The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has challenged Governor Ayodele Fayose to explain to the people of the state how he spent the ecological fund paid into the kitty of the state last December by the Federal Government.
But the state government was quick in replying that it did not get such money.
The APC noted that though the governor had tried on many occasions to deny it, facts available suggested that he had actually collected the money.
The APC said Fayose should open up on how he spent the money.
A statement by the APC state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, explained that available facts suggested that N10 billion ecological fund was released to five states, among which was Ekiti State.
Olatunbosun’s words: “We want to challenge Governor Fayose to tell Ekiti people how he spent the N2billion Ekiti ecological fund he collected on December 30, 2014. On that day, N10 billion was released to five states, among which are Bauchi and Ekiti states, that collected N2 billion each.
“Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has already told the people of his state the projects to be executed with the money. Instead of Governor Fayose to do the same, immediately he collected the money, he jetted out to Dubai for days without any indication that he had gone there officially on behalf of Ekiti people. It was later Ekiti people learnt about the lavish lifestyle of the governor in the galleries of highbrow hotels and merry-making centres in the bustling economic hub of the Middle East.”
Olatubosun said denying ever collecting the ecological fund on state television was no longer tenable in the face of incontrovertible evidence that the governor actually collected the money, including the refunds of money Governor Kayode Fayemi spent on federal projects in the state.
The statement added: “Governor Fayose denied ever collecting refunds of the money Governor Fayemi spent of federal projects in the state. Four days after Fayose made this denial on the state television, the Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said publicly at President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti that the Federal Government had refunded money spent on the federal projects executed by Ekiti State government, including Ado-Ifaki and Ado-Akure roads.”
Olatubosun said the APC learnt Adeyeye was scolded for making that public disclosure.
He added: “Why are they crucifying Adeyeye for saying the truth? Even though we don’t want to believe that our governor was part of ‘January rush’ acquisition of prime properties in Dubai, his unofficial journey to Dubai for a whole week after collecting the money raises our fears that Ekiti State might have run into trouble again after difficulty to resolve the alleged N1.3 billion poultry project fraud over which the EFCC had taken the governor to court.”
The APC spokesman said it is an act of callousness for the governor to have that huge capital without any plan to tell the people how he wants to spend the money for the development of the state.
He added that it is sheer act of wickedness and insensitivity to continue to owe workers their salary after collecting September allocation and other refunds running into billions without consideration for the payment of workers’ salary arrears.
Olatunbosun said: “The governor cannot be brazenly telling the workers that he won’t pay September salary because he was not the governor in September. Why did he not reject September allocation because he was not governor in September? He should tell Ekiti people where September allocation is. He must also surrender the ecological fund and other refunds he has collected from the Federal Government for development purposes and salaries of workers.”
But the Ekiti State Government has described it as falsehood.
The state government said: “APC should rather defend the N1.5 billion allegedly donated by Dr Kayode Fayemi to the campaign fund of the party’s presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).”
The Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the lie about receipt of ecological fund was just a ploy to cover up the N1.5 billion that Fayemi stole from Ekiti State treasury and donated to Buhari’s campaign.
He challenged the APC to explain to Ekiti State workers why Fayemi refused to pay their August and September salaries as well as three months cooperative societies deductions despite that he received allocation from Abuja till September 2014.
Olayinka said it was not true that N2 billion was paid by the Federal government to Ekiti State in December, adding: “The last time a State like Bauchi that the APC liars claimed to have also received the ecological fund got such fund was August 2014.”
He said further: “In this age of infotech, all that is needed to be done on issues like this is to search the Internet because Federal Government won’t release ecological to five states without the media reporting it.”
On the alleged payment of N22 billion to the state as refund on the contraction of Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki and Ado-Akure roads, Olayinka said: “is Ado-Akure road under construction? The answer is no!
“How then can Ekiti State government get paid for a job not done? And how much was Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki road awarded? Initially, the road was for N7.4bn by the Segun Oni led government. Fayemi increased it to over N11bn.
“How sensible is it therefore that N22bn was paid to Ekiti State as a refund on an N11bn road project?
“The truth is Ekiti State government under Governor Ayodele Fayose has not received any special fund from the Federal Government and it is important that the APC lying machine should begin to manufacture another lie.”