From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is on wild goose chase and called on the anti-graft agency to beam its searchlight on other states in the country.
Featuring on a live radio programme in Akure, Ondo State, Fayose said: “The EFCC is now harassing banks in Ekiti State, seeking for records of government and chasing contractors, claiming that the contractors gave me kickback.
“They are on vendetta mission. They said I collected money from Dasuki and I have told them that I did not collect a dime from Dasuki. I have N300 million in my fixed deposit account in Zenith Bank and I declared it in my Assets Declaration Form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“I have challenged them to publish the statement made to the EFCC by Dasuki where he said he gave Senator Musiliu Obanikoro money to give me or where Obanikoro himself said he gave me money.
“Since they have seen that the Dasuki money issue won’t offer them the implication of Fayose that they desperately needed, they are now harassing contractors in the state. But, I can assure them that their efforts will come to nothing.”
While emphasising that the EFCC do not have any power on state finances, the governor said: “As provided by Section 125 subsections (2), (5) and (6) of the 1999 Constitution, it is the House of Assembly of a state that is vested with powers to superintend over the funds of a state. Our constitution did not place Ekiti State House of Assembly under the control of the Attorney General of the Federation or the EFCC.”
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a party with history of debts in Ekiti State, disclosing: “I left N10.4 billion and N6.9 billion was handed over to Segun Oni. Their own administration handed over debts. They handed over debts in 2003 and did the same in 2014.”
Governor Fayose called for proper restructuring of the country in line with the report of 2014 national conference.
“Nigeria has not been properly structured and that is why we are facing all these problems. Remember it was those in power now that clamoured for restructuring when they were in opposition. Now that they have the federal powers and they are using the powers to oppress the people, they are against restructuring of Nigeria.”
The governor, who declared that he had no personal scores to settle with President Buhari, said: “I am not attacking Buhari, I am only telling him the truth. I was 24 years when Buhari became military head of state, we queued then before we could purchase essential commodities and this is the same way things were difficult.”
He reiterated his call to the Federal Government to declare emergency on agriculture, saying: “It is not enough to say people should go back to farming. The government must provide necessary farming equipment because you don’t expect the present day farming to be done with hoes and cutlasses.
“Again, apart from the North, where do we have functional irrigation system? If our people must go back to farming, especially in the South-West, we need the Federal Government assistance on irrigation.”