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Tag: ekiti

  • Fayose’s govt left N57bn unpaid workers’ salaries, pension arrears, says Fayemi

    Fayose’s govt left N57bn unpaid workers’ salaries, pension arrears, says Fayemi

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Tuesday said that the workers in the state civil service were currently being owed N57billion as arrears of unpaid salaries and emoluments.

     

    The governor said this at a meeting he had with the civil servants as well as a cross-section of labour leaders at the Government House, Ado Ekiti.

     

    He said that his administration was making frantic efforts to defray the backlogs which he said would be done in phases.

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayemi claimed the trend was caused by irregular payments of salaries and pensions by the immediate past administration of Mr Ayodele Fayose.

     

    He said the arrears covered outstanding salaries, pensions, promotion arrears, leave bonuses and other emoluments from 2014 till October 2018 when he assumed office.

     

    The governor also said he was not part of the people that were opposed to local government autonomy.

     

    He said the local governments in the state were currently being given unfettered access to administer their own funds without interference from his government.

     

    He said he would honour his earlier pledge to pay all the outstanding workers’ benefits.

     

    He clarified that some would be given immediate attention, while some would be defrayed by instalmental.

     

    He said, “It is sad to reel out such a homongous figure, because it can create panic for you and I.

     

    ” But let me say that we cannot pay everything in one fell swoop, but the 2019 promotion arrears will be given immediate attention while others will be defrayed by installment.

     

    ” It becomes difficult to pay once because Ekiti gets a little above N5billion monthly, with the state getting like N3billion, while the local governments receive little above N2billion monthly “, he said.

     

    On the issue of local government autonomy, Fayemi said he was never opposed to the idea of giving financial independence to the third tier of government, being the closest to the grassroots.

     

    “I am not opposed to it. Since I came back as governor, not even one naira of the local government money was being administered by me.

     

    ” I have allowed the councils to manage whatever comes to them.”

     

    Fayemi said that the state under him was considering alternative power supply option to shore up the one being supplied to the state from national grid.

     

    He said he was planning the alternative because the current supply was grossly inadequate and crippling economic activities in the state.

     

    He also said that he had earmarked some funds for the Ministry of Environment to undertake erosion and flood control projects in some towns.

     

    Fayemi said that this was because of the recent flooding that ravaged Ado Ekiti and other towns, of which many civil servants were major victims.

     

    He also said that he would discuss the acute shortage of manpower in the health sector with the Health Management Board (HMB) when it was raised by the labour leaders.

     

    He said that he would ascertain the actual statistics and how to fill the missing gaps in the health sector.

     

    The Chairman of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Kayode Fatomiluyi, had called the attention of the governor to the chronic shortage of manpower in the health sector.

     

    Fatomiluyi said, “Over 1,000 nurses were at HMB in 2014 during your first term, Your Excellency Sir.

     

    “But today, we have less than 500 to manage 22 health facilities across the state.

     

    “The Governor must do something about this,” he said.

     

    Some of the other labour union leaders in the state that attended the meeting include: Kolapo Olatunde of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sola Adigun of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

     

    They also pleaded that issues that had to do with the benefits of workers must be given utmost priority.

     

    They urged the governor to use his connection as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to fast track the implementation of the new minimum wage for workers.

  • Appropriation of security votes not illegal – Fayemi

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says appropriation of security votes to states is not illegal and also not unconstitutional.

    Fayemi, who is also the Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF), said this at the Quarterly Policy Dialogue on Accountability for Security Votes in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The event was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the ICPC.

    While noting that there is widespread belief that the appropriation of security votes in Nigeria is unconstitutional and thus illegal, Fayemi declared that “it is not correct”.

    “This is because in the Nigerian Constitution, the executive is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a budget which is then sent to the legislature for ratification.

    “The fact that huge amount of money are routinely being budgeted and expended in the name of security vote does not make it an illegal practice,” Fayemi said.

    He said that the act of approving any sum allocated to such a heading (security vote), covert or overt, legalised the concept.

