Ekiti: SDP Cries Foul As Fayemi Presents Vehicles To LG Chairmen, Pay Severance Allowance To Past Political Office Holders

By Ayodele Oni

After almost six months in office the Dr Kayode Fayemi’s administration in Ekiti state has deem it fit to provide official vehicles to local government chairmen.

The administration has also concluded arrangement to pay severance allowance to immediate past political office holders in the local government.

This was contained in a memo dated 23rd May, and signed by one B. A. Abereola on behalf of the permanent secretary, ministry of local government affairs.

Reactions have been trailing  what is described as ‘Greek Gift’ from the Governor whose posture to local government administration has not been positive.

The Social Democratic Party, (SDP) Governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni, said fund meant for payment of gratuities to pensioners and salary arrears to civil servants is being diverted to settle politicians, apparently due to June 18 Governorship election.

Segun Oni Campaign Organization, (SOCO)in a statement pointed out that “it has been vindicated by earlier claims that the Kayode Fayemi-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Ekiti State is all out to ‘rob’ workers and pensioners in the state to oil the political machinery of the party’s governorship candidate.

“A memo of the state Ministry of Local Government Affairs, dated 23rd May, 2022, and which had gone viral, confirmed that “the APC government in Ekiti is utterly wicked and is the worst enemy of workers and the common man.”

“We have been warning the people of the evil plots of this government of no human face. These is purely not about politics, but about how men could be so callous towards fellow men.

“Despite the fact that the governor has diverted arrears of salaries and deductions of civil servants, teachers and local government workers to the APC candidate, Biodun Oyebanji’s campaign organisation’s purse, he again devised another means to punish them.

“What people do not know is that the governor has used the salary arrears he promised to pay the workers last month to execute the APC governorship campaign needs.

“That is the reason he hurriedly suspended the expected payment till after the election to give him room to share the money among his political associates.”

The Oni campaign spokesman explained that the only rationale that could be behind paying severance allowance of local government political appointees “while pensioners are dying daily” would only be selfish empowerment of political associates to the detriment of the ordinary people.

“The idea of giving severance allowances to immediate-past political appointees in the local governments, at this period when workers are hungry and pensioners are dying daily can’t be anything else but callous.

“Those appointees licked their principals’ booths for a paltry two years; and you are rewarding them when those who have spent the most useful part of their lives to serve the state are being owed months of salaries.

“Those who have served the state with black hair are now dropping dead in their old age as they can’t afford their medication because their pensions are not being paid.

“Ekiti people can now be further confirmed that what rightly belongs go them is what the APC-led government of Fayemi is using to finance his inordinate presidential ambition and his governorship continuity project.”