From Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed its readiness to drag former Governor Ayodele Fayose to court if he fails to make satisfactory clarification over N400 million earmarked for the construction of Ado-Akure road in 2014.
It also urged the former governor to explain why it terminated the reconstruction of Ekiti portion of the road awarded to KOPEC construction company in 2014 without justifiable reason.
In his response, Fayose told the party to refrain from constituting itself into a court of law or anti-graft agency that would be judging people on issue of alleged corruption, urging it to petition the EFCC if it has evidence against him.
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Fayose had last week lambasted the federal government over the deplorable nature of the road, which he said has become a death trap to commuters.
Addressing newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ade Ajayi, said: “The APC as a responsible and patriotic party will drag the former governor to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission if he fails to give satisfactory explanation about the money.”
Ajayi said it was sad that the former governor could make indicting comment about the road, despite knowing that he was allegedly instrumental to its deplorable state, urging the former governor to rather “shut up if he could not explain the whereabouts of the money.”
He added further: ” We are not accusing the former governor Fayose of embezzlement, but he must explain why he terminated Ado- Akure road contract. The public wants to know whether he terminated that contract for Afao road, because the Ado-Akure road is very germane to our economy in Ekiti.
“The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the federal government, had shown interest to reconstruct the road. Why was the former governor now lamenting? We were able to decode that he had ulterior motive, which was to dent the image of the governor, Kayode Fayemi.
“When we asked him about how he spent the money, he dodged the question and we were baffled, because we expected him to say the truth. All Ekiti and members of the public knew that Fayose was responsible for the bad state of the road by revoking the contract after the contractor had mobilised to site.
“Why would a person who was responsible for the deplorable state of the road should now be lamenting? We are baffling over this? He should tell us where the money went rather than lamenting. Our people must be careful with the politics he was playing”, he said.
The APC assured the people that Governor Fayemi won’t treat the issue of their well being with kid’s gloove.
“This Fayose that was lamenting spent N17 billion on flyover that is not necessary. It could have been better if such money was spent on roads across the state.
“Governor Fayemi has reawarded Oye-Ayede-Otun, Ilupeju- Ire -Igbemo-Ijan and Ode-Isinbode-Omuo roads. He should bury his head in shame. Anytime he is in Ekiti, he should ruminate on his past and how he got it wrong .
“We want to warn that APC won’t tolerate any dirty politics from him”, the party stated.
But replying further, Fayose added: “if they have any evidence that I have committed any financial infraction as governor, they should inform the EFCC.
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“They are coming up with lies that somebody earmarked N400 million. If Fayemi earmarked N400 million, why didn’t he use the money to fix the road? He spent four years from 2010 to 2014, so for four years, all he could do was to earmark money. “The dualised portion of Ado–Ikere Road was rehabilitated by Fayose when he was governor. Fayose also extended the dualisation to Ikere Roundabout, if PDP was not robbed in the 2018 election, the arrangement was for that road to have been dualised to Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti.
“By now, what have they done? Fayemi is running to two years in office now, what have they done? The roads are there, APC is in government in Ondo State, APC is in government in Ekiti State, they cannot put resources together and make the road useable.”