Ekiti State Government has reacted to allegations being made by the state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Chairman of the Transition Committee put in place by the Governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose, Dipo Anisulowo, describing the outburst of the two as highly irresponsible and infantile in nature.
The media have been awash, in the last two weeks with stories on alleged shady deals by the incumbent administration. The allegations ranged from last minutes recruitment of workers, to panicky withdrawal of funds among others.
The state government however said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday that no responsible party or transition committee would make such malicious allegations against the incumbent administration, especially when such claims are unfounded.
The statement which was signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode and made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, said that the Fayemi administration had run the affairs of the state in the last four years with utmost regard for public accountability and fiscal responsibility laws, a development that have earned the state accolades from relevant authorities and rating organizations both locally and globally.
“Having built a reputation of service and integrity over the years, nothing- not even a controversial loss in an election – would make us go back on this path of honour. Neither are we going to succumb to cheap and infantile blackmail.”, the statement added.
He said that the allegations of the PDP are not only wicked, reckless and malicious, the statement added that it was a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the current administration in the state and an anticipatory excuse for lack of performance when the new government get into office.
The state government challenged the PDP to mention the banks where the alleged illegal movement of funds took place and explain where the so called 3,000 workers were recruited illegally.
It added that the establishment of LCDAs went through a due process that culminated in the law passed by the state Assembly establishing the 19 new LCDAs, stressing that the incoming Government could annul the new councils by simply going through the lay down procedure if it so desired.
The Government also used the opportunity to address the delayed payment of August salary to workers in the State, stressing that it was the first time that workers salary had been delayed in almost four years of the Fayemi administration, noting that it had been due to the non-availability of the overdraft facility to the state due to the panic created in financial institutions dealing with the state by the Governor-elect.
The government maintained that the PDP’s attitude of making false claims and raising false alarm is an immature approach to the transition arrangement, a development which it said has put the incoming government on a faulty start as people were now raising serious questions about its credibility.
The government also said that the PDP and its candidate, having failed to come up with any meaningful plan or manifesto for the state during the electioneering period should be advised to spend the transition period to work out a plan for the state instead of investing its time and energy on concocting defamatory claims.
