declared by INEC to the tribunal to adjudicate upon and I am confident that the popular mandate of the people of Ekiti will not go unrestored. I therefore want Ekiti people to keep hope alive, remain strong and resolute in their belief in God.

    “While we go through this judicial walk to exposing the electoral thievery of July 14, 2018, we urge the good people of Ekiti State, especially my teeming supporters to remain calm, peaceful and prayerful, bearing in mind that those who stole their mandate will not enjoy the benefits for long.

    “I also want to use this opportunity to condemn the indefinite closure of the State Radio and Television stations. No doubt, the closure of the radio and television stations was part of the grand plan to sustain the inglorious use of naked force to rob Ekiti people of their democratic rights, but the people will triumph ultimately”.

    A member of Olusola’s legal team to the petitioner, Mr. Ola Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate, said what the petitioner was asking for is outright nullification of the election that produced Fayemi and declare their client winner of the poll.

    Olanipekun said: “By the time the hearing begins, we are going to prove cases of falsification of results, ballot snatching, ballot stuffing and use of powers to subvert the will of the people.

    “By the time we do this, the whole world can judge whose the actual winner was. We are confident that justice will be done in this case, we are sure that our client shall get justice.

  • Fayemi visits Bamidele in London

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has paid a get-well visit to the Director General of his Campaign Council, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele in London, United Kingdom.
    Bamidele was shot on June 1 by a trigger-happy policeman at the premises of the All Progress Congress (APC) during a welcome rally organised for Fayemi after stepping down from the Federal Executive Council  (FEC) as Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
    The former House of Representatives member was rushed to the State University Teaching Hospital where he was operated upon and stabilised before being flown abroad to recuperate.
    Bamidele who has been discharged from the hospital is still in London as an outpatient.
    In a statement on Thursday night by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, Fayemi who left Ado-Ekiti for Lagos immediately after inaugurating his Transition Committee arrived London earlier in the day to pay Bamidele a morale-boosting visit.
    The statement said Fayemi spent quality time with Bamidele, his wife, Mrs. Yemisi Bamidele, and other members of the family, Mr. Abiodun Bamidele and Mrs. Folasade Bamidele.
    Fayemi and Bamidele also reviewed issues regarding the fiercely contested July 14 governorship election.
    The reunion sparked up celebration of victory and praise and worship  sessions from the two eminent Ekiti leaders.

  • Fayemi’s lawyers tackle INEC over PDP’s ‘secret’ access to electoral documents

    Lawyers to Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, have alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has granted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawyers access to electoral documents used for the July 14 governorship poll without notifying other parties.

    A member of Fayemi’s legal team, Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu, said hi party has formally written to INEC requesting for the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the electoral documents which had not been granted.

    Akingbolu said the documents requested include Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E among others, wondering why INEC had allegedly allowed PDP lawyers access to the documents without the knowledge of other parties.

    According to him, the normal practice is that when a party has been given access to electoral documents, other parties must be notified and their lawyers must be present to prevent any of the documents from being mutilated or tampered with.

    Akingbolu who spoke with reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday said he had gone to INEC office to see the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, on the development but was told that he was not on seat.

    When contacted, INEC spokesman, Mr. Taiwo Gbadegesin, declined comments on the matter saying “only the REC can speak on the development.”

    Read Also: Ekiti made right choice in Fayemi, says Rep

    Akingbolu said: “Immediately after the election was conducted, July 16 to be precise, we wrote an application to the REC to the effect that we need CTCs of Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D, EC8E and other documents used for the conduct of the election but ump till now, we have not been granted access to those documents.

    “This is my third time of coming here but we heard scary information this morning that our adversary, that is PDP, have come here and has been given access to those documents.

    “We were reliably informed that they (INEC) has opened the store where these documents are kept for them without putting us on notice.

    “That is why we want to sound a note of warning that, for any document to be released at all, every party must be available and every other party must be on ground and present.

    “We don’t want a situation whereby electoral materials, particularly the ballot papers, will be mutilated, tampered with or destroyed. They can be thumb-printed again to make them look as if they are void.

    “That is why we want to warn INEC to be on the side of caution on this issue. We know the character of the people we are dealing with, we don’t want to take any chances at all and we don’t want to be put on the defensive.

    “We heard from a very reliable source that they have been having access to the documents since last week. In a situation in which the other party is not given access it looks somehow.

