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Tag: Kayode Fayemi

  • Ajimobi, Akeredolu, Fayemi, others celebrate Ayo Afolabi at 70

    Ajimobi, Akeredolu, Fayemi, others celebrate Ayo Afolabi at 70

     

    Governors, senators, political leaders, friends and associates poured encomiums on a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Ayo Afolabi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital as he attained the age of 70 years yesterday.

    The event, which was organized by Afolabi’s friends, was held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

    Two serving governors – Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State – led the pack as they took turns to shower encomiums on the celebrator, who is the Director of Publicity of the party in Southwest. Their Ogun and Osun states counterparts were represented by Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Yetunde Onanuga and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alh. Moshood Adeoti, respectively.

    Ajimobi described Afolabi as a lucky man who epitomizes progressivism politically and seamlessness socially. The governor pointed out that Afolabi is so accommodating and very humble, stressing that he is an exemplary man.

    As a strong member of the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), Ajimobi said Afolabi, like his other colleagues in the group, is a committed progressive who is godly.

    When he took his turn, Akeredolu expressed gratitude to the celebrator for his consistence in progressive politics, saying he never left the fold of the progressives for once.

    He commended him for his contributions to progressive politics and activism in Nigeria and advised him to slow down, now that he is 70 years old.

    The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said Afolabi is dear to so many of them in progressive politics in so many ways.

    Read Also: Alaafin, Ajimobi’s wife,  Afolabi bags ACU honors

    He said the only way to summarize his personality is simply to describe him as a good person. Fayemi said no one who had the opportunity to work with him can deny that, adding that he is a beneficiary of Afolabi’s goodness.

    He further described him as a life-long leader of the party, a mentor, teacher and good friend.

    Delivering Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s goodwill message for the celebrator, Mrs Onanuga said Afolabi has always been a man to be emulated, stressing that he has contributed a lot to political development in Nigeria, especially, Southwest Nigeria.

    In a personal letter read on behalf of Aregbesola to the celebrator, the governor affirmed that Afolabi remains a national figure to be emulated, adding that he is a humble, enterprising and selfless man who lives an exemplary life and steadfast in his commitment.

    A lecture entitled: “Aging and the Future of Yoruba Race” was delivered at the event by Prof. Isaac Albert of the University of Ibadan.

    At the event were senators Monsurat Sunmonu, Babafemi Ojudu, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolurin, a former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, who was the chairman, Committee of friends, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, and chairmen of the APC in Southwest states among others.

    Afolabi expressed gratitude to God for attaining the new age. He said he was overwhelmed with the huge love shown him by friends, family and co-politicians within the progressive fold.

     

  • FG concludes process of spending N20b on exploration – Fayemi

    FG concludes process of spending N20b on exploration – Fayemi

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development Dr Kayode Fayemi has said that the Federal Government has concluded plans to spend another N20b on data exploration.

    Fayemi stated that the government the money will lead to further information being generated in the aspect of exploration which has been a major challenge in the sector.

    He also revealed that the government has paid for and retrieved arial survey that was conducted years ago but was not paid for by previous governments, that can now be used by mining investors.

    Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification Project (MINDIVER) project presentation, which was in collaboration with the World Bank.

    Fayemi added that Nigeria now takes the lead in regional efforts to develop mining, especially within the framework of the Africa Mining Vision. 

    His words, “It is noteworthy that in addition to funding support from multilateral agencies, partnerships on technical cooperation have also been brokered or re-activated with several foreign governments. Existing technical partnerships have been operationalised with the governments of South Africa, China, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Nigeria now takes the lead in regional efforts to develop mining, especially within the framework of the Africa Mining Vision. 

    “The ministry is finalizing plans to spend another N20b on exploration and the process has just been concluded, many of our expert institutions applied and we believe it will lead to further information being generated and further data being provided in thus area of exploration which has been a challenge. We gave also finally retrieved the Arial survey that was conducted years ago which was not paid for by government, we finally paud for ut and retrieved the data for the use of mining investors.

    “Only this week on Monday, i met with my counterpart from the Niger Republic to agree and finalize plans on exploration on minerals that  straddle both our countries, particularly uranium, limesrone and lead zinc and these are things that we will continue to do with partners from across the African continent.

    “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our regime of change in the mining sector has already begun yielding the desired results. For instance, our core mandate is to increase the share of our GDP generated from mining and deliver shared prosperity to all stakeholders through maximization of all aspects of the industry value chain namely exploration, mining, beneficiation and trade. Our strategy for building the mining sector is to initially focus on using its industrial mineral endowment to support its industrialization. It is now a government policy directive to support private industry by building overall competitiveness (e.g. quality, price, loss ratios) and improving the ease-of-doing-business, in collaboration with other government agencies.

