Ekiti Bars Fayemi From Holding Public Office, To Refund N2.75b

A White Paper released by the Ekiti State Government has barred a former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from holding any public office in the state for 10 years.

The state also barred a former Commissioner for Finance in the administration of Fayemi, Dapo Kolawole, for the same number of years.

The duo were barred based on the report of the Ekiti Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which indicted them over alleged mismanagement of the state’s finances between October 2010 and 2014.

Fayemi, now a Minister of Mines and Steel Development, was the governor during the stated period.

The report declared them “as unfit to hold any public office in the state.‎”

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Ekiti State Government to look into the financial transactions of the state during the administration of Fayemi, had said the former governor must refund N2.75 billion allocated from the N25 billion bond obtained by the government for the execution of contract for the construction of Ultra-Modern market in Ado Ekiti, which was never executed.

The commission of inquiry also said the contractor in respect of the furnishing of the Government House built by Fayemi’s administration should be made to refund N324.8 million, noting that the contract should not have been more than N280 million.

The panel said it found out that KITWOOD Nigeria Limited, to which the furnishing contract of over N600 million was awarded, had no traceable address and “the address on the Letter of Award is a virgin land at opposite the new Central Bank along new Iyin Road, Ado Ekiti.

The panel, set up by Governor Ayodele Fayose, was headed by Justice Silas Oyewole (rtd).

On the purchase of vehicles, the panel said “claim by Coscharis Motors that it supplied 235 and/or 250 vehicles was fraudulent and that fraught with so many contradictions.

“That Coscharis Motors supplied some vehicles outside Ekiti State especially, at Ibadan Liaison office when Ekiti State Government does not have a Liaison office in Ibadan. In respect of this, seven vehicles were supplied outside the State and signed for by unknown persons.

“That Coscharis Motors only supplied 219 vehicles to the Ekiti State Government and that 17 Joylong Buses were supplied to the Ekiti State Government as gift but later carted away.”

On the controversial N852.9 State Universal Education Board fund, the commission said it was clear that the Government of Dr. Fayemi hoodwinked the Federal Government into paying its own matching grant by obtaining N852, 936,783.12 loan from Access Bank on November 25, 2013 without perfecting documentation in respect of the loan, thereby flouting the provisions of Section 11(2) of the UBEC Act, 2004.

The Eagle Online