APC, Fayemi are frustrating my efforts to pay salaries - Fayose
- Governor Fayose has blamed the federal government and his predecessor for his inability to pay salary arrears
- He alleged that the government decided to withhold funds due to a lawsuit signed by his predecessor, Kayode Fayemi
- However, Fayemi’s camp denied the allegations and accused the governor of simply trying to score cheap political points
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his predecessor, Kayode Fayemi, of frustrating his efforts to pay salary arrears of the state’s civil servants, Punch reports.
The governor made his comments on Wednesday, January 31, at a press conference in Ado Ekiti, the state’s capital.
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Legit.ng gathers that Fayose accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of stopping the payments due to Ekiti state as refund of road projects, which he intended to use to pay salaries. He alleged that the government’s action was due to a lawsuit filed by Fayemi.
The governor disclosed that he was able to give the assurance to workers that he would not leave office as a debtor because he had hoped that the money would be paid.
He stated: “It is with heavy heart and deep sense of responsibility that I address you today on the latest display of deep seated hatred against Ekiti state and its people by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, especially the minister of mines and steel development, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
“When I said that I won’t leave office as a debtor of salary, I was sure that the over N12bn owed the state by the federal government on construction and rehabilitation of federal roads will be paid this month.
“However, I’m shocked that in their usual characteristics of working against every effort to alleviate the sufferings of the people, Dr Fayemi through his commissioner for finance, Dapo Kolawole, went to court in Abeokuta seeking an order that the N11bn refund should not be paid to my administration.
“Because of this court action, the refund that should have been made this month is said to have been stopped.”
However, in response, Kolawole accused the governor of leveling such accusations in order to score cheap political points. He denied that he and Fayemi were blocking money due to the state.
In his words: “As to whether he will pay workers, all the money he has been earning before, was he paying workers? All the bailouts, budget support, monthly allocations, was he paying workers? Ask him.
“I have gone to court to defend my name. He has received money more than Fayemi. Have you ever heard from him that the federal government owes the state before? Which salaries; the money they have been giving him in the past, can’t he pay salaries?”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was restrained by the Federal High Court from investigating the finances of the Ekiti state government.
The court sitting in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, January 30, held that the anti-graft agency lacked the powers to investigate the finances of a state, adding that in federalism, the federal government is not an overseer or supervisor regarding finances of a state.
The verdict by the court was shared by Governor Ayo Fayose on Twitter.
Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do - on Legit.ng TV:
Source: Legit.ng
