The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has described the
reaction by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s Aide, Segun Dipe, to the alleged
sale of the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja as mere rhetoric devoid of facts
and a clear confirmation that the State government was hiding
something.
The party said it had expected the government to lay everything about
the lodge bare for public scrutiny instead of embarking on the usual
voyage of abuses and throwing of tantrums, adding that “what we simply
demanded from the government was to show transparency and
accountability in the running of Ekiti State.”
In a statement by the Secretary of the State Caretaker Committee of
the PDP, Diran Odeyemi, the party said “it is a fact not denied by
Fayemi’s Aide in his epistle that the property situated at TY
Danjuma, Asokoro, Abuja was demolished and a new structure being
built on the land by an unknown contractor and for a client not
specified.
The PDP said further that; “If truly, the new structure being built on
the land is owned by the State Government, why did the contractor not
specify this by placing a billboard in which the project title,
client, contractor, consultant and duration of contract will be
clearly stated?
“When was the contract awarded, to whom was it awarded and how much?
Also, where is the evidence of publication of invitation to tender?
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware of budgetary provision of
N1 billion in 2019, for construction of Governor and Deputy Governor’s
Lodge in Abuja. Out of this N1 billion, a sum of N770.9 million was
spent last year.
“The question is, on which construction was N770.9 million spent last
year? This is because the Governor’s Lodge located at Asokoro in Abuja
was demolished this year and the building of a new structure started
last month.
“Or is the government saying that it spent N770.9 million on the
construction of the new lodge last year even before the old building
was demolished this year?”
On claim that the property was bought by the Segun Oni’s government
and it was not so good for habitation since the roof was leaking,
making former Governor Ayo Fayose to abandoned it, the PDP asked;
“What did Governor Fayemi do to the property between 2010 and 2014? Or
was it Fayose that took over from Oni?
“If the roof was leaking in 2010, why didn’t Governor Fayemi fix it
then? Where did he use as lodge between 2010 and 2014 as well as 2018
and 2020?
“Also, why did it take the government over 72 hours to respond even
after the Commissioner for Works, Sola Adebayo, who should have
information on the property at his finger-tips cleverly dodged the
matter by refusing to say anything when he was asked by press men
yesterday.
“It is therefore our demand that the government drop its garment of
‘we don’t care’ and give proper explainations to the people of Ekiti
State on the true state of the Abuja House.”
