THE immediate past governor of Ekiti State,Dr.Kayode Fayemi, yesterday hit back at his successor, Governor Ayo Fayose ,warning him against using falsehood as a tool of governance.
Fayemi who was responding for the first time to allegations levelled at him by Fayose said that the deployment of deceit as an official policy of administration would not help the government in any way.
He challenged the governor to probe him if he was sure that he (Fayemi) plundered the state of its resources . “If they have anything against me let them institute a probe, I am ready for it,” he said.
He cited the allegation that he left an N85billion debt behind as one of such lies. Fayemi said that all total debt at the time of his exit was N35billion. He spoke on Akure, Ondo State-based radio station, ADABA 88.9 FM, Friday evening.
Fayemi also dismissed Fayose’s claim that he (Fayose) left N10. 4 billion in government coffers at the time of his impeachment in October 2006.
He said that records showed that Fayose left only N3.5 billion and a lot of contractor obligations behind. For the first time, the Fayemi also revealed that the actual cost of the new Government House otherwise known as Ayoba Villa is N2.1 billion.
He said the cost of the complex is lower than any other newly constructed state Government House in the country and that the Fayose Administration which has been critical of the execution of the project is currently using marble in parts of the complex.
“It is not only fully completed but it is also fully furnished. It is the cheapest Government House built by any government in the 36 states of the federation in recent times.
“That of Plateau State cost N10 billion and that of Kaduna cost N9 billion but we built our own at the cost of N2.1 billion and they are presently doing marble work on the same Government House and they are also doing the roads we have completed.
“If he (Fayose) says he refused to move there, why is he lighting up the place by powering it with diesel? I know the meetings he is holding there because it is a four-in-one building.
“But for you to try and make excuses that is not acceptable. If God helps you to be there even if you cheat your way to be there, you need to thank God for the favour He has shown you.
“These lies are unfounded, it is not expected from somebody holding that exalted position. You are sleeping there, your wife is sleeping there.
“Do we have N50 million worth of bed in this world? I want people to ask him to produce the bed of N50 million. I don’t give contract by the words of the mouth, I have papers and documents to back them up and I don’t award contracts to my brothers and family members.”
He also carpeted Fayose for claiming in his monthly media chat earlier in the day that the new Government House is yet to be completed maintaining that “the edifice is not only completed but is also fully furnished.”
He said claims that each of the beds he bought for the complex cost N50million was false as no bed anywhere in the world costs that kind of amount.
He warned Fayose to stop peddling lies and face the serious business of governance instead of reducing governance to comedy which, he noted, is portraying Ekiti in bad light in the comity of states in Nigeria and before the international community.
Fayemi also gave Fayose hard knocks for claiming that all the brand new vehicles he (Fayemi) bought for traditional rulers have not been paid for.
Fayemi insisted that the cars which were purchased from Coscharis Motors have been paid for admitting that it is only official cars purchased for senior civil servants from the same company that are yet to be paid for. The ex-governor noted that the wrong information being fed the world by Fayose resulted from deliberate mischief or lack of proper briefing by concerned officials.
He admitted that his administration sourced N25 billion from the Capital Market to execute projects that have generated jobs which are also yielding revenue into the coffers of government.
These include Ekiti Parapo Square, Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ire Burnt Bricks, Ayoba Villa, College of Technical Agriculture, among others are now worth over N100 billion.
Contrary to Fayose’s claims that N1.5 billion is deducted from Ekiti allocation every month, Fayemi argued that N500 million is deducted from the state allocation.
Fayemi stressed that for the whole four years he was in office, the only month his administration failed to pay workers’ salaries was September.
He added that secondary school teachers were also owed August salaries which he attributed to problems with their banks.
The former governor claimed that Fayose who had since received the September allocation has refused to pay the September salaries to workers describing the action as “callous, ungodly and immoral”.
According to him, his administration had problems paying the September salaries because Fayose allegedly went to the banks and directed them to stop giving the outgoing government loans which were procured to pay salaries before allocation arrived.