Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ekiti State, has slammed Governor John Kayode Fayemi over the alleged approval of some funds for himself and wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi.
The party alleged that the governor’s intention was to milk the state dry not minding the poor resources and allocation accruing to it.
According to a statement, on Tuesday, by the state’s Publicity Secretary of PDP, Jackson Adebayo, the party described the budget of N2 billion by the governor for his traveling allowances as allegedly stipulated in the state’s 2019 budget and alleged increment of his security votes to N250 billion, as part of his agenda of milking the state dry in his second term mission.
But the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Fayemi, Yinka Oyebode, denied the claims of the PDP, saying they are baseless and unfounded.
He, therefore, challenged the party to bring forth its evidence.
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The PDP said, “The governor (Fayemi) has again proved that the welfare of the workers in Ekiti State is not as paramount as what goes to his pocket and family in the face of inability to facilitate the payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000.
“Governor Fayemi believes that Ekiti people could be manipulated financially as he did in elections hence his resolve to corner money meant for the development of the State in different guises as the 2019 budget depicts.
“PDP recalled that when Fayemi assumed office as governor, one of the first thing he did was to increase his security vote to Two Hundred and fifty Billion Naira with another whooping sum running into Billions to the office of his wife against the constitution and convention.”
The Party also alleged that instead of paying the newly-approved minimum wage of N30,000, out of the more than N11 billion Paris refund allegedly accrued to the state, Governor Fayemi cornered the funds for personal use by the governor and later claimed he had used the money for his road patching project to cover up after outcry by the public.
Adebayo added that the governor did not blink an eye to mop up money left in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) left by the immediate past governor Ayo Fayose, an amount in Billions also for himself; which he covered up with the next leg of the SUBEB fund that was released when he assumed office.
When asked to react to PDP’s claims, Oyebode said, “Did they give you the evidence of the funds?…it is not enough to make senseless and baseless allegations all in the name of opposition, they must give the evidence”, he said.