The outgoing Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said he is ready to face the investigation team of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to a media report, the EFCC had already set up a special team to grill the governor for allegedly receiving over N1.2bn from a former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.) through a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Fayose, who said he had a clear conscience, told the commission to expect him in its office on October 16, a day after the expiration of his tenure.
“He who has clear conscience fears no foe. The EFCC should still expect me at 1pm next Tuesday,” he said.
Fayose spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of a new school he built in his Afao-Ekiti home country as part of his legacies projects in the state.
At the event, he asked workers to collect their outstanding four months’ salaries from the incoming governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi. He said the funds he could have used to pay them as expected had been withheld by the Federal Government ahead of Fayemi’s resumption.
“They paid other states Paris Refund, they didn’t pay Ekiti; Fayemi should help me pay the money.
“They didn’t pay Ekiti N2.2bn Budget Support Fund; my promise is fulfilled but the money is in the hands of the government, they should help me to pay.”
The governor told the gathering that he did not borrow money from anywhere to fund any of the projects.
“With all these legacy projects, I didn’t borrow any dime. I do not owe any debt, if they say I owe, they should show evidence of the transaction.
“Besides, no governor can borrow without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance and the Debt Management Office.”
Fayose urged the incoming administration not to neglect the school or abandon any legacy project. He said the school named Gifted Academy International would receive students from Ekiti and outside on 50:50 ratio.
“The school is equipped with modern equipment, laboratories, furniture and Closed-Circuit Television for surveillance,” he said.
Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have said they have confidence in the State governor, Ayodele Fayose.
The lawmakers also distanced themselves from the alleged plot to impeach the governor following the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress candidate in the July 14 governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The Speaker of the House, Kola Oluwawole, had on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged invasion of the Assembly premises by riot policemen in order to pave the way for the three APC members of the House to reconvene a week after the members had gone on recess.
He accused the APC lawmakers of forging the signature of the clerk, Mr. Tola Esan, in a letter purportedly written to request police protection.
But speaking after paying a solidarity visit to the governor on Friday, the Spokesperson for the Assembly, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, on behalf of the 23 members said they remained loyal to Fayose.
The chairman, House Committee on Information, said the Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers were fully in support of the move by the party’s candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, to reclaim his mandate.
He said,
“We are here on a solidarity visit to the Governor and to show our displeasure to the stealing of the mandate freely given to Prof kolapo Olusola. We also want to use this medium to register our displeasure to the illegality being perpetrated by security agencies threatening to make the state ungovernable.
“As you can see, we are 23 members and 21 is present here. Mrs. Titi Owolabi is not here because she is bereaved, and one of us travelled overseas. We are 26 members; three are on the other side. We are united and irrevocably committed to the cause of Fayose.
“We are solidly behind him and our party the PDP. We support the decision of the party to go to court to retrieve the stolen mandate and also to tell the whole world that if 23 members are on the same page, we want to see how they want to use three members to perpetuate illegality in the state.
The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti was on Sunday shut indefinitely following violent protest by students over the death of two of them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that trouble began on the institution’s campus late Friday, when two of the students reportedly complained of malaria. They were said to have been rushed to the Polytechnic Health Centre for treatment, but their condition later became worse. They died in the early hours of Saturday.
The Registrar of the institution, Mrs. Sade Adediran announced the immediate and indefinite closure of the school. Adediran did not however confirm whether any student actually died at the Polytechnic Health Centre, said to be the trigger for the violent protest.
The statement warned that any student found on campus after the closure would be apprehended and made to face the consequences.
NAN gathered from campus sources that the students on learning that their colleagues had died, quickly mobilised themselves, marched to the Health Centre and burnt it down. Apart from also destroying some other property, the students blocked all roads leading to the institution preventing free movement of vehicles.
One of the students, who asked not to be mentioned, condemned the attitude of the polytechnic authorities over their welfare and well-being. He alleged that the only drug available at the health centre was paracetamol. According to him, paracetamol was also given the two students who were taken to the centre, instead of being given effective malaria drugs or injection.
Source
The Guardian
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