The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of deliberately shortchanging the state government in the refunds due to the state from the Paris Club at the instance of its governorship candidate in the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
This, according to the party, is meant to hinder the state government from meeting its obligations and portray it in bad light in the public.
The party, in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said going by documents from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Ekiti State was due to get $69 million as the remaining part of the refunds, but that had been reduced to $49 million.
“We have it on good authority that the $20 million removed would be part of the funds to be used by the APC and Fayemi for the coming July 14 governorship election in the state. One wonders why the discrepancy in the figures. The consultant employed by the NGF came out with the initial figure and for no reason, the new figure we are hearing is been touted as the dues of the state,” he said.
Adebayo, therefore, challenged the APC-led Federal Government to come out and declare what remained for Ekiti State to get from the Paris Club refund.
The party equally demanded explanation from the Presidency how it was only Ekiti State’s refunds that suffered arbitrary cut down after the submission of the Governors’ Forum consultant of the aggregate refunds due to all states of the federation.
Adebayo stated that due to the fear that the expected donors to the campaign fund of Fayemi might not be forthcoming as the election gets closer, the Federal government had surreptitiously mutilated the documents bearing the exact figures due to the state thereby the difference would be diverted to the campaign funds in an attempt to foist Fayemi on Ekiti State.
According to the PDP spokesman, “this is the reason behind the statement made by Dr Kayode Fayemi that he would make use of logistics to win the governorship election come 14th July.
“The permutation in the Presidency is that if the Paris Club refund gets to Ekiti State before the election, it will be used to settle arrears of salary owed workers which will eventually be an added advantage for the PDP to actualise landslide victory as it was recorded in 2014 when Dr Kayode Fayemi was defeated in all the 16 local government areas of the state.
“It’s just unfortunate that the APC-led Federal Government could descend to this wicked antics against the workers of Ekiti State just because of an election which would eventually be lost by the APC candidate.
“We advise the Federal government to have a rethink on this draconian step because it’s retrogressive and it will not only be counter-productive but adds to the indices of bad governance which Nigerian are familiar with in the APC government since its inauguration both at the center and some states where the party holds way. ”
PDP maintained that if Fayemi had the interest of the workers at heart, he ought not to be part of any shenanigans that would affect the welfare of people in the civil and public service in the state.