Ekiti Debt: Fayose Has Money To Pay Salaries –--Ex- Finance Commissioner

A former Commissioner for Finance in Ekiti
State, Mr Dapo Kolawole, has cited “gross
incompetence” and “lack of capacity” on the
part of Governor Ayodele Fayose for the
lingering economic crisis in the state.
Kolawole, who was Commissioner for finance in
the state between 2010 and 2014, said if the
state’s resources were properly managed, the
state wouldn’t be in the present economic
mess.
The former Commissioner who spoke with
journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said despite
the economic downturn in the country, Ekiti
State could still afford to pay three months
workers salaries, thereby reducing the
economic crisis that has crippled the state.
Ekiti is owing workers’ five months salary
arrears and several months pension.
Kolawole said the state could still pay the
salaries of workers from money the government
had received in form of refunds and palliatives
in the last few months, if the administration in
the state was sincere.
The former Commissioner said the economic
crisis in the state was being compounded
because Fayose was running the government
on a negative goodwill, having failed to attract
support from developmental agencies,
institutions as well as well meaning citizens of
the state.
Specifically, Kolawole challenged Fayose to
explain why he is owing local government
workers, despite the fact that the local
government fund comes directly from the
federation account.
He also challenged the governor to explain to
Ekiti indigenes what happened to the Federal
Government’s refund on federal roads.
He pointed out that the state is suffering today
because the governor lacked the required
creativity, intellectual ability and the capacity
to lead in critical moments.
He alluded to other state governments who
have embraced the task of governance with
every sense of responsibility, thereby
repositioning their states.
“But what do we have in Ekiti. We have
someone who never promised anything, so
could not deliver anything.”, said Kolawole, who
added that Fayose lacks the required capacity
to lead at critical moment.
The former Commissioner who admitted that
the immediate past administration in the state
headed by Dr Kayode Fayemi took loans, said
the various loans taken by the administration
were tied to regenerative projects and with a
well structured repayment plan, that had a
seven year term at the maximum.
He wondered why the incumbent administration
in the state refused to apply the refunds to
meet the loan repayment as planned.
Kolawole said: “Yes we took a bond of
N25billion, and the repayment plan was well
structured. 50 percent of the loan was
regenerative and 50 per cent social
infrastructure like road, bridges and water
projects. And the repayment was tied to some
specific receipts from the federation account.
“For the loans taken at commercial banks, it
was for four years. And the repayment was to
have come from the various refunds from the
federal government. But owing to dirty politics
by the then PDP-led federal government, we
were denied the refunds simply because we
were going for election.
“Now that the Fayose administration has been
paid substantial parts of the refund, instead for
the administration to use the refund to pay the
loan, he restructured the loan for another 20
years, and then diverted the money.
“The governor’s claim that the state has a N2.6
billion monthly wage is criminal. Under Fayemi,
the monthly wage bill was N2.6billion, and you
remember that include the payment of N5,000
monthly social security stipends to 20,000
indigent elderly citizens. It also include 10,000
youth volunteers, 800 peace corps and 300
members of EKSTMA and other initiatives.
“Under Fayose, all social security for the
elderly was scrapped, peace corps scrapped,
EKSTMA scrapped. The governor even said he
expunged 500 ghost workers from the nominal
roll. Add that to the fact that about 50 workers
retires on monthly basis from the service
without corresponding employment. How then
can Fayose claim to have N2.6billion monthly
wages as did Fayemi?”
“These and several questions must be asked
and answers must be provided in order for the
state to move forward.
“For instance, Fayose must be asked what he
did with the loans he had taken in the last few
months. This include N10 billion bank loan;
N9.6billion bailout; N2billion micro credit fund
obtained from CBN as well as monthly
allocations and IGR for 20 months which
remained largely unaccounted for.
“On the debt figures credited to Fayose, I doubt
if you can trust him on anything? He is highly
inconsistent with figures he brandishes around:.
On his inauguration pamphlet, he put the debt
profile at N86 billion just to get the sympathy
of the former President Jonathan on financial
support for his government. Later he put it at
N96billion and N68 billion at different fora.Now,
he is saying it’s N31billion. Can you beat that
level of inconsistency?
“Our party, the APC in the state has challenged
the DMO to publish the true debt portfolio of
the state to put an end to the frivolous claims
by Fayose. I think it is time the DMO comes up
with the exact figure”, Kolawole added.
It is high time Fayose faces the serious task of
governance and do away with brigandage. A
government that plays on the intelligence of its
workers by giving them bank payment alerts
only to withdraw it hours later is not only
mean, it is criminal.
“A creative and compassionate government
would still find ways to make life more
meaningful for its citizens. But the Fayose
administration is irredeemably a one –man
show, by one-man and for one-man.”, he
added.