Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has said that he hasn’t committed the state to any debt either by taking bond or borrowing from any financial institution since he assumed office for the second time on October 16, 2014 till date.
He, therefore, challenged anyone, financial institution or the Debt Management Office (DMO) and his accuser, the All Progressive Congress (APC) to publish any debt he owes on behalf of the state since he assumed office.
Fayose who stated this in reaction to the allegation by the Transition Committee set up by the APC Governor-elect, John Kayode Fayemi, claiming that the state’s debt profile according to the data they allegedly obtained from the DMO currently stands at N117 billion, dismissed such claims as : “cheap blackmail and lies from the pit of hell ”
The Governor spoke on Sunday in a press briefing with newsmen at the new governor’s office. He also justified the purchase of a new vehicle for himself and approval of the severance packages of his deputy and himself.
“When Fayemi was leaving as governor in 2014, he left with a car and so did other governors before him. So, you can’t expect me also not to have a befitting car when I am leaving office.
” Fayemi himself ordered a Jeep of almost N7 million for me when l was still Governor-elect in 2014, but he didn’t pay for it. I had also bought a Jeep for former Governor, Niyi Adebayo to honour him. That is how it is done every four years.
” If Fayemi’s government wants to probe me, I will present myself and would not behave like a coward like he did. I have served Ekiti, l have given my best. Relevant documents will be handled over to the in-coming administration at the appropriate time,” he assured.
Commenting on the debt profile of Ekiti, Fayose said: ” I have not committed Ekiti to one Naira since I assumed office as governor for the second term. I haven’t borrowed from any financial institutions. They should stop just saying it and publish any record of debt from any bank or the Debt Management Office (DMO) as evidence.I did not borrow, take any bond or borrow from any financial bank.
” In my first tenure, I left N10.4 billion in the coffers of government but I started this administration on October 16, 2014 meeting huge debt incurred by my predecessor, John Kayode Fayemi.
“The last administration of Fayemi brought Ekiti to N25 billion million bond and N32 billion commercial loan and the state will pay the bond until year 2022. The commercial loan was restructured like it was done for other states,” he claimed.
Governor Fayose blamed his inability to offset workers’ outstanding salaries on the Federal Government’s alleged deliberate refusal to pay debts it owed Ekiti.
” If the Federal Government (FG) has paid all outstanding it is owing Ekiti, l would not be owing any salary now. The FG is owing Ekiti budget support of two months now and they have refused to also pay the refund of N11. Billion for the Federal Roads which the state did. If the FG had paid these two outstanding, I wouldn’t be owing Ekiti workers any salaries now.
” The FG recently paid Osun State over N16 billion but deliberately refused to pay Ekiti the budget support of two months and refund of road project. They are waiting for when Fayemi will be sworn in and pay him. That is okay with me as long as the ordinary Ekiti man benefits from it. Ekiti owns the money. “
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