FG’s disclosure on Ekiti’s debt-profile vindicates me on Fayemi, says Fayose

REC warns against campaigning for governorship poll now

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said that the Federal Government’s disclosure on the debt profile of the state has vindicated him on his claim that the immediate past administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi ran the state aground financially.

The governor, who was reacting to a statement by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the state government is owing N85.04 billion as local debts, said Fayemi left the state in an insolvent position.

Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said: “When I came on board, I said they left over N80 billion debt profile, they came out to say they only left a debt profile of N34 billion. They were silent on the N25 billion bond they took from the capital market that everybody in Ekiti State is aware of. They were also silent on the commercial loans they took of over N31 billion.

“Assuming, without conceding, if it was only the bond loan that they took, were they saying then that they only incurred debt of N6 billion when we have records of how they obtained loans from various financial institutions.

“The huge debts incurred by the Fayemi administration has made Ekiti to become insolvent because over N1 billion is being deducted from our allocations monthly and that will continue till 2036. Current economic recession notwithstanding, these monthly deductions to service the debts they left behind are affecting payment of salaries and other government activities.

“The most painful aspect of their prodigal behaviour is that all the monies borrowed were not used for the purposes they were borrowed.”He stated that the people of the state and Nigerians in general, could verify his claims from the institutions mentioned as well as the DMO.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, has read the riot act to politicians against any form of campaigns, including expression of intent ahead of the 2018 governorship poll or risk going to jail.

Raji said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not hesitate to invoke Section 99 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), which forbids electioneering campaign until 90 days to election, against any political party and individuals flouting the law, no matter how highly-placed.

He REC, who fielded questions from journalists after a stakeholders’ meeting with politicians in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said the prohibition would cover jingles being aired on the radio and television as well as the billboards erected at strategic locations bearing the portraits of aspirants announcing or advertising their governorship intentions.

He said: “I said this at the election security committee meeting attended by heads of security outfits. The enforcement is not within our purview but the law is very clear. This is the more reason why media houses should scrutinise the jingles brought to them because the NBC is monitoring closely.

“The section said no campaigning or announcing yourself as potential aspirant or candidate until 90 days to election. This attracts sanctions and it is constitutionally wrong.“If I or any of my members of staff is not ready to maintain fairness during elections, then we have no business in INEC.”
He said the electoral umpire is expected to be apolitical and uphold the tenets of ‘integrity, honesty, dignity, neutrality and fairness as
expected from INEC as a statutory body saddled with the conduct of elections.