The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti have disagreed with Governor Ayodele Fayose over the state’s N56bn debt profile by the Debt Management Office.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun on Monday, the APC said Fayose was spending recklessly.

What the APC said:

The party accused Fayose of spending the money on needless projects which he awarded to companies belonging to his friends.

Olatunbosun added, “How can Fayose commit the state to so much debts, collect over three years allocations and other financial reliefs from the Federal Government, yet he is owing workers and pensioners for months?

“He is taking advantage of every opportunity to criminally exploit the Ekiti people, many of whom are sick; others are dying while the governor and his family members are contractors executing inflated contracts.

“Fayose will surely account and pay back every penny he and his family took from Ekiti coffers through his white elephant projects, and for the first time, he will know that Ekiti people are no fools that he calls them.”

Fayose’s response:

While responding to the allegation, Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka said the allegation is false.

“There is no recent bulletin from the DMO website concerning debt owed by any state as claimed in the false report. Nigerians, especially Ekiti people, can visit the DMO website for further clarification.

“The only fresh loan taken by the government of Fayose was the N10bn grant from the Excess Crude Account, which was released to all states for capital projects, N2.8bn requested from the Wema Bank to pay the State Universal Basic Education Board counterpart fund out of which N1bn has been accessed and N600m for MDGs counterpart fund, which has been repaid.”

Is Ekiti really owing N56bn?

If the allegations by the opposition party is true, it will be disastrous due to the fact that workers in the state are still being owed.

Valid questions such as; What was the loan used for? How much was used for what? Why was the loan taken in the first place? have to be asked.

The governor had continuously tackled the Federal Government over its plans to borrow external loans.

It should also be recalled that the governor recently boasted on Twitter that he is not one of those who lie to the citizens.