GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, yesterday raised the alarm that the Federal Government was deliberately withholding the release of the Paris Club refund to states purposely to prevent Ekiti State from using the money to pay arrears of workers’ salaries before the July 14 governorship election.
This was just as the governor also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against stopping the collation of elections results midway, as it was done during the governorship election in Edo State. Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti, said “If it is released to other states without the inclusion of Ekiti, people will suspect the Federal government of playing politics with it. The Federal Government used that tactics in Kogi State to assist the APC candidate to win.
“I am using this forum to inform Ekiti people that the Federal government is punishing and depriving them their entitlement because of politics. The Federal Government thinks that if I am not able to pay the four months salaries owed the workers, they will vote for APC. “Ekiti people are not fools, they know that the Fayemi administration plunged the state into debt.
Fayemi left two months salary unpaid and N1.2 billion is being deducted every month from Ekiti allocations to service the debt. “So far, N35.34 billion has been deducted from allocations coming to Ekiti to service debts owed by Fayemi administration. “If I have N35.34 billion, I will not owe workers and I will be able to take care of the needs of the people.
Ekiti people are not fools and will not again accept APC. “I want to appeal to the INEC to be a good umpire, live to its name as an independent body. Election or counting should not be stopped midway because PDP is winning and APC is losing.
Edo formula will not be accepted in Ekiti. People are known to resist cheating and they will defend their votes.”
