The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has taken a swipe
at Governor Ayodele Fayose’s criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari
over charge of northern ethnic domination in his appointments so far,
saying the governor is guilty of worse insensitivity to his fellow
Ekiti people in the state appointments made so far.
Reacting to Fayose’s well-publicised criticism in the media, Publicity
Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement, described the governor
as lacking in moral authority to accuse another man of ethnic bias in
consideration for appointments. Fayose’s treatment of muslims in terms
of appointment in the state is the worst since the state was created.
Ekiti muslims were not given up to one percent of the appointments
made by the Fayose’s administration.
Explaining that while Buhari’s appointments of his personal aides were
based mainly on merit and conviction that they would deliver good
services to lift Nigeria out of the woods, Fayose’s consideration for
appointments was based on narrow selfish motives for
self-preservation.
“While Buhari considered competence, merit and track records of sound
morality in public conduct in the appointments of his personal aides,
self-preservation is the major criterion for appointments in Fayose’s
government.
“This self-preservation is anchored on prospects of the vulnerability
of the appointees to manipulation and family affinity which Fayose
believes he can exploit to enable him have a firm grip on the state
and do whatever he wants with the fortunes of Ekiti people without
restraints,” he said.
Olatubosun said while Buhari saw hard-working and honest Nigerians as
having equal rights to political appointments to render their services
to the nation, Fayose’s choice of appointees was based on loyalty of
such appointees to serve his personal interests.
Listing instances where Fayose chose personal interest above state’s
interest in appointments, Olatunbosun said: “In the twilight of
President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Governor Fayose chose
73-year-old Ambassador Toye Olofintuyi from his (Fayose)
Irepodun/Ifelodun local government as Ekiti State representative at
the Federal Civil Service Commission against the wishes of party
leaders.
“Fayose’s Chief of Staff is from the governor’s ward. His Personal
Assistant, Secretary of the Local Government Education Authority and
the chairman of Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA) are all
from Afao-Ekiti, the governor’s home town.
“Also the chairman of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government is from
Afao-Ekiti. State and local government Chairmen of PDP are from
Afao-Ekiti, the State Secretary of PDP is from Afao-Ekiti, the same
with the chairman of the State Task Force on Petroleum Distribution
and Monitoring.
“The governor’s Special Assistant on Security is his cousin from
Afao-Ekiti, which is not up to a ward in a state that has 177 wards
while political appointees in the Odua Group of Companies are all from
Afao-Ekiti.”
Olatunbosun added: “In a seven-member board and commission, Fayose
appointed two members from the same town who are his cronies while the
Igbo, Urhobo, Ebira and Hausa people he appointed into Christian and
Muslims Pilgrims Boards are his personal aides.”
He added that in the Christian Pilgrims Board, Fayose appointed two
people from the same local government into a board of seven members
while in Judicial Service Commission, he appointed two people from the
same town.
Dismissing Fayose as an unconscionable politician in his relationship
with fellow Ekiti people, Olatubosun said the governor was an apostle
of impunity and reckless disregard for the nation’s law, noting that
what mattered to the governor was close family affinity and political
cleavages that would serve his personal interest.
He said: “Fayose’s first law in politics is that of
self-preservation. He believes this can only be guaranteed if he
engages his family members and cleavages he maintains from other
political parties to which he had earlier defected before returning to
PDP to marginalize members that built PDP into a strong party to face
APC in the last elections.
“Today, he has elevated members of his former Labour Party and those
of Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA) who defected with him to PDP
above original PDP members he has marginalised.
“Again, Fayose converted Ado-Ikere-Akure road boundary to his town
road contract. Even though Ikere-Akure road contract sum is higher
than that of Afao road contract, contract variation cash has ended in
private pocket.”
Pleading with President Buhari and other Nigerians to ignore Fayose in
his crude and “area boy” antics, Olatubosun said Ekiti people “are
ashamed of Fayose in the way he conducts himself, particularly his
unrestrained attacks on the President and other wild and outlandish
public conducts that portrayed Ekiti State in bad image”.