Performing Governor of Ekiti
State, Peter Ayodele Fayose has said the state will soon hold an Economic Summit during which
stakeholders will offer suggestions on how the state can get out of
economic recession and how its resources will be managed.
He said the summit has become necessary
in view of the huge debt burden inherited by his administration and the
dwindling statutory allocations from Abuja.
He stated this in Oye-Ekiti during a
Village Square Meeting with people and leaders of communities in Ekiti
North Senatorial District.
In a statement on Wednesday by his Chief
Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, the summit would hold after the
resolution of the ongoing industrial action by workers in the state.
According to the governor, participants
in the summit would be drawn from all the sectors cutting across
organised labour, various trade groups, politicians, academicians
because the money coming to the state and the money generated by it is
meant for all Ekiti people not only a particular group.
“During the summit, everybody will have
the opportunity to bring ideas on how to navigate the pool of huge debts
the previous administration has put the state and what to do with
whatever we realise as income or statutory allocations. This is
necessary because whatever we have is for all Ekiti people.
“We are sensitizing the people of the
state on our financial situation and the realities we need to face. The
strike embarked upon by workers is uncalled for. They are aware of what
comes to the state on monthly basis. A committee, of which labour
leaders are members, shares the monthly allocation that comes to the
state. There is nothing hidden from them.
“It is not that we have not been meeting
with the workers to resolve the matter. Government team have met them
seven times. Veteran labour leaders have met them four times.
Traditional rulers have also met them a couple of times on the same
issue.
“If the strike has no political
undertone, why are the workers behaving as if they don’t know the facts
on ground? Some states are even owing more than Ekiti and workers there
are still on their beats. I plead with them to know that we have no
other state than Ekiti and we must protect her interest.
“Money that came for local governments
is available for the payment of workers salaries but because they are on
strike that can’t be processed yet. Let them call off the strike for us
to chart a way forward,” he said.
Responding to a question that he ought
to have opposed the screening of former Governor Kayode Fayemi as a
minister based on the huge debts he left behind, Fayose said he did not
need to play politics of bitterness against anybody, adding that
posterity would judge all.
In his contributions, the Oloye of
Oye-Ekiti, Oba Michael Ademolaju, said the two parties must come to the
round table and dialogue to resolve the matter.
He noted that the state was losing
revenue internally as a result of the strike and that it would have
negative effects on the economy of the state.
The meeting had in attendance people from Ikole, Oye, Moba, Ilejeme and Ido/Osi local government areas of the state.
Packaged by Temitope Eluyefa
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