The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised former president Goodluck Jonathan over comments he made at the weekend while commissioning the flyover in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
It stated that describing the 800 meters flyover built by Governor Ayodele Fayose at the cost of N17bn as the best of its type in Nigeria, is a slap on the faces of Ekiti people and reasonable Nigerians in general.
The party also described as hypocritical, Jonathan’s call on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure credible election in the July 14 governorship poll in the state.
The former president was in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend to commission the Fajuyi-Ojumose flyover in the state capital where he described the project as the best in Nigeria.
He also called on President Buhari to ensure free and fair poll in the July 14, 2018 governorship election in which APC’s Kayode Fayemi is squaring it up with Jonathan’s party, PDP candidate, Professor Olusola Eleka.
But in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said it is unfortunate that the former President who should frown at the overbloated cost of a one-lane flyover of 800m built at the outrageous cost of N17bn acted to please the beneficiary of the electoral heist he organised in 2014 to return Fayose to power.
“It is unfortunate and irresponsible to hide under partisanship to lend support for a clear case of fraud in the 800m one-lane flyover built on a dry land at a whopping cost of N17b as if the former President never supervised the construction of better flyovers at lower rates when he was president.
“Even though Fayose at various times had claimed that the flyover at Fajuyi and Ojumose stretch of the state capital is 1.3km and 1.5km, the truth is that that stretch of road is 800m and it cannot stand the standard of a better flyover in Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, built at a lower cost by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, but unfortunately the former President gave a stamp of approval to a clear case of fraud in a flyover that was first awarded at the cost of N5.9b without the Tenders Board’s approval but later reviewed upward single-handedly by the governor to its present cost of N17b.
“It is also immoral to praise Fayose for diverting bailout, Paris Club refund and Budget Support Facility, all approved to pay workers’ salaries, to build a flyover at over-bloated cost of N17b awarded to Fayose’s friends’ companies outside the state after deceiving contractors of Ekiti origin during his campaigns to patronise them exclusively for all his projects.”
Olatunbosun also accused Jonathan of affront, hypocrisy and dishonesty in his call on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure free governorship election on July 14.
He said: “We had thought that Jonathan would behave like a true statesman and apologise to Ekiti people over the criminal taking over of government he supervised in 2014 when he unleashed soldiers, DSS and police to chase away opposition to the bush while several opposition leaders were illegally clamped into detention to disenfranchise the opposition party in the election that returned his stooge to power.
“We condemn this unconscionable conduct by the former President who unleashed an horrendous electoral heist on Ekiti people,but who now turns around to demand for free and fair poll he could not give.
“His endorsement of Fayose after he had put Ekiti State in N56b debts and workers owed between six and 10 months salary arrears while Ekiti State remained at where it was in 2014 in infrastructure development is also unfortunate.
“Ekiti people will not be deceived and defrauded again after 2014 criminal take-over of government supervised by Jonathan, as Ekiti people and workers in particular live in hunger over unpaid salaries, and they have vowed to give their votes to our party with records of achievements and honesty in running a transparent government.”
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