Ekiti Govt Lying on Abuja Lodge, Looted N770.9m on Non-existing Lodge Last Year – PDP Alleges

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has insisted that the Dr Kayode Fayemi led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the State was not saying the truth on the alleged sale of the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

The party, which accused the government of looting N770.9 million in the name of constructing new Governor’s Lodge in Abuja last year, said Governor Fayemi must explain to Ekiti people which Governor’s Lodge he spent N770.9 million to construct in Abuja last year.

In a statement on Sunday, by the Secretary of the State Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi, the party said “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.

“One of the questions we have asked to which no answer has been provided is, on which construction was N770.9 million spent last year?

“This is because the Governor’s Lodge located at Asokoro in Abuja that they allegedly sold was demolished this year and building of a new structure started last month” Odeyemi queried.

The party said, claims by the government that construction of the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja was budgeted for in 2019 and 2020, was an afterthought, noting that only N250 million was budgeted in 2020, and the N250 million was a balance of the N1 billion budgeted in 2019, out of which N770.9 million was spent.

“We are aware of the Government’s attempt to doctor and adjust figures since we raised the issue last week which was the reason why they could not react to journalists’ enquires more than 72 hours after exposing the fraud. “

The PDP asked; “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?”

Speaking further, the PDP, which described the allegation that former Governor Ayodele Fayose rented his personal apartment located in the same Asokoro axis to the state for his own use in Abuja as false, said; “when you accuse someone of committing fraud, and instead of simply defending himself with facts and figures, he goes about accusing another person, it is obvious that such a person has a lot to hide.

“In this case, what a government that do not have anything to hide ought to have done and promptly too was to lay everything about the lodge bare for public scrutiny”.

“If the property has been sold as alleged, to whom was it sold? How much? When was it sold?

“And if it has not been sold, why was the structure on the land demolished? How much was the reconstruction awarded? To which contractor was it awarded? Where and when was the invitation to tender published. All these are the explanations needed from a Government that lays claim to “open administration”

“And most importantly, of what benefit is construction of a new governor’s lodge in Abuja to the people of Ekiti State at this time?”

 

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