Fayose: 809 ghost workers uncovered in Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has revealed that a total number of 809 ghost workers have been uncovered in the verification exercise recently conducted by his administration.

The governor also declared his intent to unveil the list of his commissioners-designate within 48 hours.

The governor who spoke Thursday evening during his monthly media chat, “Meet Your Governor,” said he waited so long in appointing more commissioners because the state had no money to pay their salaries and allowances.

The governor had been working with three commissioners who were ratified by seven former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers who did not form a quorum in a 26-member House of Assembly.

The three commissioners are Owoseni Ajayi (Justice), Toyin Ojo (Finance and Economic Development) and Kayode Oso (Works and Infrastructure).

Fayose pledged not to appoint more than fourteen commissioners meaning that only eleven commissionership positions are available for intending hundreds of party men and loyalists.

He promised to forward the list of the nominees to the Assembly for screening and ratification to speed up the wheel of governance

Giving an update on the recent staff verification exercise, the governor disclosed that a total of 49,066 had so far been screened out of who 48,257 were verified leaving a total of 809 ghost workers.

Expressing regrets with the inferno which gutted the Erekesan Market (Oja Oba) in Ado Ekiti, Fayose said occupants of the market said had up till August to leave their shops for Fayemi Market along Moferere-Agric Road and Awedele Market along Basiri Road.

He lamented that the fire incident which consumed the market recently could have been prevented if there was a way men of the state fire services could get inside the market to put out the fire.

Fayose assured that the new market to be constructed would have facilities such as police station, functional fire station as well as parking space, befitting of a state capital.

The governor revealed that a number of measures had been designed by his government towards ensuring that the current economic crisis in the country did not bite too much on the people of the state.

He explained that his administration would explore all available means towards improving internally-generated revenue in the state.

Fayose advised those who bought plots of land as well as homes from the state government since 2003, but who were yet to pay up to do the needful within a reasonable period of time to avoid such facilities from being reclaimed from them.

Speaking on security, Fayose threatened that any resident who allowed his house or building to be used either as accommodation or warehouse by armed robbers would have such property demolished immediately.

He also threatened to seize farmlands where cultivation of Indian hemp is discovered in any part of the state.