A socio-political organisation of Ekiti youths, known as Ekiti Youth Vanguard, has berated Governor Ayodele Fayose for sponsoring protests against state workers on strike over the non-payment of their salaries spanning five months.
The group urged the governor to resign if he can’t face the challenges of governing the state.
In a statement in Ado Ekiti by its Director of Organisation, Comrade Bewaji Damilare, the group described Fayose as a “dangerously pretentious individual pretending to love the workers but denying them their legitimate salaries and still sponsoring protests to blackmail them for demanding their right from the government”.
They sympathIsed with the workers over hard times imposed on them and urged them to remain resolute and undaunted in their demand for their right in the face of harassment and intimidation by sponsored agents protesting against them on behalf of the governor.
Berating Fayose for always resorting to “lies, tricks and arm-twisting tactics” to resolve issues with Ekiti people, the group said: “It is disgraceful and fraudulent for Fayose to hire hoodlums and clothe them in drivers’ union uniforms and present them to the public as protesting against workers’ strike.
“What is the business of drivers in the civil service matter on salary? If at all the drivers will intervene, are they not supposed to be in support of the workers since the growth in their business depends on workers salaries?
“It stands logic on the head seeing drivers protesting against what will make their business to survive.
“Again, after several months of Fayose’s absence on the streets with the masses with his ‘kongo’ of rice, the governor suddenly remembered that he had a stomach infrastructure agreement with the people, as he stormed Ado-Ekiti streets yesterday distributing rice to the people to create impression that he is the masses’ friend and use that to set the people against civil servants who can no longer feed their families and pay their children’s school fees.”
The group warned the governor against blackmailing former Governor Kayode Fayemi over his ineptitude and alleged fraudulent dealings with Ekiti people and urged him to resign if incapable of facing the challenges of governing the state.
It said: “We wish to state that it is not only preposterous but also disheartening that Governor Fayose has not stopped his blame trade since he assumed office close to two years now.
“Instead of settling down to the serious business of governance, the governor has resorted to frivolity, trivializing serious business of governance by perpetually indulging in road shows buying plantains, roasted maize, drinking ‘ogogoro’ at local joints and helping traders to sell their wares just to create an impression of friendship with the people who he has no development plan for.
“More annoyingly, he has not stopped blaming Fayemi for his ineptitude and deceitful way he is dealing with the people.
“We maintain that no reasonable explanation can justify Fayose’s inability to pay workers other than he is callous, wicked and insensitive.
“For a governor that has consistently received federal allocations and generated huge IGR to owe for five months while his Security Vote is paid up-to-date is a height of selfishness and insensitivity to the workers’ plight.
“It beats our imagination that Governor Fayose has consistently peddled lies and falsehood about the financial situation of the state in his bid to misinform the workers while he keeps helping himself to the meagre resources of the state.”
The group warned the governor against sponsoring his agents to blackmail the workers, maintaining that such an act is dishonourable.
It also urged the workers to remain steadfast in the fight for their right as Ekiti people are solidly behind them.
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