EKITI: APC dismisses allegation of N4b fraud against former Gov Fayemi

Kayode Fayemi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has dismissed the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that former Governor Kayode Fayemi diverted about N4 billion state funds to the party.

The APC in a statement on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun described the allegation as laughable and an attempt to divert the attention of the people of Ekiti from its own allegation that Gov Ayo Fayose allegedly paid himself N720 million as salaries and allowances for his unfinished first term.

The APC which also described the PDP allegation as an afterthought wondered why it took the ruling party eight months to come out with the allegation noting that Fayemi had times without number challenged Fayose to proceed to anti-corruption agencies if he (Fayose) has any concrete evidence against him (Fayemi).

While noting that Fayose and PDP's resort to "old practice of falsehood and blackmail" to divert Ekiti people's attention from proven cases of sharp practices in governance won't succeed, the APC challenged the governor to offer explanation on the N720 million salary bazaar and N650 million deducted monthly into the purse of an "election contractor."

The PDP had on Sunday alleged that Fayemi diverted over N4 billion raised from workers' deductions "for sharing from time to time in the APC secretariat in the four years that his administration lasted."

The umbrella party also claimed that the 'deal' was exposed during the workers' verification exercise claiming that it obtained the information from some workers 'involved'.

The APC in a statement on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the latest allegation from the ruling party came because it (APC) has put the Fayose-led government on the spot on on the governor's temerity to award himself N720 million financial entitlements from his unfinished first term at a period he couldn't pay workers' salaries.

He challenged Fayose to provide evidence to the whole world by approaching the statutory agencies charged with responsibilities of fighting graft or shut up and stop insulting the sensibilities of Ekiti people with banal and unsubstantiated allegations.

 Olatubosun 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," he added.

The APC spokesman said the governor and his party should approach the EFCC with their claim, including the list of workers used to siphon funds. He 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 challenged  Fayose's government over monthly deductions of N650million to election his contractors, stoppage of poverty reduction programmes of his predecessor at the time he is facing N1.3b poultry fraud case in court.

Olatunbosun 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-month 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."

The APC spokesman urged the governor 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.