APC asks Fayose to apologise for his four year tenure as he left Ekiti with huge debts and a poor public image

FORMER Ekiti State governor Ayo Fayose has been asked to apologise for the terrible legacy he left behind following the end of his four year tenure that not only led to the accumulation of huge debts but also gave the state a poor image.

 

Last month, Governor Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ended his term in office and handed over to Governor Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC). During his tenure, Governor Fayose was a thorn in the side of the APC and is now facing corruption charges with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

However, Segun Dipe, a senior special assistant to Governor Fayemi said that Governor Fayose must apologise to the people of the state for giving them a poor image in the eyes of the world. He described Governor Fayose’s four-year tenure between October 2014 and October 2018 as the worst that ever happened in Ekiti State, which every discerning son and daughter must never wish for again.

 

Mr Dipe said: “Fayose was a disaster that happened to Ekiti. He ruled as if his reign had no expiry date. He had no respect for the rule of law, he was the executive, the legislative and the judiciary rolled into one, preparing the state budget, presenting it to himself and approving it by himself.

 

“Although Fayose would be brought to book, his negative vibes on the rhythm of Ekiti State would continue to resonate for a long time and never again would such a mindless rascal be allowed to govern a state such as Ekiti. Fayose ruled with deception and due to his avarice, he threw the state deep into a humongous debt of N120bn."

 

He recalled that the PDP once tendered an unreserved apology to Nigerians for shamelessly throwing the nation into an economic mess in its 16 harrowing years of being in power and urged Governor Fayose to also be man enough to do the same to the people of Ekiti. According to Mr Dipe, Governor Fayose squandered Ekiti's wealth on personal projects.

 

“Despite the huge borrowing, the various bailouts he got directly from the federal government and the heavy taxes he imposed on the people and their children, Fayose still refused to honour his monthly commitment to the workers, owing them months of salary and throwing crumbs at them once in a blue moon. Whereas he was pretending to be a man of the people.

 

“Where he could not steal directly without drawing the ire of the EFCC and other security operatives, Fayose would come up with phoney projects, hugely inflate the contract figures and rush to execute them in a shady manner. He didn’t do so to meet the needs of the people, but he wasted it on his personal needs," Mr Dipe added.

 

According to Mr Dipe, three good examples of Governor Fayose's avarice are the needless Fajuyi Bridge in Ado Ekiti, the new high court, which has been criticised as ill-conceived, ill-executed, and his much trumpeted Oja Oba market. He added that Governor Fayose rushed to build the market without minding the structural defects and then went ahead to swindle the innocent and undiscerning people of their hard earned money by making them pay into a fake government account for fraudulently allocated defective stalls.

Mr Dipe added: “In abject violation of the values Ekiti holds so dear, Fayose was no respecter of age or nobility. He would rain curses on elders and rubbish royalty, making the kings and chiefs, who should be revered, to literarily worship him and eat from his palm.

 

“Fayose was the substantive speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, with the elected speaker as mere surrogate and other lawmakers as his footstool. Any lawmaker who dared to challenge any of his actions often had his/her wings clipped."

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