The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has slammed Governor
Ayodele Fayose for the non-payment of workers’ November and December salaries.
The party said it was ungodly for a leader to enjoy Christmas bliss and
deny the people their entitlements at the time members of their families look
up to them to provide food during the yuletide.
But Fayose maintained on Thursday that he had paid workers their
December salaries, urging the APC to always crosscheck its facts.
In a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, the
APC recalled that by December 18 last year, all workers had received their
salaries and Christmas bonuses in addition to their leave bonuses while
pensioners were also paid.
He claimed that Fayose grudgingly asked banks to pay workers half of
their salaries on the night of December 24 after bitter complaints from
workers.
The statement read in part, “It is evil for a leader to deduct N2, 000
from the salaries of each worker for the purpose of buying them Christmas gifts
only to give them each a chicken smaller than a pigeon worth less than N800.
“It is callous to take convention funds for the delegates of your party
members in the guise that you are spending it for Christmas gifts only for you
to keep more than half of that money in your pocket while your party members go
hungry during this festive period.”
The APC said the Ekiti people were suffering under Fayose, adding that
there was growing insecurity of life and property in the state.
“On Christmas eve when our people were supposed to be in celebration
mood, Ekiti frustrated workers were in queues at ATM points waiting for salary
alerts. Today, nightlife is gone in the state capital because there are no
streetlights again. Armed robbers and pickpockets are back in the state capital,
terrorising residents at night.
“The governor promised Ekiti people rice and chickens for Christmas but
only gave one and a half “congos” of rice and one “oromodiye” (chicken) that
costs less than N800 and not fit for consumption,” he said.
Olatubosun urged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control to conduct an investigation into the suitability of the chickens
the governor gave out to workers for consumption, noting that rearing
seven-month-old chickens for consumption is cruelty against animals.
The APC spokesman said instead of giving Ekiti youths a promising
future, the governor had turned them to an army of beggars and hangers-on.
He added that while the governor did not have any youth empowerment
scheme to create jobs for Ekiti youths, he had been using his personal
mechanics from his Ibadan base to service government vehicles in the Government
House.
However, Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, who refuted
the allegations, said the APC as an opposition should not be lazy in extracting
facts from the government, saying the salaries of workers had been paid.
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