Ekiti received N163b in four years under Fayemi, say witnesses

The Ekiti State government received N163b statutory allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) in four years under former governor Kayode Fayemi.

A witness from the Accountant General’s Office, Kehinde Odunayo, gave the figures at the Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up to probe Fayemi’s administration.He tendered documents and receipts of the allocations that accrued to the state government and deductions made before the panel.

The panel, which began sitting yesterday, also heard that Fayemi, who is now Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, allegedly made N18b unremitted deductions from the allocations received within the period under review.

The panel was set up by Governor Ayodele Fayose to probe Fayemi’s administration following a motion by the state House of Assembly to probe the immediate past government.

Counsel to the Commission, Sunday Bamise, had earlier told the court that two witnesses, Kehinde from the AG’s Office and one Adeyinka Arogundade from the Ministry of Finance would provide evidence during the probe.

Bamise noted that paragraph (2a) of the Justice Silas Oyewole (rtd)-led judicial commission’s terms of reference, specified the need to present evidence to ascertain that the money that accrued to Ekiti under the Fayemi administration.

In their testimonies, the witnesses urged the commission to admit as evidence their statements on oath deposed to on July 26, 2017 as the financial position of the state between October 2010 and September 2014, when Fayemi held sway as governor.

In the documents admitted as Exhibits A1 and B1, Kehinde, Deputy Director, Fund Management in AG’s office tendered a document titled: Total Deductions from FAAC allocations in the time under review, which revealed that N18.6 billion was allegedly deducted in 48 months under Fayemi’s administration and this was tendered and admitted as exhibit A2.

He disclosed that the state was indebted to the tune of N49b in loans and bond. Of that amount, N25b was taken as bond from the capital market and N24b as loans from 10 commercial banks.

Exhibit A13 further revealed that the loan repayment as at the time Fayemi left the office amounted to N42.6b.He said as at the time Fayemi left office in 2014, that debt incurred from outstanding workers’ emoluments, comprising pensions, subventions to schools, among others topped N13.8b.Amid other revelations, Fayemi was, however, unable to cross-examine the witnesses as his counsel failed to appear before the panel.