The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for the alleged diversion of N8.8 billion Paris Club refund released by the Federal Government to states to offset salaries and retirees’ allowances.
APC Slams Fayose For Alleged Diversion’ of Paris Club Refund
The party accused Organised Labour of conspiring with the governor in the alleged mismanagement of the funds.
The APC, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, slammed the labour leaders for alleged complicity.
Fayose
The opposition described Fayose as “callous” for his alleged refusal to use the funds to pay salaries, pensions and severance allowances like his counterparts in other states.
The APC said Ekiti labour leaders were hobnobbing with the governor in an “unholy alliance to protect the governor for their personal benefits”.
The party spokesperson declared that “nobody was fooled by Fayose’s payment of one month salary of eight months he is owing”.
Olatunbosun said: “The governor’s claim that the wage bill had doubled without promotion of workers and fresh recruitment is unacceptable.
“It is more worrisome that whenever labour leaders chose to talk on the welfare of Ekiti workers, they always defend the governor who has pauperised the workers.
“Fayose has fixed N5.3 billion of this money in Skye Bank so that he can benefit from the interest. The balance of N3.5 billion is in the JAC Account.
“Fayose only spent the state’s monthly allocation, which has accumulated for many months, to pay one month salary while giving the impression that he paid the salary from the new bailout he collected.”
The party said the “latest callous conduct” was a confirmation of its view that Fayose had never been sincere and transparent in his financial dealings.
“We call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay more attention to Ekiti State finances and ensure that Fayose uses the new bailout to pay salaries.”
However, the State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the APC of feeding the public with lies.
Its Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, in a statement, said the allegations against Fayose “have further confirmed that the APC is peopled by confused and ignorant minds who will fail any economic question”.
“We implored labour unions to ignore the party because raising issues with it is just like dancing with mad men in the market.”
PDP said the attack on the labour unions was because the unions have refused to kowtow to the APC which it accused of habouring plans to destabilise the state, adding that the opposition was frustrated by the defeat it suffered in the 2014 election.
