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| Gov Fayose and his loyal aide, Lere Olayinka |
Lere Olayinka, the Special
Assistant to the Governor of Ekiti State on Public Communications and
New Media, has described claims by the immediate past Commissioner for
Finance of the State, Mr Dapo Kolawole, that the State Government could
afford to pay workers three months salary as “feeble attempt to cover up
the mismanagement of State finances under the All Progressives Congress
(APC) government of Dr Kayode Fayemi,” saying “it is only in the world
of miracle that a State that was plunged into debt and is losing over N1
billion to loan deductions monthly can sustain regular payment of
salaries.”
Olayinka said despite that under the APC
government of Fayemi, Ekiti State received N46.4 billion from the
Excess Crude Account, N25 billion bond was taken and N31 billion
commercial bank loan was obtained, adding that; “In saner climes, the
likes of Dapo Kolawole will be covering their faces in shame, having
presided over the unprecedented looting of Ekiti State treasury and
plunging of the State into unwarranted debt.”
He said; “It is on record that Ekiti
State total allocation for the month of December 2015 was N1,
375,829,004.08 after N883, 008,554.30 was deducted as loans repayment.
Allocation of January 2016 was N1, 663,173,328.66 after N883, 008,554.30
was deducted. In February 2016, Ekiti was left with N1, 376,976,264.33
after N928, 664,494.75 was deducted as loans repayment.
In March 2016, the State received N1,
084,469,706.86 after N1, 067,497,185.93 was deducted. In April 2016, N1,
187,089,416.84 was received after N732, 937, 967.12 was deducted and
deductions from the allocation would have been N1, 067,497,185.93 if
deductions on Salary Bailout and Commercial Bank Loan amounting to N334,
559,218.81 was made.
“The reality is; if Ekiti was not
plunged into debt by the Fayemi’s government, the State would have
received N1, 920,027,383.96 for the month of April, 2016; N1,
860,919,359.32 in May, 2016; N2, 151,966,892.79 in March, 2016; N2,
324,677,903.78 in February, 2016; N2, 546,181,882.96 in January, 2016
and N2, 258,837,558.38 in December, 2015!
“Therefore, a man like Dapo Kolawole,
who as Finance Commissioner ran the State economy aground should just
cover his face in shame instead of running from one media house to
another to justify the use of borrowed funds to plant flowers, construct
uncompleted State Pavilion, Civic Centre, Governor’s Lodge among others
irrelevant projects”
Speaking further, Olayinka disclosed
that Dapo Kolawole was the arrowhead of the borrowing of over N1.2
billion from First Bank Plc for the purchase of 156 units of Ford
vehicles from Coscharis Motors Limited, for traditional rulers in the
State on which N45.9 million is being paid by the Local Councils
monthly.
He said; “It is on record that only 156
units of the vehicles were delivered while Coscharis, in its letter
dated May 2, 2014 said it delivered 235 units. Up till today, the
remaining 79 vehicles are yet to be accounted for and all petitions to
anti-corruption agencies have been ignored.
“It is also on record that in clear
demonstration of fraud, proposal for the supply of vehicles was
submitted on November 14, 2013 while the vehicles were distributed to
the Obas on August 27, 2013! The supplier, Coscharis also registered as a
civil/building contractor in Ekiti State on November 13, 2013.
“Under Dapo Kolawole as Finance
Commissioner, Coscharis that only registered as a civil/building
contractor in Ekiti State on November 13, 2013 and submitted proposal
for the supply of the vehicles on November 14, 2013, supplied the
vehicles on which the proposal was submitted in August 2013 and the
vehicles were distributed on August 27, 2013, three clear months before
the proposal to supply the vehicles was made.
“Furthermore, it is also on record that
instructions were sent to Local Government Chairmen on November 15, 2013
to deliberate on the proposal sent by Coscharis on November 14, 2013 in
their F&GPC meetings and their decision to get back to the Ministry
of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs not later than November 22,
2013; while the vehicles they were to deliberate upon in the F&GPC
meetings in November were delivered in August and distributed to the
Obas on August 27, 2013.
“Also, while the vehicles were
distributed on August 27, 2013 and the tracking done on September 13,
2013, certificate of no objection to procure the vehicles was issued on
February 24, 2014. All these happened under Dapo Kolawole as Ekiti State
Finance Commissioner!”
“It was also under Dapo Kolawole as
Finance Commissioner that N852, 936,713.92 was illegally withdrawn from
the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) account, making the
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to suspend Ekiti State from
accessing any further FGN-UBE Intervention Fund.
“It is on record that UBEC, in its
letter dated April 16, 2015, with Reference Number;
UBEC/FA/SUBEB/EK/183/Vol.II/162 described the withdrawal of N852,
936,713.92 authorised by Dapo Kolawole as criminal act that violated
Section 11(2) of UBE Act 2004 and conveyed its suspension of Ekiti State
from accessing any further FGN-UBE Intervention Fund.
“Above are just two aspects of the
financial mismanagement superintended over by Dapo Kolawole and common
sense demands that characters like him should just keep mum while the
Government of Ayodele Fayose goes about finding solutions to the
financial crises caused by the frivolous loans obtained by the
Fayemi-led APC government.”
Packaged by Temitope Eluyefa
