*says gov scared of bad roads
By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the outgoing governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi for hosting an event to honour COVID-19 response resource mobilization committee members in Lagos.
Governor Fayemi had organized a dinner and award presentation in honour of members of the State’s Covid-19 Response Resource Mobilization Committee (RRMC), in Lagos Friday night.
But reacting to the development,the PDP said that the singular action of hosting Ekiti citizens in Lagos was like passing a vote of no confidence in the ability of the state he governed for the last four years, to host such events.
The Ekiti State PDP Publicity Secretary, Raphael Adeyanju in a statement made available to journalists Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday said that apart from the capital flight which hosting the event in Lagos has caused, it showed that Fayemi did not believe in the state or in the security available there.
Adeyanju said that the idea of hosting a pure Ekiti event in Lagos might be as a result of the terrible and deplorable state of Ekiti roads that has become a death trap for motorists.
The PDP spokesperson added that as outgoing governor, Fayemi ought to use the occasion to render full account of how the COVID-19 donations were spent.
“The attention of the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to a lavish dinner organized for RRMC members in Lagos last week.
“Our party condemned the hosting of event which should have been held in Ekiti, thus making the state to waste tax payers money. Such an attitude by a supposed number one citizen of the state could be likened to a prodigal son or what Yoruba call ‘akotileta’.
“A government that is accountable to the people should have considered the cost implications of hosting such an event in another state, when Ekiti could boast of some government and privately owned event centers.
“Besides, the purpose of the event should have been to render audited account of how the humongous money was expended. To us as a party, we demands full disclosure of the COVID-19 expenditure before the governor leaves office.”
Reacting to the allegation,the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said Fayemi had not committed any error or flouted any law for hosting the award in Lagos, saying many of the committee members reside in the metropolis.
Dipe added that the PDP was only overreaching itself by asking for the audited account of the Covid 19 fund, adding that the monies were privately sourced, urging the opposition to stop being political about everything Fayemi does.
He said: “What is wrong in Governor Fayemi hosting members of the Covid 19 resource mobilisation committee in Lagos? They should understand that most of the committee members reside in Lagos and they contributed to the safety of Ekiti by donating millions and also made contacts to friends to help our state.
“If the PDP is truly sincere with itself, has the governor committed any offence by traveling to meet these good Samaritans in Lagos to say thank you? That was what any reasonable governor should do and Governor Fayemi had done just that.
“Again, many people have been coming to Ekiti without being kidnapped, so it wasn’t because of insecurity. Is the insecurity PDP talked about not being felt in Lagos? It is everywhere and the PDP should stop claiming that only Ekiti is unsafe.
“I heard them asking for audited account of COVID-19 fund, they lack the power to ask for that. The audited account must have been delivered to the committee members and contributors, who are the people that can only make such request. So, PDP should stop being lazy and political about everything”.