    “I went to REC’s office but I learnt he is not available and I have to come out and wait for him. That is not the practice anywhere in the world.”

  • Ekiti made right choice in Fayemi, says Rep

    A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Stephen Olemija, has said the people of Ekiti State made the right choice in electing Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the governor-elect.

    Olemija, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Campaign Council for the Ekiti governorship election, said the Fountain of Knowledge will witness unprecedented development under Fayemi’s watch.

    The lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast/Akoko Northwest Federal Constituency of Ondo State in a congratulatory message to Fayemi made available to The Nation on Wednesday said Ekiti will the governor-elect’s track record and experience in governance.

    Olemija called on Fayemi to run an all-inclusive administration to fast-track real development in Ekiti for the people of the state to enjoy dividends of democracy which he claimed eluded them under Fayose.

    He commended the people of Ekiti for their support for Fayemi and steadfastness in enthroning good governance in order to link the state with the league of progressives in the Southwest in particular and Nigeria in general.

    Olemija said Fayemi’s victory will further strengthen relationship between two sister states of Ekiti and Ondo which he said share many things in common.

    Read Also: Fayemi: It won’t affect APC chances

    “Ekiti and Ondo States share many things in common, therefore, the coming together of the two states under the same political banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will no doubt speed up intra-infrastructural development and promote their economic prosperity,” he said.

    Olemija said further: “Dr Fayemi remains an astute administrator and a politician of note, who knows where the shoe pinches an average common man of Ekiti State, the reason why Ekiti people came out en masse during the July 14 election to vote for him as their preferred candidate.

    “It is to say the least that, Ekiti people have made the right decision in electing Dr. Fayemi and APC over Mr. Fayose, his stooge, Prof. Olusola and PDP, the camp that has put Ekiti into penury and hardship in almost four years of its reign.

    “There is no doubt that, Ekiti State is in a dire need of urgent attention to redefine its image among the comity of states in Nigeria due to the way the current and outgoing governor, Mr. Fayose, had bastardize its image and turned the state into a laughing stock in the country.

    “Core values, integrity, decorum and political tolerance have been replaced with lies, unreasonable propaganda, publicity stunt, fraud, cosmetic and self-serving projects and unnecessary vituperation to gain cheap attention from the public.

    “Ekiti people, like other states in the Southwest, are known for truthfulness, sincerity, respect and forthrightness, hence the need for Dr. Fayemi to urgently redefine the status of the state again to continue to earn more respect and accolade in and outside the country.”

  • ‘I remain in office till October’

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has said he would carry out his constitutional functions till he exits office on October 16.

    The governor said the process to recruit 2000 new workers had commenced before the July 14 governorship election.

    He was reacting to the warning of the governor-elect Dr. Kayode Fayemi, not to recruit new workers in state owned tertiary institutions and other governmental agencies.

    Fayose in a statement by his media aide Lere Olayinka urged Fayemi to wait till his inauguration before taking any step.

    He said “The last time that we checked, Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose was still the governor of Ekiti State and he remains the governor till October 16, 2018.

    Read Also: Police nab Naval officer, two others for stealing

    “Governor Fayose will carry out all the functions of his office till October 16 and if there is need to employ workers, he will do so legally and no one can prevent him.

    “This is more so that the process of employing 2,000 workers had commenced even before the July 14 election.

    “Therefore, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his team of desperately ignorant team should wait till October 16 before kicking off their usual anti people policies.

    “Also, we advise Fayemi and his men to rather concentrate on how to defend the false electoral victory awarded to them by the powers that be in Abuja instead of this daily display of idiocy.”

  • Fayemi warns against illegal recruitments at Ekiti College

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has warned the management of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, against illegal recruitment of new workers to create problems for the incoming administration.

    Fayemi warned the management led by the College Provost, Prof. Mojisola Oyarekua, to resist an alleged directive to carry out massive employment of cronies of Governor Ayo Fayose in violation of due process.

    A statement on Monday signed by Director, Fayemi Media Office, Wole Olujobi, wondered why an administration that has failed to employ one single individual in the last four years now want to employ thousands in the college and other institutions with few days left in office.

    The statement said “it is dangerous to erect political structures in non-partisan institutions of government, warning that the incoming administration will not inherit institutions that will be threatened by political cleavages.”

