The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State, has berated the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, over his criticisms that President Muhammadu Buhari was by his recent appointments promoting a Northern agenda. The party insisted that Fayose is actually more guilty of making lopsided appointments.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the APC Publicity Secretary in Ekiti State, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party argued that Fayose lacks the moral authority to attack the President over the appointments of close aides in view of the fact that he has carried out more inequitable appointments since his return to the Government House.
While wondering why Fayose failed to remove the speck in his eyes before removing the log in the eyes of somebody else, the party held that “the governor is guilty of worse insensitivity to his fellow Ekiti people in the appointments he has made so far.
It accused Fayose of religious bias while he has favoured appointees from his hometown, local government area and members of his former political parties in the appointments made so far.
The opposition party alleged that treatment of Muslims in terms of appointments in the state has worsen under Fayose than it ever was since the state was created, saying “Muslims were not given up to one percent of the appointments made by Fayose’s administration.”
Olatunbosun said: “While Buhari’s appointments of his personal aides were based mainly on merit and conviction that they would deliver good services to lift Nigeria out of the woods, Fayose’s consideration for appointments was based on narrow selfish motives for self-preservation.
“While Buhari considered competence, merit and track records of sound morality in public conduct in the appointments of his personal aides, self-preservation is the major criterion for appointments in Fayose’s government.
“This self-preservation is anchored on prospects of the vulnerability of the appointees to manipulation and family affinity which Fayose believes he can exploit to enable him have a firm grip on the state and do whatever he wants with the fortunes of Ekiti people without restraints.”
Olatunbosun said while Buhari saw hard-working and honest Nigerians as having equal rights to political appointments to render their services to the nation, Fayose’s choice of appointees was based on loyalty of such appointees to serve his personal interests.
Listing instances where Fayose chose personal interest above state’s interest in appointments, he said: “In the twilight of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Governor Fayose chose a 73-year-old Ambassador Toye Olofintuyi from his (Fayose) Irepodun/Ifelodun local government as Ekiti State representative at the Federal Civil Service Commission against the wishes of party leaders.
“Fayose’s Chief of Staff is from the governor’s ward. His Personal Assistant, Secretary of the Local Government Education Authority and the chairman of Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA) are all from Afao-Ekiti, the governor’s home town.”
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