    “The insinuation that such money is not budgeted for, is not true.

    “In the State level context, a security vote is a pot of money appropriated by the state legislature.

    “This amount often appears as a line item (or line items) in the governor’s annual budget request to the state legislature.

    “The overall percentage of a state’s budget set aside as security votes vary widely,” he said.

    The governor explained that security vote was basically a budgetary term that covered the discreet expenditure of the activities related to the strengthening of security for the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.

    “The main objective of the Fund is to support the various law enforcement agencies, mainly through the donation of arms and operational gadgets.

    “All other states also make regular donations to the security agencies.”

    He noted that security votes attracted more attention because of the seemingly none accountable nature of the expenditure under the budgetary provision.

    however called on the custodians of security votes to manage it judiciously with good sense of responsibility.

    “If the security agencies also perform their responsibilities as expected, there will be adequate security in the society and trust will be restored and the clamour against security vote will reduce.”

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said that security vote was subject to audit and “if it is not done, it is wrong”.

    He said that the votes were not votes for defence and were also not meant for the armed forces.

    “Strictly speaking, if you look at security votes in the true context, it is not meant to tackle insecurity.

    “We have funding for Ministry of Defence and the armed forces. If you have budget lines for these services and organisations, then why security votes?

    However, it can be used for security; but it is not meant to solve insecurity,

    “There are other votes which are constitutional which include the contingency fund,” he said.

    Buratai explained that even though there was security vote that was generally applied, it must follow Public Procurement Act 2007.

    He said that there were several criticisms on security votes which were subjected to corruption, embezzlement and misappropriation.

    The chief of army staff said that if security vote was made constitutional and proper guidelines were set out on how they were utilised, this issue will be laid to rest.

  • Ekiti: Three kidnapped civil servants regain freedom

    Three civil servants kidnapped by suspected herdsmen last Friday in Ekiti State, have been left off the hook.
    The workers, led by one Ayoola Alabi and two other junior staff are employees of the Ekiti State Road Maintenance Agency (EKROMA).
    They were reportedly kidnapped along Ayede – Isan Ekiti road in Oye Local Government area of the state, a family source told journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Friday
    It was gathered that the abductors had earlier contacted the abductees families, demanding N10m for each of their victims.
    But a family source, who craved anonymity told journalists that they paid N1million ransom for each worker to secure their freedom.
    The source said : “Yes, they were released yesterday, after they paid N1million each.”
    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, confirmed the release.
    He, however, said the abductees were freed through the prompt and decisive actions taken by the police.
    “Immediately we heard about the kidnapping, our men bombarded the forest located between Ayede and Isan up to Ijesamodu where they were taken to.
    “We combed everywhere and when they knew we were closing in on them, they quickly released those held hostage and fled .
    “Our men were very careful to avoid crossfire with the abductors , so that the hostages won’t be killed in the process and it worked out”, he said .
    Ikechukwu said the police were never told whether the families paid ransom to anyone.
    “I can’t confirm whether ransom was paid, because we were not told and there was no need for that with the level of strategies that we deployed,” he said.

