Posted by By CHRISTIAN ITA on
A governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi says given the evidence starked against Governor Ayo Fayose, he does not see him surviving the moves to impeach him by the state House of Assembly.
A governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi says given the evidence starked against Governor Ayo Fayose, he does not see him surviving the moves to impeach him by the state House of Assembly.
Fayemi, who accused Fayose of debasing everything Ekiti is known for is stewing in his own mess.
What do you make of the current travails of your state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose?
I predicted that the Governor of Ekiti State would be swept off in his own contradiction because Ekiti people by and large are peaceful people. Ekiti people are forthright people. They are honest people, they are people with integrity.
The way the governor brought all of those things that Ekiti didn't know in its history, that is responsible for what has happened to him. My impression is that we should all let justice take its course. We should let the society become more accountable. And the governor has said that he is not afraid. That he is prepared to answer every charge that has been proffered against him and I believe he should be given the opportunity to do that.
Shouldn't the emphasis be on his achievements in office? He says he has achieved a lot in the state?
I have repeatedly said it at every opportunity. I live in Ekiti, I move around in Ekiti. Most of the credits that Governor Fayose claims are actually for work that has been done by Governor Adebayo when he was in office. Whether you talk of the current Governor's Office that was launched a few months ago by President Obasanjo or you talk of even the roads.
The only thing that Governor Fayose introduced as the creative product of his government was the poultry project and we all know what became of the poultry project. So, Governor Fayose did not do anything in comparison to the resources that came into the state.
Of course, certain things were done. Some roads were amended, some fees were paid. But the idea that, ‘oh! I paid salaries to people who have worked, to teachers who have delivered to their students.' I don't think paying salaries is the work of the governor. It is not something to be proud of because you can actually pay salaries without having a governor in office.
He blames those he described as Lagos-based elite as the source of his problems?
Well, I used to be Lagos based but I am now based in Ekiti, as you know. But that's neither here nor there. You must of course, know that what we used in pushing the case with EFCC is information from civil servants who are elite in Ekiti. Every household in Ekiti has a civil servant. Every household in Ekiti has a graduate. The issue is not who propelled this action. The issue is, did the Governor do these things or didn't he do them? Did he launder money; did he steal state funds?
Was he unable to account for resources that belong to the state either in the bond that Governor Adebayo set up or in the Federal Allocation that came to the state? Did he deep his hands in the local governments fund, did he bribe the legislators with N2 million each? Those are the specific charges he needs to respond to. It will be relevant.
I have friends in high places, I know Nuhu Ribadu, and a lot of us from Ekiti know Nuhu Ribadu from other clients, from other involvement that we had. We know many people in this government, we even know President Obasanjo himself. But President Obasanjo is in no way responsible for what has happened to Governor Fayose. Fayose has only himself to blame.
If as you claim he has not achieved much in the state, how come he is popular with the local folks?
Which local folks are you talking about? You call rented crowds local folks? If you live in Ekiti you will know how these things are manufactured. This is not just propaganda. There is nothing wrong with propaganda.
This is propaganda in which every lie repeatedly told assumes the image of the truth. This is what Governor Fayose has done with his fake transformation on AIT and NTA and with his fake reports in newspapers. And now, we have seen the evidence of that. How can 24 out of 26 members of your own Assembly, 17 of them belonging to your own caucus of the party put up such charges against you for impeachment if you are popular? These are representatives of the people in their various constituencies. How come? And they are not members of my party by the way. There is only one member of my party involved in this.
What happens if they fail to impeach him?
Well, I don't want to contemplate that action because the law is very clear. The law is very clear on his impeachment. An investigative panel is being set up; there is an EFCC report that has already been publicly released. We know what that report contains. It forms the basis of the impeachment notice that has been served by the Assembly.
Actually a lot of words is contained in the EFCC report because I have done my own independent investigation. But I am ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let the law take its course. Let the judiciary deliver on its own responsibility. Ultimately, Ekiti State is out of the shackles of oppression.
But assuming he survives?
He is not going to survive this impeachment. We have worked our bones out for the last three years to expose this man for the brigand that he is. And that is what is bearing fruit. I mean we could have done it in the roforofo way that is seen in Ibadan and other places but we are not like that in Ekiti. This is a brain battle.