    “Our aim is to create domestic demand by competing to replace ores and minerals currently being imported. In due course, as domestic processing expands, Nigeria will build a cost-led sector and foster production expertise in select non-industrial minerals. We are committed to continue in this spirit of partnership by investing in a range of enablers including bulk handling terminals, railroad and rolling stock capacity, technical and engineering capacity, regulatory reform, reorganization of the Ministry itself, and expansion of access to financing to drive sector transformation. Working with all stakeholders, we are determined to address the huge internal demand for our resources. Our inward focus is driven by the desire to ensure that the exploitation of our resources generates jobs locally and broadens the range of economic opportunities available to young Nigerians in the Mining sector.”

  • Mining: FG engages revenue consultants to boost earnings – Fayemi

    Mining: FG engages revenue consultants to boost earnings – Fayemi

    …We intend to surpass projected annual growth rate of 8.54 per cent, says Fayemi

    The Federal Government has engaged the services of about 100 revenue consultants to work on areas of leakages in the revenue accrued from the mining sector, with a view to shoring up earnings from the sector.

    The consultants, who would be deployed to the six geo-political zones of the country in the coming week are to examine financial and production records of companies involved in mining activities in the last six years, to determine whether appropriate royalties were remitted to government.

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who disclosed the new step being taken by government during the opening of the three-day induction and training for the Revenue Consultants in Abuja on Monday, said the main target of the ministry is to ensure that the Federation Account gets its fair due in royalties and taxes.

    According to Dr Fayemi, the project, tagged “Revenue Optimization and Verification Project”. Would assist in blocking leakages  in the mining sector, thereby positioning the sector to achieve its set agenda of contributing significantly to the GDP.

    “Our expectation of this project is that the Ministry would emerge as a lead revenue agency for the Federal Government of Nigeria, in line with the growth projections of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan ( ERGP ), which recognizes the mining sector as one of Nigeria’s most promising growth sectors, and acknowledges that its contribution to GDP doubled from N52 billion in 2010 to N103 billion in 2015. The ERGP further projects that revenue from the mining sector would grow from N103 billion (2015) to N141 billion (2020) at an average annual growth rate of 8.54 per cent (2017-2020)”

    Dr Fayemi said he is optimistic that the ministry would surpass these targets, as all stakeholders work collaboratively to ensure the success of the R.O.V. Project, resulting in improved levels of voluntary compliance of operators.

    The Minister admitted that leakages in government revenue was a big challenge in the mining sector, a development, which he said the ministry was determined to redress with the ROV Project, following its approval by the National Economic Council (NEC).

    He said: The R.O.V Project is an initiative of our ministry, pursuant of one of our core mandates, which is to significantly increase the contribution of the Mining Sector to our sovereign revenue.

     “Indeed, leakages in government revenue remains a big challenge in the sector, which we are working collaboratively with other government entities and sector stakeholders to fix. We have given considerable thought to this challenge and come up with a number of strategies to tackle it, one of which we are witnessing its launch today.

    “I am therefore pleased to announce that following the approval of the National Economic Council (NEC), we are today inaugurating a new model of revenue generation and collection in the mining sector. This entails the engagement of Professional Revenue Consultants who would work with our ministry’s mining officers to identify revenue leakages in the system.

     “The Revenue Optimization and Verification Project essentially seeks to confirm the adequacy of royalties’ remittances made by the various operators in the mining industry. They are mandated to collect and analyse data from 2012 – 2017 in the course of their work, thus giving us the opportunity to demand and receive accruals due to government from the referenced period. It would also ensure compliance of all operators to paying the correct amount in royalties to the government coffers going forward.

    The Minister said the  exercise will be carried out in line with the provisions of Section 17 of the Nigeria Mineral and Mining Act of 2007 which empowers the Mining Inspectorate Division of the Ministry to supervise and enforce compliance of laws and also section 43 of the Nigeria Mineral and Mining Act of 2007 which mandates mining operators to keep and supply records upon request by the ministry.

    Speaking further, the Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Muazu Abdullahi, said the project was not designed to witch hunt anybody, even as he warned the consultants to avoid any shady deals.

    “This is not a witch hunting initiative, but the exercise of the statutory responsibility of the Ministry to determine the adequacy of remittances made by the various operators in the mining industry.

