Posted by By Sun News Publishing on
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has denied a newspaper (not The Sun) report that he wept at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Lagos on Friday, even as there are strong indications that he would be charged to court tomorrow.
• Faces trial tomorrow
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has denied a newspaper (not The Sun) report that he wept at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Lagos on Friday, even as there are strong indications that he would be charged to court tomorrow.
Speaking through Dr. Funso Alarape, Director of Publicity and Research of the Ayo Fayose Movement (AFM) in Lagos yesterday, Fayose who is currently being detained by the EFCC, said he has no cause to weep, particularly when he is sure of himself and what to say.
The former governor had stormed the EFCC office in Lagos on Friday to respond to sundry allegations of corruption over the poultry project executed by his administration when he was governor of the state. There, he had declared: 'I'm here to officially present myself to the EFCC so that I can defend the allegations levelled against me. I wrote to the EFCC officially. I applied. Since I didn't get a reply to my letter early enough, I have to come."
And reacting to specifics yesterday, Fayose retorted: 'For what reason should I cry? When I got to the EFCC office, they asked me many questions, and I answered them perfectly. I will only say what I know. I don't have any cause to panic because I am sure of myself and records are available to prove my case. It is my detractors that will regret their actions."
The former governor explained that he walked to the EFCC office of his own volition, adding that he had informed them that he was coming.
He said that he decided to honour the EFCC invitation now because of the existence of rule of law, saying that hitherto, nobody could have listened to his defence. He maintained that he was delighted about the opportunity he now has to clear his name of the fraud allegations levelled against him.
Fayose is being accused of embezzling US$11.5 million (about NI.4 billion), being funds meant for the state's integrated poultry project.
Meanwhile sources told Sunday Sun weekend that he, along with his friend and business associate, Mr Gbenga James, are to be arraigned in Kaduna tomorrow.
The former governor, had, following his ouster, October last year, fled to an unknown destination, remaining incommunicado.
That fuelled speculations that he was running from justice.
Besides, his aides, including Goke Olatunji, Personal Assistant, Gbenga Joseph, Chief Security Officer and Dayo Okondo, Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, are still being detained in Ado-Ekiti Prison, standing trial on murder charges.
Though Fayose had been away for over a year, he made a surprise visit to his Ekiti home state penultimate week.
Storming the state capital in a convoy of 50 vehicles, socio-economic activities were paralysed as a record crowd came to welcome him. Having held the locals spellbound for about two hours, Fayose again slipped out of view, with many wondering about his place of abode.
Last week too, an apparently embarrassed Ekiti State Government raced to an Ado-Ekiti High Court, to seek an order of the court for the arrest of Fayose. But the court turned down the request on the grounds that there was a subsisting court order, preventing the arrest of the ex-governor.