.Says governor planning to mortgage Ekiti for 15 years
By Valentine Amanze
The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National New
Media Group (PDP-NNMG) has accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of plotting to plunge the state into heavy debt.
The group alleged that the governor was about taking N5 billion loan from a new generation bank.
The State Coordinator of the PDP-NNMG, Bola Agboola, on Wednesday said that the N5 billion loan, processing of which was already at
advanced stage, would be repaid in 15 years at N58 million per month.
The PDP group, however, lamented that Governor Fayemi was already threading the same path like his first tenure, noting that the governor was also
seeking an unspecified amount as loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB).
It said, “It is on record that the loans and bonds taken by Fayemi when he was governor between 2010 and 2014 are still being repaid by the state government till date. It was these debts that hampered most of the development efforts of the Ayo Fayose-led PDP government and caused irregular payment of workers’ salaries.
“Despite receiving billions as Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P)
fund and N46.4 billion from the Excess Crude Account, Fayemi took N25
billion bond and N31 billion commercial bank loan. One of such
frivolous loans was the N5 billion obtained from Ecobank without the
Debt Management Office (DMO) approval, using Fountain Holdings
Limited, a company with N15 million share capital.
“Apart from loans, in 2014, Fayemi also left unpaid warrants of N15.5 billion; debt to road contractors to the tune of N21.3 billion outstanding remittances to FG N709.9 million totaling and State
Public Servants Outstanding Emoluments of N5.1 billion.
“As governor the second time, Fayemi is on the verge of plunging the state to another round of debt by taking N5 billion loan, payable in 15 years when he will be 69 years and at home, enjoying his loots.”
While calling the attention of Ekiti people to yje governor’s fresh plot to mortgage the state, the PDP-NNMG said that it was immoral and wrong for governors to be allowed to borrow beyond their tenure, adding, “If Fayemi is going to take loans, it should be such that must be repaid before the end of his tenure.”
