The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of his old practice of falsehood and blackmail to divert the people’s attention from proven cases of sharp practices in governance.
The APC said Fayose’s party, the People’s Democratic Party, allegation of diversion of N4 billion by former Governor Kayode Fayemi was to take the people’s attention from the N720 million he awarded himself as salary arrears for his unfinished first time, while at the same time owing workers salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.
A statement by Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatubosun, expressed dismay that the governor was just realising that N4 billion was diverted by Fayemi after eight months in office and after he was exposed as an enemy of workers, having owed workers’ salaries and pensions at the time he awarded himself N720 million and paying back N650 million to his election contractors.
The APC said: “It is laughable that as much as 4billion was diverted and or embezzled by the Fayemi administration and Fayose is just knowing eight months after assumption of office, pretending that a kangaroo verification exercise had revealed this. This is better told to the marines!
“Fayemi had earlier offered his administration for probe when Fayose started a similar campaign of calumny to cover his tracks in financial mismanagement but the governor had no courage for such exercise because there was nothing to probe.
“Fayose is at it again in his usual funny game to divert Ekiti people’s attention from his sharp practices in governance. This is an afterthought that exposes his ignorance and confusion. If Fayose is sure of his facts, he should not waste time in taking his case to the EFCC.
“There is no deduction anywhere. It is not possible. Even though for the two years that federal allocations to the state dwindled with as much as N500 million, Fayemi was still paying workers’ salaries with overdraft until Fayose as Governor-elect wrote to banks to stop it, so how was any deduction and diversion possible under that situation?
“The biometric system was so transparent such that it did not allow ghost workers syndrome, but since the PDP is now saying its government had detected 1,000 ghost workers, we are interested in unmasking the ghosts, which we believe is the governor’s making and we demand that the names of these ghost workers be published.”
The APC spokesman said Fayose and the should approach the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with their claim, including the list of workers used to siphon funds.
Olatubosun said Fayemi would be willing to defend his financial transactions in government with facts and figures.
He said this lie is coming now because APC had put Fayose’s administration on the spot over inability to pay workers salary, including alleged N650 million to election his contractors monthly, stoppage of poverty reduction programmes of his predecessor at the time he is facing N1.3 billion poultry fraud case in court while also awarding himself N720 million salary arrears.
The statement added: “We want to say that this diversionary tactic has failed. Fayose had said on several occasions that the greatest weapon in politics and governance is tellies lies.
“All Nigerians, Ekiti people in particular, know the kind of human being Fayose is and so they would not be deceived by this diversionary tactic to continue to owe workers’ salaries and pensions to retirees.
“With money saved from cancellations of empowerment schemes, refusal to fund security agencies, job cuts, cuts in allowances, refund of N24b by the Federal Government, six moratorium on bond repayment, abandonment of capital projects initiated by Fayemi and non-award of fresh capital projects, APC will not stop from asking the governor to fulfil his obligations to Ekiti people.”
Olatubosun urged Fayose to show his development blueprint and achievements eight months in the saddle instead of engaging in lies, mindless private comfort and encouraging indolence and crimes among youths.