    Dr Fayemi added: “The image and reputation of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, and indeed the entire Federal Government of Nigeria is key during this Revenue Optimization and Verification Project; therefore, we charge all consultants to stand for what this government stands for by avoiding any form of compromise, illegality and unprofessional conduct.

    The Project Coordinator, Mr Makinde Araoye, said the projects is at no cost to the Ministry as the National Economic Council approval stated that consultants and the ministry take a certain percentage of whatever is recovered.

    “NEC approved 15 per cent as cost of collection, out of the 15 per cent. The consultant will be paid a certain percentage of what they recover, the lead consultant will be paid a certain percentage of what they recover and the Ministry will also retain certain percentage as cost of collection”, he added.

    The consultants which have already been grouped into all the 36 states in the six geopolitical zones of the country are to commence work after the training programme.

  • ‎APC: Only court can stop Fayemi

    ‎APC: Only court can stop Fayemi

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has described Monday’s White Paper indicting former Governor Kayode Fayemi as “a demonstration of executive recklessness by Governor Ayo Fayose.”

    The party stressed that neither Fayose nor his government has any power to bar Fayemi or any other individual from holding public office.

    Fayose had set up a judicial commission of enquiry to probe Fayemi’s administration notably to unravel how Fayemi allegedly embezzled N852m SUBEB cash loan obtained from Access Bank.

    Fayemi kicked against the composition of the panel in court, sitting partisanship of members who were allegedly PDP members and some civil servants that served under Fayose’s authority, which made their membership suspect to a fair hearing.

    The Access Bank appeared before the panel to exonerate Fayemi, explaining that Fayemi never stole that but that it (the bank) took back the loan to its vault when the state government failed to firm up agreement on loan repayment.

    Nevertheless, the panel turned in its verdict holding Fayemi culpable and, subsequently, Fayose raised a panel to come up with a White Paper, which yesterday banned Fayemi and his Commissioner of Finance, Dapo Kolawole, from holding public offices for 10 years.

    But in a reaction by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party described both the panel and White Paper as a kangaroo stunt to nail Fayemi, saying the verdict would not stand in the face of illegality that went into the exercise.

    Olatunbosun argued that the Supreme Court has since settled it in law that only courts of law can stop any aspirant/candidate from running for any political office and not any administrative or judicial panel.

    Olatunbosun said: “All Nigerians know that Fayose is recklessly lawless and cannot survive in societies where the law works.

    “His so-called White Paper is not only laughable but also a disgrace to all Ekiti people home and abroad with the way that Fayose has taken ignorance, vendetta and debauchery to a ridiculous level because we knew all along that this is what Fayose wanted to do.

    “We had expected his Attorney General, if he knows his onions, to have advised him that only a competent court of law can bar Nigerians from holding public office under the Nigerian Constitution.

    “A situation where Fayose assembled PDP members and pliable civil servants as a panel with a strict directive to indict Fayemi at all costs and thereafter issue a White Paper banning him from holding public office cannot hold water in a society where the law works.

    “With the way he is conducting himself desperately to stop Fayemi from holding public office, we are convinced that Fayose is seriously going through a political haemorrhage  and therefore his resorting to political desperation and unconstitutional means to nail our leader and a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by any means possible.

    “Neither Fayose nor Ekiti State Government has the power to bar or prevent Dr Fayemi or any other citizen from holding public office but a competent court of law. Such wishful thinking cannot stand judicial scrutiny and we advert Fayose and his pitiable undertakers to read the Supreme Court judgment and Atiku Abubakar in similar matter.”

    APC spokesman said that by his “so-called White Paper that cannot over-rule the Supreme Court judgment as a precedent, Fayose has demonstrated recklessness, lawlessness and display of executive rascality arising from his ignorance of the law, constitution and total disregard for the rule of law”.

    He added: “It is now glaring that despite Fayose’s empty boasts daily that Dr. Fayemi is a paperweight politician who is not popular at home , the governor’s latest action has proved that the reverse is the case, as this barbaric action to halt the political career of a shining Ekiti star has shown that Fayemi is in league of  nightmare Fayose has to contend with.

    “It is an irony that Fayose who is supposed to be banned from holding public office because of the plethora of criminal  and financial misappropriation cases hanging on his neck is the one unilaterally banning somebody who held public office as governor without any blemish and is currently holding that of a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has performed excellently well as shown by the ‘Award of Public Excellence’ trophy bestowed on him by credible corporate organisations.

