Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, has said there is no warehouse for COVID-19 palliative near his private residence in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Egbeyemi also debunked having any warehouse in his private residence harbouring COVID-19 palliative.
Speaking on Sunday while conducting newsmen round his private residence, Egbeyemi said he was not in anyway connected with COVID-19 palliative in his capacity as the Deputy Governor.
He also said he was not a member of the State COVID-19 Resource Mobilisation Committee raised by the state government to source for palliative to cushion the effect of the lockdown.
A Facebook page, Ekiti Ronu, which was posted by an anonymous user on Sunday had photoshopped a building which was not the private residence of Egbeyemi as keeping COVID-19 palliative.
The user wrote on the page: “Where is this in Ekiti State? Why are armed soldiers, policemen and civil defence officers guarding somewhere not far from Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi’s house at GRA, Ado Ekiti?”
Egbeyemi said: “The picture (shown on the Facebook post) is not my house and there is no such building near my house and there is no warehouse near my house.
“There is no warehouse within my compound, there is no warehouse anywhere around my house where COVID-19 palliative are kept.”
“The Deputy Governor spoke further: ” I don’t keep palliative in my house and I am in no way connected with COVID-19 palliative. I am not even a member of the COVID-19 Resources Mobilisation Committee.
“There are no COVID-19 palliative in my house and my house is not a warehouse for keeping of COVID-19 materials. The state government don’t keep COVID-19 palliative with individuals.
“The COVID-19 palliative that were given to me more than three months ago during the lockdown were shared to residents of Ado-Ekiti, its adjoining villages and farmsteads. There is no single bag of COVID-19 materials in my house.
“That is why I opened my gate and my house for my premises to be filmed as a proof that I don’t have COVID-19 materials in my house.
“The opposition members are behind this fake news. You can see what is in the mini hall in my house where I meet people. You can see the chairs, tables, disused air conditioners that were brought from my flooded hotel for everybody to see.
“I personally bought and distributed palliatives to all the wards in Ado-Ekiti and townspeople, materials like rice, beans and garri which I distributed during the COVID-19 lockdown which I purchased with my personal money.
“I urge members of the public to disregard this fake news.”