By Festus Adeosun
Fayemi wears the Awo Cap to give the impression that he is a disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But the fake awoist stole N800 million from the Universal Basic Education Fund. The money was meant for the primary school education of the children of the poor in Ekiti State. Because of the criminal conduct of Fayemi, the Ekiti State government was banned from accessing the UBEC fund for some years.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi has recently blasted Aare Afe Babalola SAN for attacking his legacies as a former governor of Ekiti State. Since his privies and cronies can no longer defend his shameless legacies, he decided to embark on defending his record in office. In the process, Fayemi exposed himself to the ridicule that he deserves.
Fayemi wears the Awo Cap to give the impression that he is a disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. But the fake awoist stole N800 million from the Universal Basic Education Fund. The money was meant for the primary school education of the children of the poor in Ekiti State. Because of the criminal conduct of Fayemi, the Ekiti State government was banned from accessing the UBEC fund for some years.
After Fayemi’s first term as governor, Governor Ayo Fayose set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry which investigated the looting of the treasury of Ekiti State. As Fayemi had no defence, he rushed to court to stop the investigation. The court refused to grant the order to cover up the loot. At the end of the enquiry the Judicial Commission indicted Fayemi as was directed to refund N2.5 billion to the coffers of the Ekiti State Government.
Fayemi failed to comply with the directive of the Judicial Commission. Hence, he was charged with stealing the sum of N2.5 billion from the scarce resources of the state. The charge was filled by the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice at the High Court sitting at Ado Ekiti. Instead of defending the charge, Fayemi claimed that the criminal case was politically motivated.
With the fund stolen from Ekiti State and the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, where he was a minister for two years, Fayemi brought his way back to the Government House for a second term. But the Ekiti people at home and abroad have continued to regret the second term disaster of the former governor.
Fayemi took a loan of N20 billion to build an international cargo airport at Ado Ekiti. He started the project but did not complete it. The offer of Aare Afe Babalola to contribute to the airport project was rejected by Fayemi, who claimed that the state has more than enough money to complete the airport project.
Even though Fayemi did not complete the airport, he deceived the Ekiti people and other Nigerians when he commissioned the project with pump and fanfare on the eve of his departure on June 15, 2022. In a 419 manner Fayemi rented an airforce jet which landed at the airport. His supporters danced and sang his praise for the airport. It is almost two years since the airport was commissioned. No other aircraft has landed in the airport because it has not been completed.
During the presentation of the 2023 budget, the Ekiti State government disclosed that over N16.5 billion had been spent on the construction of the state agro-allied airport. Special adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on budget and economic planning, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, spoke alongside the Finance Commissioner, Mr Akin Oyebode. In the presence of Mr. Oyebode who also served as Fayemi’s Finance Commissioner, Mr. Adebayo added that the control tower, passenger terminal and runaway were yet to be fully completed.
The special adviser also said, âWe can only land the military aircraft because we donât have the full work of navigational aids. The military aircraft can land themselves with little or no air from the control tower. So, we need to have a functional control tower, build a new terminal where passengers can wait to board the plane. And of course, we need to provide necessary lighting infrastructures, so that planes can land in the evening, even daytime when you have a foggy situation because light helps the pilot to see the runway better. So, those are the areas where expenditure needs to go into.â
As the banks that funded the airport project refused to give an additional loan to complete the airport project the Biodun Oyebanji administration approached Aare Afe Babalola for financial intervention to complete the abandoned airport. Since the airport would be useful to the Afe Babalola University and the University Teaching Hospital, Aare Afe Babalola has made over N2 billion available for the completion of the airport. To the credit of Aare Afe Babalola, the airport project will soon be completed and the airport will be properly commissioned.
A group of concerned Ekiti citizens had to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the looting of the treasury of the state by Fayemi. Instead of defending himself, Fayemi secretly obtained a court order to prevent the EFCC from investigating and chargimg him with economic crime in any court of law. Happily, the investigation had been concluded before the order was granted in Fayemi’s favour by the High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.
We are aware that Fayemi is running helter-skelter to prevent the EFCC from filing a charge of serious economic crime against him for the criminal diversion of the funds belonging to the people of Ekiti State. We are convinced that the EFCC will not stop the prosecution of Fayemi who is already facing a N2.5 billion charge before the Ekiti State High Court.
Aare Afe Babalola SAN is the greatest tax payer in Ekiti State. To that extent, the respected elder stateman has the right and duty to ask Fayemi to account for the mismanagement of the funds diverted by him when he was the governor of Ekiti State. Instead of abusing the 94-year old man, Fayemi should defend his shameless legacies of looting and mismanagement.
Peoplesmind