    “We expect someone occupying such an exalted position of a governor like Fayose to be properly briefed and educated on the limitations of his powers as the head of the executive arm of government primarily to formulate policy and implement laws rather than interpreting the law and worst still, assuming the position of a judge in a matter involving him as a party.

    “We are not going to lose any sleep over a biased political report by a panel of PDP members set up by a PDP governor for the purpose of framing up our leader as a way of settling political scores.

    “This is executive recklessness and political rascality taken too far by Fayose and his kangaroo panel. We wonder where he got the power to bar a leading member of the opposition in a democracy.

    “We wish to assure our party members and the good people of Ekiti State that the so-called White Paper recommendation by Fayose’s kangaroo panel is not worth more than the paper on which it is written and this shall be challenged in a court of law and we are confident that this shall be quashed because there is no legal precedent or basis for it in the history of our country.

    “We also plead with Nigerians to bear with Ekiti people in this moment of our governor’s lawlessness that has negative implication for the integrity of Ekiti people in choosing their leader.

    “We also wish to remind Fayose that his immunity will expire in October and must be prepared to resume trials on his many criminal cases, including those pending in various courts.”

  • Ekiti bans Fayemi from public office for 10 years

    Ekiti bans Fayemi from public office for 10 years

    Ekiti State Government on Monday banned former governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, from holding public office for 10 years.

    The decision followed the receipt of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry which investigated the handling of state finances during the Fayemi administration between October 2010 and October 2014.

    The panel ordered the former governor to account for the whereabouts of N2.75 billion allocated from the N25 billion bond obtained by the government for the execution of contract for the construction of Ultra-Modern market in Ado Ekiti, which was never executed.

    The state’s former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Kolawole, was also banned for 10 years.

    The panel also recommended that the duo should refund various sums of money to the state government coffers.

    The State Executive Council accepted the recommendations and adopted the panel’s White Paper at Monday’s emergency meeting.

     

     

  • FG sets aside N5bn for local miners

    FG sets aside N5bn for local miners

    The Federal Government has set aside N5 billion to empower artisan miners across the country as part of measures to ensure participation of all Nigerians in economic development.

    The Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, disclosed this on Saturday when he inspected the gold mining site at Garin Awal at Fakai Local Government Area in Kebbi State.

    “We have N5 Billion in Bank of Industry for the use of small scale artisan miners, not only for self-equipping but to contribute to the economic development of Kebbi state and Nigeria, so that our economy will grow,” he said.

    Fayemi explained that ISS-Hass Ltd, a Chinese mining company, has been in the community exploiting gold for more than three years, but had failed to develop the area by establishing schools, building roads, as well as providing portable water and employment for the youth, as part of an agreement entered into with the company.

    He promised to investigate the allegations against the licensed operator in Garin Awal Village, Fakai Local Government of Kebbi State for alleged breach of agreement reached with the host community.

    “We have seen what our artisan miners can do, which professionals in this business failed to achieve. That is from the very little efforts they are putting in place with their own efforts, digging and organising themselves.

    “What we need is to enter into partnership with the state, to assist these miners, so that they could have land to operate, technical support as a way of improving their productivity and ensuring that they utilise the equipment beyond exploring mercury and finally support them through the Bank of Industry,” he said.

    The minister, who expressed disappointment over the lack of commitment of licensed operators, said “ the provision of the law stipulates that licensed operators must provide community support and this must be captured in an agreement, which we call Community Development Agreement.

    “The  village head has told us that all the things they promised, none of them were done. No school, they have not seen anything. They just did rudimentary road that provides access for the operators,” he said.

    In his remarks, the state governor,  Abubakar Bagudu, expressed appreciation to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for its good policies, saying they had made the state to excel in agriculture.

    Bagudu said the people  o the state were ready to replicate the same achievement in the mining sector.

  • FG moves to consolidate ease of doing business in mining sector

    FG moves to consolidate ease of doing business in mining sector

    ….as Ministry unveils integrated automated GIS Web Portal

    The Federal Government, on Thursday took another bold step in consolidating ease of doing business in the mining sector with official unveiling of the Integrated Automated and Interactive GIS Web Portal of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

    The unveiling of the GIS Web Porter, which came barely a month after a World Risk Report on Global Mining sector rated Nigerian Mining jurisdiction as having a better investment risk profile, according to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, underscores the government’s commitment to grow the sector.

    Dr Fayemi who demonstrated some geological enquiries on the GIS web portal (portal.minesandsteel.gov.ng), during the inauguration, said the e-platform would aid the steady growth of the mining sector and contribute to the realisation of the administration’s goal of diversifying the economy’s revenue base, creating jobs, and broadening the range of economic opportunities available to Nigerians.

    He said  with the launch of the portal, the country has now joined the league of jurisdictions in the global mining space that have deployed technology towards achieving transparency and ease of doing business in mineral sector governance.

    The Minister said that the overall objective of the project was to increase provision of reliable information and knowledge to enhance promotion of investment in the sector using technology driven innovation. “This would in turn help increase the sector’s GDP contribution significantly”, he added.

    “Part of the deliverables of this project, among others, include: Business Processes Re-engineering, building of a GIS Web Portal with a Business Automation System, Content Management System (CMS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Decision Support System, collaboration and upgrade of the ICT Infrastructure of the Ministry.”

    Fayemi, noted, while new technology would further reduce the time spent on various processes in the sector as information can now be assessed from any parts of the world, just as transaction could be done from any location.

    He listed some of the tasks to be performed by the Web portal to include online processing of mining licenses and mineral titles application; online payment of royalties and fees; as well as database for revenue drive; business intelligence analysis, reports and statistical data generation.

    Others include GIS mapping representation of resources within the country; Side stream along the mineral corridor, Deployment of Electronic Document Management System (EDMs); Provision of GIS Laboratory; Provision of Data Centre at Ministry’s Headquarters; Provision of Disaster Recovery facilities within Nigeria; Training on GIS, ERP, EDMs and portal navigation.

    Fayemi revealed that the portal was designed to serve as an input Decision Support System to no fewer than 15 MDAs, the Bank of Industry ( BOI ), the Federal Inland Revenue Services ( FIRS ), Miners Association of Nigeria.

    The Minister said: “The strategy adopted for Go-Live is incremental in nature. Today we are unveiling the following: Content Management System for the Ministry and its Agencies: Market Place comprising of Minerals Commodity Price, certified list of COMEG members, List of mining operators with valid licenses & related minerals they trade on etc.

    “Online Application of Licenses and Permit issued by Artisanal and Small Scale Department such as: Formalization of Artisanal Miners,  Registration of a Small-Scale Operator, Registration of Private Mineral Buying Centres, Renewal of Private Mineral Buying Centres.

    “Administration Module with Internal Document Management System, Development of Workflow Approval Engine, Integration between Main Portal and GIS portal, Development of electronic payment platform, GIS Portal – Executive Dashboard and Application portal, Payment Integration with REMITA, Helpdesk Solution – Live chat, Development of Internal Users Reports and Dashboard”

    “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, with the launch of the portal today, Nigeria now joins the league of jurisdictions in the global mining space that have deployed technology towards achieving transparency and ease of doing business in mineral sector governance,” the Minister added.

    Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon Abubakar Bawa Bwari said  when himself and Dr Fayemi first report at the ministry, they met a sector that was moribund and seemed to lack both the wherewithal  and the will to carry on. He said the duo however resolved to make a mark in the sector.

    Abubakar said: “We designed a roadmap that we hoped will take us out of the doldrums and lead us on the path to shared mining prosperity. Anyone who looks at our roadmap will notice that we have made plans that will in time make this nation a mining destination again. Some of these plans, like the legitimisation of artisanal miners, improved funding for the sector, ensuring greater cooperation between states and the federal government, and raising the contribution of mining to GDP, have achieved modest success.

    “However, when you consider the huge potentials we have in the sector and compare that to what we presently contribute to the GDP, you will agree with me that the gap is just too much. Some of causes of this could have been avoided if in the past we had been more careful as a country”.

    President of Women in Mining, Hon Janet Adeyemi said the deployment of the GIS web portal would be the game changer in the Nigerian mining sector.

    “This is the first time the leadership of the Ministry would be matching words with action,” she said. She also added that the development would open up the system and that mining activities can now be tracked,” she added.

  • Obaseki to commission Otuo general hospital, reconstruct sobe-sabongida road

    Obaseki to commission Otuo general hospital, reconstruct sobe-sabongida road

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, said his administration would commission the State’s General Hospital in Otuo before December 25, 2017.

    He stated this in Afuze during his state-wide thank-you-tour of Owan East and West local government areas of the state.

    Earlier in Owan West local council, the governor expressed his readiness to reconstruct the Sobe – Sabongida Road and disclosed that the state government has received approval from the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to reconstruct the road.

    He assured that the contractor handling the Okpoji Road project will be mobilised to commence work on the Sobe-Sabongida Road after completing work on the former.

