By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated Governor Ayodele Fayose for his opposition to the Federal Government’s request to take loan from China for development purposes.
The party said President Muhammadu Buhari’s initiative is in tandem with other countries of the world that are engaged in bilateral arrangements for development purposes.
Fayose had on Wednesday written to the government of China, urging President Xi Jin Ping not to approve $2b loan to implement development component of the 2016 national budget
He sent the letter through his emissary to the Chinese Embassy in Abuja while he personally took a copy of the letter to Shanghai to be delivered to the Chinese President.
But APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement on Thursday that Fayose’s conduct amounted to a national sabotage and a seditious conduct that must not be allowed to go unchallenged.
He regretted that the governor got himself busy spending Ekiti money on frivolities while workers’ salaries remained unpaid for four months.
“As we speak, doctors are on strike and Ekiti people are dying while the governor gets himself busy with the activities that will lead to evasion of justice in his several alleged criminal cases so that he can protect his questionable wealth across the world. Even though he has the right to entertain himself being a jester as he has always been, this should not be taken to the extent of constituting a security risk to the Federal Republic.
“While other PDP governors, notably Governor Ayade of Cross River State, are always in Aso Rock on building relationship with the Federal Government for the development of their states, Fayose has made himself a lone enemy of the Federal Government as a self-appointed leader of the opposition to discredit Buhari’s development initiatives,” he said.
Olatunbosun wondered why a governor that is borrowing money for capital projects with the backing and approval of the Federal Government was opposed to the Federal Government for the same purpose.
The APC spokesman noted that all countries of the world had become inter-dependent, assisting one another in areas of their weaknesses to achieve their development goals and objectives.
“All countries of the world borrow to finance their development goals, the US, UK, Japan, Germany and China are no exceptions.
“With the position of China as the second biggest economy in the world today, no country can ignore that Asian giant, and so it is in the interest of Nigeria to work with China in bilateral relations for development and technological issues that go with adequate funding.
“Unfortunately, Fayose sees nothing good in this initiative that has potential to grow our economy for the benefit of all Nigerians but prefers pursuing motives to amass wealth through misapplication of the state’s funds while Ekiti people suffer,” he said.
Noting that he expected Nigerians in the southern part of the country to support all efforts that can make Calabar-Lagos rail a reality, he expressed dismay that the governor was opposed to a loan that would make that dream a reality to ease transportation burden among Nigerians, notably his South West people.
He added: “It is regrettable that while Fayose is pursuing his personal interests and causing distractions over his sundry allegations of crimes in courts to evade justice, he is sabotaging Nigeria’s interests through seditious activities to compound Nigeria’s woes.”
He called on the security agencies to check Fayose’s treasonable and seditious activities.
He urged them to open their books to address the party’s claim that the governor was a security risk to Nigeria.
“We also urge the Nigeria Medical Association to conduct medical check on Fayose for psychosis because no other science can explain why he is conducting himself in a manner that suggests that he has lost his sanity,” he concluded.
