29/08/2017

Fayemi received N163bn allocation in 4yrs, N18bn deductions unremitted —Witnesses



Kayode FayemiTHE judicial panel of enquiry set up to probe the immediate past administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti State began its sitting on Monday, with two witnesses called by the counsel for the commission, Mr Sunday Bamise.The first witness, Mr Kehinde Odunayo Victor, is the Deputy Director, Funds Management in the state’s Accountant General’s Office while the second witness, Mr Arogundade Victor Adeyinka, is the Director, State Finances, in the state’s Ministry of Finance.
The panel was told that the state received a total of N163,267,220,48.70 as allocations from the Federal Government between October 2010 and September 2014.
The witnesses also alleged that a total of N18 billion deductions were not remitted by the government in the period under review.
However, reacting to the allegation, Fayemi said he had nothing to say on the activities of the panel, saying he was already in court challenging its competence.
Victor tendered various documents to support his claims and the documents were admitted by the panel as exhibits.
The witnesses, in their testimonies, urged the commission to admit as evidence their statements on oath deposed to July 26, as the financial position of the state between October 2010 and September 2014, when Fayemi was in charge.
The foregoing documents were admitted as Exhibits A 1 and B1, respectively.
Kehinde tendered a document entitled: ‘Total deductions from FAAC allocations in the time under review,’ where it was revealed that a total of N18,684,785,314,75 was  allegedly deducted in 48 months under the last administration and this was tendered and admitted as exhibit A2.
The witness revealed that the state indebtedness under Fayemi, in terms of loans and bond, was N49 billion, with N25 billion taken as bond from the capital market and N24 billion as commercial loans from 10 banks.
A document that was admitted as Exhibit A 13 revealed that the level of loan repayment when Fayemi left office was N42,691,410,210,37.
He said: “As at the time Fayemi left office in 2014, debt incurred from outstanding workers’ emoluments, comprising pensions, subventions to schools, among others, was N13,819,928,727,92.”
Arogundade tendered a document that indicated how the N25 billion bond was expended.
The breakdown of the N20 billion first trench of the bond indicated that a sum of N468 million was to be spent on Ero Dam; Ureje Dam, N500 million; building of the school of Agriculture, N750 million; road construction, N2.6 billion; Lagos Liaison office, N500 million; building of modern market in Ado Ekiti, N2 billion; building of new government house, N633 million; new governor’s office, N400 million; Ikogosi Warm Spring, N1.5 billion and Civic Centre, N1 billion, totalling N19.3 billion.”
“The N5 billion second trench of the bond was broken down thus: construction of Ilawe-Igbara Odo-Ibuji road, N894 million; Ikole-Ijesa Isu road, N1.34 billion; Ewu Bridge, N20 million; State Pavilion, N1.553 billion and Ire Resuscitation of Ire Burnt Brick, N966 million, totalling N4.84 billion,” the documented said.
However, there was a drama in the court when a lawyer, Ibrahim K. Olanrewaju, called the attention of the commission to the fact that it was wrong to refer to its counsel as prosecutor.
“I am not here to represent anybody but to honour the court. You have been referring to your counsel as a prosecutor. Who is standing trial here? Who is being prosecuted?” he asked.
Justice Oyewole responded that “it was a lapse of tongue, he is the counsel to the commission, so pardon our mistake,” he begged.
Reacting to the commencement of the sitting of the panel, Dr Fayemi said there was nothing to react to since he had gone to court to challenge the constitution of the panel.
Fayemi, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Yinka Oyebode, reiterated that the panel was incompetent and added that “we have gone to court to challenge its constitution and we restate our position on the panel.”
He said they had been scheduled to appear on Wednesday (tomorrow) and explain that by then, their position would also be made known.
The panel was set up by Governor Ayodele Fayose’s government to probe the administration of his predecessor, Dr Fayemi, who is now the Minister of Steel and Solid Minerals

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