    “Owan West is the only local government council that is disconnected from the state capital. We will ensure the people are re-connected,” he said.

    He promised that work will commence early next year on the Federal Institute of Vocational Training, Uzzeba, to equip youths from the area with skills that will make them employable, while 500 hectares of land will be added to Sobe Farm to provide jobs for the youths.

    Chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in the local council, West Tunde Omoruwa, commended the governor for translating his victory at the polls and the tribunal to better life for Edo people.

    He commended the governor for the agricultural revolution in the state and thanked him for setting up Sobe Farm. “We appeal that the Sobe Primary Health Care Center be upgraded to a hospital with a resident doctor,” he said.

    Obaseki further said that Afuze-Erah-Ekpoma road has been awarded for re-construction and noted that the priority of his administration is to create jobs for Edo people and make life better for them.

    He maintained that Afuze Technical College is top priority for his administration and said that work will commence in January 2018.

    “Owan East has a lot of potential in mining and we have a consultant recommended by the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, that will work with us. We will also explore the potential of Owan East for the production of cashew nuts.”

    Chairman of the APC in Owan East LGA, Chief Edeki Roland, appealed to the governor to re-construct Afuze-Erah-Ekpoma Road; Uokha-Ohanmi-Arokho; Ihievbe-Ihievbe Ogbe and Ivbiaro-Warrake-Egeunu roads.

  • Ekiti Assembly adopts report indicting Fayemi for alleged graft

    Ekiti Assembly adopts report indicting Fayemi for alleged graft

    The Ekiti State House of Assembly has adopted a report from the Office of the Auditor General, which indicted the administrations of former governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi for alleged misappropriation of funds.

    The report detailed the Auditor-General’s queries, findings and recommendations on alleged graft and other irregularities during Oni’s and Fayemi’s administrations.

    The Assembly is also pushing for a jail term for the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, for arresting and detaining the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo and Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi.

    Oni has declared intent to run for governor next year; Fayemi has not declared an interest but is believed to be under pressure to join the race.

    At their sitting yesterday, the lawmakers claimed that one of the firms engaged by the Fayemi administration allegedly evaded tax of N130 million. They also claimed that Oni allegedly “misused” $4,000 sent by Ekiti indigenes in the Diaspora for a purpose they did not state.

    Deputy Chief Whip, who doubles as chairman of the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Dayo Akinleye, presented the report indicting Fayemi’s and Oni’s administrations for House adoption.

    He said: “Today, we have presented a report of the auditors to the House. It is the first ever in the history of Nigeria and the Southwest. Before now, all auditors’ reports were swept under the carpet, but we are presenting the report to the House to show that we have nothing to hide.

    “A lot of issues were raised by accountants-general and we have looked into them and made appropriate recommendations on them.

    “In the report we presented, a lot of issues were raised on the alleged misappropriation of public funds by the administrations of ex-governors Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni.

    “While some of the issues are based on alleged misuse of public funds, many were based on improper documentation.

    “In the 2015 report, as given by the auditor-general about the Fayemi’s administration, one of the issues raised, which relates to misuse of funds, is the one about the evasion of tax by one firm, which was to the tune of N130 million…”

  • Breaking: Fayemi, Oni react to lawmaker’s allegation of ‘misappropriation’

    Breaking: Fayemi, Oni react to lawmaker’s allegation of ‘misappropriation’

    Former Ekiti State Governors Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi have reacted to the House of Assembly’s adoption a report from the Office Auditor General which indicted them of misappropriation of funds.

    Fayemi who spoke through his media aide, Olayinka Oyebode, described the Ekiti lawmakers as “a bunch of jokers who should not be taken serious.”

    He said: “What they have done is not worth responding to because they are a bunch of jokers.”

    Oni who also spoke through his media aide, Ayo Akinyemi, said Governor Ayo Fayose whom he described as the “unseen hand” in the action of the legislators was jittery about the popularity of the ex-governor.

    He said: “What Fayose is doing is political; he has seen the strength and popularity of Oni on the field and that is why he is running from pillar to post to cast aspersion on his integrity.

    “Oni has left government in 2010 and we are in 2017, a period of seven years. The ploy is to vilify and blackmail opposition candidates that can upstage Fayose.

    “Ordinarily, we would have ignored him but we want to challenge him and his lackeys in the House of Assembly to lay the facts in public domain.

    “Let them identify the people in particular who donated the $4,500 and the exact project to which I was tied. The position of Oga (Oni) is that anybody with allegations against him should swear to an affidavit.”