    The statement said: We want to caution the management of the college to stay clear of the contrived sabotage mission by Governor Ayodele Fayose to cripple the administration of the Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, from the outset.

    “There are similar plans by Fayose for other government’s agencies and institutions where he plans to dispense favours to only members of his party; we want to warn that political consideration in public recruitment scheme is illegal and will be so treated on assumption of office.

    “We are aware of a long list of cronies of Governor Ayodele Fayose who are forced on the management of the College of Education and waiting to be employed in their large numbers on the orders of the governor.

    “We wish to caution the management of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, and other institutions of government on the danger of conniving with an administration that has refused to employ just one man in about four years to now choose to embark on mass recruitment of supporters for the purpose of crippling the incoming administration at a time that Fayose’s administration is owing backlog of salaries with no hope of payment till the end of his administration.

    Read Also: Fayemi to Fayose: Be ready to account for Ekiti funds

    “We hereby alert the people of Ekiti State to this clear act of sabotage which the management of the college is trying to execute on behalf of Governor Fayose to intentionally cripple the smooth running of the administration of the college when the new administration comes on board, particularly coming at the time that subvention to the college has not been paid for a long while research and capital funding has been abandoned.

    “The recruitment becomes more illegal, as the beneficiaries of the exercise are mainly Fayose’s cronies who he wants to compensate after deceiving them for three years.

    “We do not believe in political affiliation in the consideration of people for employment, therefore, what is going on in the College of Education is clearly a political exercise in a non-partisan setting, and to that extent, the exercise is political and, therefore, illegal because it is wrong to turn the college to the enclave of one political party.

    “In the last dispensation, Fayemi engaged Ekiti people in social security scheme, Youths in Commercial Agricultural Development (YCAD), Volunteer Corps, EKSTMA and Peace Corps, among other schemes, based on merit and without consideration for political leaning.

    “This is the way to go and we hope to continue on this path when we assume office to fill all necessary vacancies and create new job opportunities for all Ekiti people based on merit irrespective of political affiliation.

    “We therefore advise the management of the college and other institutions of government to stay clear of the sabotage mission by Fayose and strive to ensure that the present status quo of salary payment default is resolved in favour of the hard-working workers, teaching and non-teaching staff, by paying all their salary arrears and other entitlements, including payment of subventions and capital spending,  instead of embarking on political patronage in appointments that will further worsen crises for our institutions.”

  • Fayemi to Fayose: Devote June allocation for payment of salaries

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has advised Governor Ayo Fayose to utilise the N5.5 billion June allegation from the Federation Account to pay workers’ salaries 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 allegedly kept in a secret account with a bank for the benefit of the people.

    In a statement on Sunday by Director of Media and Publicity, Fayemi Media Office, Mr. Wole Olujobi, the governor-elect urged Fayose tomake accountability and human face critical factors in the policies ofhis administration.

    He urged Fayose to be open and transparent to the workers on the June allocation rather than summoning meetings with labour leaders to deceive  them on the state of finance.

    According to Fayemi, the usual practice by the governor to collect federal allocations and call stakeholders meetings to deceive Ekiti people on the sharing formula between the state and local governments
    is no longer acceptable.

    The statement read: “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 N5.52b fresh June federal allocation and we demand that the money be spent to pay salary, and 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 governments workers remained unpaid fornine 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 one 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.”

    While noting that the cloudy manner of doing government’s business had rendered the state’s economy comatose,  Olujobi explained that evidence had also shown that massive fraud existed in Water
    Corporation and Sports Council where government’s cash and vehicles had disappeared without trace.

    “At the State Water Corporation where opaque financial management has left the system in ruins, Ondo State had paid its counterpart fund of N40m for the upgrading of Egbe Dam, but 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 N1b on paper out of N1.4b 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 pretext that they were being taken there for repairs and 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 ownerswithout 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’s vehicles at ridiculous prices to cronies, who later assembled the same vehicles at a motor showroom in Ibadan for resale to the public.”

    Frowning at the report of alleged increase in the monthly running grants to the office of the Wife of the Governor from N20m to N35m as reportedly approved on March 10, 2018, Fayemi said that for the
    little time remaining for Fayose’s administration, he must make transparency and compassion his watchwords by applying the state’s funds diligently, particularly in the payment of salaries and entitlements of workers and pensioners.

    The reaction of Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, was still being awaited as of press time.