The newly inaugurated governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose since assumption of office has been blasting the immediate past governor, Kayode Fayemi for expending huge amount of money on some projects during his tenure.
The most recent among them is the past administration’s usage of a whooping sum of N3.3 billion to build a governor’s lodge during his regime as the governor.
Fayose disclosed this in Ado Ekiti on Monday, October 20, 2014, during the oath of office administration on the new Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Modupe Alade and other Special Assistants.
He wondered how the governor could spend such a huge amount of money on Government’s Lodge when an average citizen of the state could not afford three square meals.
He said, “My heart nearly failed me when I got to the new governor’s lodge on last Thursday. The mansion cost N3.3 billion. It was initially awarded for N2.3 billion and later increased to N2.7 billion, while a sum of N640 million was used to procure fittings and furniture.
“And this building will require N150 million to maintain annually. Ekiti cannot sustain this and we have to do something about it.
He further quizzed, “How could a governor be living in such a house when the masses are living in abject poverty?’.
Furthermore, he maintained that he is out to include the female folks more in his administration by giving them a reasonable appointive and elective positions, especially during the 2015 state and federal legislative polls.
He maintained that Alade’s appointment showed his loyalty to women adding that his government would protect them and strictly comply with the 35 per cent Affirmative Action for women in government in consonance with the Beijing Declaration of 1993.
“Let me tell the men here who are politicians that some of them will be asked to step down for women in next year’s elections. ”
“I want to assure you that those that will step down have nothing to lose, we are going to reward you accordingly. But if you disobey us, we will still go ahead and do it so far what we are pursuing is in the interest of the Ekiti people,” the governor stated.
See photos from the Ekiti Governor’s Lodge below:
