The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West has called for a probe into the allegation of deduction of Local Government funds made against the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi by the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The party said; “the probe has become necessary in view of the last week Tuesday’s questionable passage of the 2012 Budget of the 16 Local Councils by the State House of Assembly, in which over N5 billion state government expenditure was included.”
Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon Kayode Babade said in a statement issued today that the “hurried passage of 2012 Budget on September 25, 2012, three months to the end of the year is a sign Fayemi’s desperation to cover-up his alleged stealing of Local Government funds.”
The PDP said it was also curious that 36 days after he gave NULGE seven days ultimatum to apologise over the union’s allegation that he (Fayemi) deducting N1 billion monthly from the councils allocation, the governor has not sued NULGE as he threatened.
“Instead of going to court as he threatened, Fayemi in a bid to cover-up his alleged pilfering of the Local Governments funds made the rubber stamp Ekiti State House of Assembly to hurriedly passed the 2012 Budgets of the 16 Local Governments last Tuesday, September 25, 2012!
“Smuggled into the Budgets were about N1 billion as the councils’ contribution to the renovation of public secondary school buildings, about N1.2 billion as their contribution to payment of Social Security Scheme for the elderly, N1.9 billion for payment of 100 Vigilante Peace Corps among other questionable contributions to Joint Projects!
“The first question to be asked is; where on earth is a year’s Budget passed on September 25?
“This is a clear indication of intention to cover-up the governor’s pilfering of the councils’ fund as alleged by NULGE and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must look into this allegation.
“It is also important to ask Fayemi what the State fund is being used for if local councils are the ones paying for renovation of schools, payment of social security, funding of Vigilante Group and other government projects.
“Therefore, EFCC must assist Ekiti people by stopping Fayemi from further pilfering of local councils funds so that the people can stop suffering in the midst of surplus resources,” PDP said.