Ekiti: Fayose, Fayemi Intensify Bickerings Over N84bn Debt

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday continued to lock horns over the state’s debt profile.Fayose had claimed that Fayemi left a debt of N84 billion for the state at his inauguration.

He also flayed the former governor for building the new Governor’s Lodge, Ayoba House, for a whooping N3.3 billion.

Speaking on behalf of his principal, Special Assistant on Information and Social Media to Fayose, Mr. Lere Olayinka, described the new Government House as an act of insensitivity to the plight of Ekiti people, adding that no progressive-minded person would see the lodge and not weep for the state and its people: “The governor (Fayose) would have preferred to sell out the property and use the fund to provide basic amenities and employment opportunities for the people.

“The plan was for Fayemi to run government from  the comfort of Oke-Ayoba Government House and move from there to anywhere he wants without the people seeing him. That’s also the reason he (Fayemi) refused to renovate the Governor’s Office, leaving it in a state of disrepair because he knew that he was not going to use the office during his second term.

“Also, contract for the maintenance of the property was already awarded for N150million per annum. When we visited the Government House for the first time, Mr Governor was like; how I wish I can sell off this place or turn it to commercial use? It is simply wicked for a governor to be more interested in this manner of ostentatious comfort at the expense of the people.

“The bed on which Fayemi slept before he left government alone costs over N30 million! That of his wife costs over N20 million! Between Fayemi and his wife, what was spent on their bedrooms, toilets and bathrooms will be in the region of N100 million.

“How can a responsible government use borrowed fund to provide this kind of luxury for the governor and his family alone in a state where a lot of people cannot afford to feed once in a day?”

However, Fayemi faulted the claims.He said Fayose aggravated the debt profile to N84 billion from N36 billion.

A statement by his former Chief Press secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the indebtedness of the state as at October 15, 2014 is N36,316,017,758.93. Of this amount,  N7,830,636,440.62 represents foreign loans incurred by previous government since the days of the old Ondo State.

The remaining N28, 485,38, 316.31 represents internal loan. This include inherited loans from previous government and outstanding balance (debt) of  the bond taken at the Capital Market.

“In spite of this, the Federal Government is owing the state the sum of N17,710,728,299.06.

“It is our belief that Mr Fayose was hasty in making a pronouncement on the state of the state’s finances and other matters without first going through the handing over note which contains explicit details of government transactions and financial situation. Nothing can be more mischievous and irresponsible than this.

“It is also pertinent to state that the governor’s claims that the former administration owed two months salaries is dubious. The only salary being owed the state workers is that of September and the development was sequel to the reluctance of banks to give the state facilities following sundry allegations of collaboration levelled against the banks by Fayose.

“In all this, the Debt Management Office (DMO), a Federal Government agency, still rates Ekiti State as one of the least indebted states in the country.”