Fayemi squandered N400bn in 40 months -Bamidele
• He's a liar, says Info commissioner
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, Hon Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday alleged that Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi got over four hundred billion naira (N400billion) in forty months, which he claimed was badly managed in view of the value of projects done since he got to office on October 16, 2010.
Bamidele who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Labour party,(LP) in the forthcoming elections in the state, disclosed this yesterday in Iyin-Ekiti, during the Ward Congress of the party, which was held in all the 177 wards of the state.
Shortly after making the speech, about 500 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defected to the LP, declaring their unwillingness to be part of the deception of the APC.
Explaining how the governor got the N400billion, Bamidele said Federal Government monthly allocation to the state was about N3billion,which they have collected in 40months, amounting to N120billion.
Monthly allocation to the 16 local governments was about N3billion and in forty months amounted to another N120billion,he said.
He further said that because the governor has yet to conduct local government elections, all the funds meant for the councils were spent by the State Government.
Bamidele said, 'Fayemi became the Governor of Ekiti State on October 16, 2010. By calculation, it is now 40months. The sum of N3 billion comes to the State every month. So, if we take the aggregate, Ekiti has taken the sum of N120 billion.
'Again, all the 16 Local Governments take N3 billion monthly and this amounts to N120 billion in 40 months. If we sum it up with the excess crude accruals, we will be having about N320 billion,since the state has benefited six times.
We also receive money from the SURE-P, MDGs ,
Ecological Funds and the N25 billion taken from the Capital Market.
'Rather than for Fayemi to be running after people like us,or sponsoring fake persons to destabilize the Labour Party, he should be ready to tell Ekiti people how he had expended over N400 billion he has taken from the Federation Account in 40 months'.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Tayo Ekundayo, in his response to the allegation, said Bamidele should tell Ekiti people how he arrived at the figure, saying all he said were mere lies meant to tarnish the image of the government.
Ekundayo said, 'Where did he get the figure from? What is the entire money coming to the state in a year? This is political season, people will conjure all sorts of lies. There was never a time we got N3 billion monthly allocation. If he could tell lies in this regard, he is capable of telling lies on other issues. He is just running his mouth.'
Bamidele, however insisted that the state has been turned into a rumour mill since he declared his governorship ambition, saying no amount of rumour peddling, or obstacles placed on his way by suspected government agents would dissuade him from yielding to the clarion call from Ekiti people.
The Federal lawmaker, who has been having a running battle with Fayemi and leaders of APC over his governorship ambition, said the Akin Omole-led LP executive was recognized by law, adding that no frivolous court case can change the present leadership of the party.
Commenting on the injunction some members of the party had sought at the Ekiti High Court last Friday to stall the Congress, Bamidele expressed dismay that Fayemi had allegedly been sponsoring a splinter group in LP to destabilize it.
He vowed that the state leadership of the party cannot be stampeded by any group to vacate office.
'You can see today that our Congresses in all the wards were done under the scrutiny of INEC. So, the rumour that Omole-led executive had been restrained through Court judgement was a mere lie. There is nothing they have not done to stop me from contesting, but I will subdue them by the grace of God.
' I want to tell them that I am not a gambler. I am a serious contender, and I am here to win election for Ekiti people', Bamidele said.
He added that if 'for nearly four years, Fayemi can not provide pipe-borne water for Ekiti people, in spite of money he claimed was spent on water projects, he should start preparing his handing over notes, rather than continuing to deceive people.' The Sun