By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has slammed Governor Ayodele Fayose for paying just one month salary to Ekiti workers owed seven months in arrears after receiving about N9b federal allocation in July and non payment of pensioners in the state.
The party said it was inconceivable that the governor would contemplate paying only one month salary after receiving the fattest federal allocation in recent years as at the time workers were being owed seven months in arrears.
The party also berated the governor for not paying some workers whom he asked to wait for the next allocation stressing this indicates that not all civil servants received the one month pay.
Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun said the party was shocked that a man who prided himself as the friend of workers could receive such a colossal amount but chose to pay just one month while other states were paying their workers between three and five months salary arrears to cushion the effects of economic hardships in their families.
“We have said times and again that Governor Fayose has an agenda different from offering better life for the people of Ekiti State.
“Apart from the recent revelations by the EFCC on how state’s funds are being misapplied for alleged personal use of the governor as revealed in the alleged diversion of MDG/local government funds, Fayose has demonstrated again that he is only in government to make himself comfortable while the rest of Ekiti people suffer.
“Apart from demonstrating this by paying just one month arrears, his refusal to pay dying pensioners who spent their productive years in the service of the state is a callous neglect of the elderly, who the governor deceived with mouth-watering promises, including prompt payment of pensions, during campaign,” he said.
Berating Fayose for his “callous and heartless disposition to the pensioners”, Olatunbosun noted that apart from refusing to pay them a dime, the governor also mocked them when he told some market women that he would rather pay those living before considering those who are dead or dying.
Accusing the governor of hiding under a fraudulent verification exercise to deny workers their pay, Olatunbosun said: “Pensioners are been deceived to go for verification when about 95 percent of them have concluded their verification over four months ago but the governor is hiding under the so called verification to deny them their payment. How will a sick pensioner who is receiving treatment complete verification? This shows that Fayose’s insistence that he won’t pay pensioners until all of them complete verification shows that Fayose does not intend to pay the pensioners.
He also chided Fayose as the only governor always complaining about federal allocation and calling monthly meeting to explain the financial status of the state after receiving allocation, even as he also criticised the governor for embarking on a “needless High Court Complex and Governor’s office when workers’ salaries are not paid”.
Faulting Fayose for always cajoling some selected Labour leaders and workers with N1000 and poff poff in the Government House to deceive them that there was no money, Olatunbosun said the old trick was no longer working, as Ekiti people had become wiser, particularly with the EFCC’s revelations so far on illegal diversion of Ekiti money to alleged personal use of the governor.
“Fayose is the only governor in the country who disputes allocations received from the Federal Government because he has so many things to hide.
“Immediately he receives federal allocation, instead of paying salary of workers and pensioners’ allowances, Fayose will be going from town to town to deceive the hapless artisans at the grassroots that the money he received was not up to the amount announced and published. This is fraudulent on the part of a governor who calls himself friend of the masses.
“Fayose ought to have taken a cue from his predecessor whose projects didn’t stop payment of salary as at when due.
“We call on Ekiti workers, pensioners and all other stakeholders to stop Fayose from further embarking on any new capital project until all arrears of salary are cleared, as embarking on new projects is a ploy to receive kick-backs and enrich himself so as to cushion the effects of the funds seized from him so far by EFCC” Olatunbosun concluded.
