The Ekiti State Government has described claim by the opposition All progressives Congress (APC) that the incumbent government of Mr Ayodele Fayose inherited the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme from the immediate past government of Dr Kayode Fayemi as false, saying; “The scheme is an initiative of the federal Government keyed into by the Fayose administration.”
Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, who said this in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, added that “the Fayose-led government is paying N174 million as counterpart fund for the CCT scheme and the one about to begin is a new one, with new beneficiaries to be selected.”
He said the scheme, in which 2,108 women in the State will be paid N5, 000 monthly stipend and N100, 000 annual stipend was initiated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led federal government and the Fayose-led government promptly keyed into it as part of his poverty reduction programme.
On claim that Governor Fayose was awarding contracts without following due process, Olayinka said; “Such claim can only be made by a party who thrives on falsehood and propaganda because no single contract has been awarded by the government.
“The MDGs contractors that are to be paid the sum of N117.45 million were those who got contracts from the Fayemi’s government. Approval for the payment was made by Fayemi and was only revalidated by Governor Fayose.
“Governor Fayose only acted like a statesman that he is by not behaving like Fayemi, who victimized contractors that handled project during the government of his predecessor. The governor promptly revalidated the approval so that the contractors can return to site and complete their jobs.
“Also, as against the lie by the APC that N200 million contract for the painting of the Governor’s Office was awarded to Governor Fayose’s brother, no contract was awarded for the painting of the Governor’s Office.
“Rather, the painting is being done through direct labour and it is shameful that the APC, whose government left the Governor’s Office, is such a state of disrepair, such that even the roof covering the office of the governor was leaking could say that the building does not need to be repaired.
“Most importantly, the APC people should know that Governor Fayose is not a kind of governor that will award construction of six blocks of 20 open stalls at N24m and build 140 locked-up shops at N144m as done by the Fayemi-led APC government,” Olayinka said.
