The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and the All Progressives Congress in the state have differed on the state federal allocation for December.
While the governor on Tuesday claimed the state got N1.3bn as federal allocation in December, the APC claimed the state got N1.9bn while the 16 local governments received N1.6bn...
Fayose, who led a prayer session with men of God from various Christian denominations at his office in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, also prayed against those allegedly plotting to impeach him in 2016.
He prophesied that there would be events in the country in 2016 that would shake the country to its foundation.
He warned those planning his impeachment to desist or be visited by the wrath of God, describing himself as an anointed leader, who could not be brought down by any evil machination.
Fayose added, “We must pray for the unity of this country, because some events will happen in Nigeria in 2016 that will shake the country to its roots.
“I also want you to pray that whoever plots against me or my government should be disgraced. I never knew how I came back to government for a second term, because I was down and out, but the power of God brought me back.
“The Bible makes me to understand that if you want to conquer me, you should first conquer God and I know nobody can conquer our Creator. So, whoever plots against me, either at the federal or state level or wherever shall be put to reproach.”
The governor, who begged the religious leaders to continue to preach to their congregation to pay their taxes, denied the widespread insinuation that he was planning to impose taxes on churches, adding that the new taxes he introduced were to shore up the revenue of the state.
“I received the worst allocation this December. The state got N1.3bn while we need N2.6bn to pay salary. So, I urge you to continue to pray for the country’s quick economic revival.
“Though, not that I have not noticed some financial recklessness perpetrated in the past, but I promised not to probe because it constitutes a distraction,” he stated.
But the APC accused the governor of not telling the truth about the financial status of the state, saying the governor received N3.6bn instead of the N1.3bn claimed by him.
The party, while saying Fayose had no excuse for not paying workers’ salaries, added that the current allocation to Ekiti State was enough to pay workers’ salaries since the governor had refused to embark on any infrastructure development in the state.
In a statement on Tuesday by its state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC said the October statutory federal allocation to the state and local governments, totalling N3.635,936,192.00, was more than enough to address workers’ pay.
The party added, “The October allocation to the state government is N1,967,380,219.98 while allocation to the 16 local governments is N1,668,555,972.02, totalling N3,635,936,192.00. This is aside the N9bn bailout, which is meant to clear the arrears of salaries but which he has diverted and yet to account for.
“If Fayose claims he spends N2.6bn on workers’ salary, which is inflated anyway, what does he do with the balance, particularly as he doesn’t have any infrastructure development spending?”
The APC spokesperson also wondered how a governor, who sacked thousands of workers, cut running grants to civil servants, refused to fund security agencies despite collecting monthly personal security vote of N250m, refused to pay pensioners and stopped monthly social security stipends to the elderly, would still not pay salary.
“Beside all these is the failure to implement any of his election campaign promises. During campaign, the governor promised to reduce the fees of the state university. After initial cut in fees, he has now asked the university authorities to go back to the old regime and at present, students are paying more than they did when Dr. Kayode Fayemi was the governor,” the statement said.
The party alleged that Ekiti State had also been banned from accessing the federal intervention fund to run primary schools and had not been able to access the Universal Basic Education Commission fund.
According to Olatubosun, the governor had also refused to pay the state’s counterpart fund in the World Bank-assisted Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency.
The APC stated, “All the development initiatives of the agency are at a standstill while its workers are being owed several months in salary arrears.
“Fayose has also ordered another World Bank project called ‘Youth Employment and Social Support Operation’ shut down because the project refused his list of beneficiaries he wanted to force on the agency.
“Even though his list could still be accommodated within the rules of the project, because he was not ready to follow the rules, the governor has asked the World Bank to go away with its money while he repainted the World Bank’s vehicles and gave them to his commissioners.
“He has also threatened to close down the EKCSDA project if the agency refuses to accept his selected priority projects, arguing that he is not in Ekiti to be dictated to by any World Bank’s rules and procedures.”
In his reaction, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi, denied that the governor allocated World Bank’s cars to his commissioners.
Admitting that World Bank projects had stopped in Ekiti, he said the problem was not peculiar to the state because “World Bank has stopped its programme in Nigeria because of economic crisis.”
Ogunsuyi said the state last accessed UBEC grants in 2012 before Fayose came into office.
He said, “Even in 2012, when the state paid, the money was withdrawn by the state government. So we inherited arrears of 2012, 2013 and 2014 when we came into government. We are also in arrears of YESSO and so many other projects that were under counterpart funding.”
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