As the Federal Government on Saturday released the withheld N1.1 billion budget support fund to Ekiti State, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mr. Olusegun Osinkolu, has declared that the release of the money had further confirmed that President Muhmmadu Buhari is not vindictive.
Osinkolu, a senatorial aspirant , added that it was a lie taken too far , the widespread allegation by Governor Ayodele Fayose that President Buhari was out to vent his anger against Ekiti people over the governor’s consistent criticism of his policies .
Urging Fayose to refrain from using Ekiti to fight personal battle with President Buhari, Osinkolu insisted that what the FG wanted to achieve by the seizure was to entrench stringent compliance to fiscal regulations to foster transparency and accountability in the system.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the APC chieftain appealed to Ekiti populace to have confidence in Buhari’s government, adding that the APC-led federal government will continue to protect their interests, regardless of their political leanings.
Osinkolu expressed displeasure at Fayose’s vituperation and sarcastic comments against the FG , particularly the Ministry of Finance over the temporary seizure of the state’s fund, when he actually knew that it was the inability of his government to meet the criteria for the state to benefit from the fund that resulted to the seizure.
The banker-turned politician warned Governor Fayose against unnecessary politicization of issues that border on governance and people’s welfare , describing the alleged inciting of citizens against the FG as dangerous and irresponsible.
“When the money was being withheld by the Federal Ministry of Finance, there was nothing Governor Fayose didn’t tell Ekiti, just in a bid to incite the people and painted the Buhari’s government as wicked and vindictive.
“The prompt release of the money after Governor Fayose met the prerequisites had confirmed that President Buhari sees himself more as a father of the nation than being sectional.
“As we speak now, Governor Fayose is owing six months salaries despite that he had received N9.6 billion bailout and N8.3 billion Paris funds from the federal government.
“The pertinent question to ask is this, would Governor Fayose had paid all the outstanding N15.2 billion salary arrears with just N1.1 b withheld fund? Because he practically accused the FG of being behind his inability to pay Ekiti workers.
“Now that the money has been released, let the governor go ahead and pay all the outstanding salaries and allowances to debunk the claim in some quarters that he was only playing politics with the issue just to get sympathy ahead of the 2018 governorship poll”, he said.
Osinkolu said Buhari/Osinbajo polled a total of 120,332 votes in Ekiti with Jonathan/Sambo of the Peoples Democratic Party amassing 170, 456 in the last presidential poll and that the President could not have turned around to punish the people who trooped out to vote for him in the election.
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