From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Kayode Fayemi’s three years in office as not worth celebrating, describing his administration as a failure.
The State’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, described the three year anniversary as a celebration of shamelessness on the part of the government.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, however, dismissed the accusation that Governor Fayemi’s third year is a failure, describing the statement as coming from frustrated minds and disoriented opposition.
APC State Publicity Secretary Segun Dipe, in his response, said: ‘How can anyone say paying of workers’ salaries for three years without owing doesn’t worth celebrating. Even if it is one naira, the civil servants can now plan their monies without the governor appearing on the radio every month explaining why he won’t be able to pay.’
The PDP spokesman noted that it was shameful the state government invited the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to commission only a project executed by the administration in three years, which is the Civic Centre in Ado Ekiti which started seven years ago.
‘Regretfully, the Vice President and his entourage landed in Akure, a thirty-minute drive from Ado Ekiti and was picked with a chopper at the Akure local airport to Ado Ekiti, because of the terrible, deplorable and precarious condition of the Akure/Iju/Ikere road and other roads leading to the state have all collapsed.’
Adeyanju added: ‘During the PDP administration of Governor Fayose the roads were constantly maintained with Ekiti State money which was never refunded by the APC Federal Government. When the Federal Government wanted to make a refund, the APC as the opposition then, got a court judgement to stop the payment. The incumbent administration has not accounted for the whereabouts of the fund till date.’
Accusing the APC ruling government of turning the councils into looting centres, the opposition party stated that since its inception three years ago, no project has been executed in any of the sixteen local governments.
‘This allegation is verifiable, let anybody go round the local government areas to tell us any project that has been executed anywhere. We equally challenge the Federal Government to mandate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to investigate the activities of Ekiti State local government if it will not discover many cans of worms.’
The opposition party also scores the present administration zero in the areas of security. It alleged that the government failed woefully to secure the lives and properties of the Ekiti State people. The PDP also claimed that kidnapping and banditry which was strange under the past administrations have become the order in the state.
‘It is unfortunate that Ekiti State is now under the yoke of an administration that lacks the capacity to secure the lives of the citizens. The Governor who is expected to be the chief security officer of the state had no time for the job, rather, he was busy going up and down to pursue an inordinate political ambition.’
Dipe, who urged the PDP to stop destructive and irresponsible opposition, clarified: ‘Does the completion of the Civic Centre, which the former Governor Ayodele Fayose abandoned despite reaching 80 per cent and tarring of so many roads don’t worth celebrating?
‘Under the PDP government, primary and secondary schools’ students were paying levies, but does the abrogation of such obnoxious levies by Governor Fayemi doesn’t worth celebrating?
‘The fact that the Gossy Water, which they killed, is suddenly resurrected, is worth celebrating. The Ire Burnt Brick, which they never thought would see the light of day, now producing bricks; does that not call for celebration?
‘The fact that Governor Fayemi is now the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, making Ekiti a force to be reckoned with at the national level worth celebrating, in case the PDP doesn’t know.
‘Teachers across all levels can now have access to government’s loans, does this not call for celebration? If you look at the quantum of monies coming to Ekiti and the projects being executed by this government, you will know that this third year is worth being celebrated, so I don’t know what the PDP was saying.’