  • No fraudulent person will make 2019 Hajj in Ekiti – Govt

    No fraudulent person will make 2019 Hajj in Ekiti – Govt

    Ekiti state government has declared that no person whose integrity cannot be guaranteed will be allowed to partake in the 2019 Hajj.
    The Secretary, State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Fatai Salami, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, while meeting with the intending pilgrims.
    He said that the state could not afford a situation whereby some few bad eggs in the society would destroy its good image.
    News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the board had conducted medical screening and inoculation for all the intending pilgrims from the state for the 2019 hajj operations.
    According to him, the exercise which is one of the several conditions to be met by the pilgrims is in accordance with the rules and regulation of the National Hajj Commission.
    The process, he noted, would enable the Commission to know the health status of pilgrims that would undergo this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia in order to prepare adequately for them.
    Salami emphasised that the present administration would not tolerate anyone found to be of shady or fraudulent character among the state contingent for the pilgrimage.
    He, therefore, warned the intending pilgrims not to engage in any acts that could tarnish the image of the state and nation at large.
    He assured the intending Pilgrims of a hitch-free pilgrimage, saying that efforts were on toward ensuring a successful exercise.
    He added that arrangements had already been concluded for accommodation, transportation and feeding in the holy land.
    NAN reports that among prominent Muslim clerics that will participate in this year’s holy pilgrimage exercise is the President of Leagues of Imam and Alfas in the South West, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Jamiu Kewulere Bello.
    The Chief Missioner of Ansaruddeen, Ekiti State, Alhaji Babatunde Abdulsalah, is also participating.

  • Why We're Returning Ekiti Schools to Missions – Fayemi

    The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has explained that his administration’s policy to return schools to missions will further improve the quality of education in the state.
    He said the implementation of the policy would commence in September and the schools to be returned would be named at the start of the next academic session.
    Mr Fayemi made this known while hosting the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Samuel Uche, in his office in Ado Ekiti on Friday.
    He said the return of the schools would stamp the administration’s respect for values, promising that government would work out an efficient and workable model as practised in other states where schools had been transferred back to the missions.
    He said that his government would pay the teachers and give grants to the schools while the missions would take care of administration.
    On security, Mr Fayemi assured that the measures put in place by his administration to tackle the farmers-herders clash and crime in the state would be stepped up so that the peaceful disposition of the state will be sustained.
    He warned that anyone caught engaging in any criminal act would be made to face the consequences and addressed as a criminal irrespective of the tribe.
    Speaking earlier, the cleric said the purpose of his visit was to pray for the governor and the state.
    He described Mr Fayemi as a good product Ekiti State is lucky to have, judging from his antecedents during his first term as governor and as minister in the mines and steel ministry.
    He pleaded for the transfer of some Methodist schools in the state back to the mission so that godly morals would further be instilled in the students.

  • Tension in Ekiti as suspected Fulani herdsmen kill local hunter

    Tension in Ekiti as suspected Fulani herdsmen kill local hunter

    Palpable tension gripped residents of Orin-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Saturday following the murder of a hunter by suspected fulani herdsmen in the town.

    The hunter, Emmanuel Ilori was said to have been killed at the midnight while hunting for animals with some of his colleagues.

    This gory incident occurred barely 48hrs after a female undergraduate identified as Maria was killed in her father’s farm in Ise-Ekiti by unknown gunmen.

    Mr. Adeniyi Ajayi, a hunter escaped during the incident alleged that Ilori was killed by Fulani herdsmen.

    Ajayi said: “We met the herdsmen numbering about thirty in the abandoned piggery farm in the town.

    “And we attempted to inquire about what they were doing in the farm. Suddenly, they brought out rifles shooting at our direction.Thus, resulting to the death of Mr. Ilori”.

    The lucky hunter claimed that the herdsmen were kidnappers using the forest as hideout to perpetrate heinous acts.

    It was gathered that the corpse of the hunter have been taken away by security officers for further investigation.

    The residents of the community dropped out in large numbers to staged a protest over the incident.

    They barricaded the major roads and made burn fire to express their displeasure over the killing.

    Addressing journalists during the protest, High chief Francis Falua and Chairman of Rice Farmers in Ekiti State, Mr kolawole Rotimi berated the uncontrollable attacks by the Fulani herdsmen in the community.

    They disclosed that few months back the ‘evil genius’ herdsmen allegedly killed a pregnant woman and her unborn baby.

    They, however, appealed to Governor Kayode Fayemi to take proactive steps to curtail the lingering herdsmen menace in the State before it get out of hand.

    When contacted, the Ekiti Police Command Spokesman, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu confirmed the incident, saying they have put in place watertight security architecture to comb the forest and arrest the perpetrators.

  • Banditry, kidnapping: Army deploys drone in Ondo, Ekiti forests

    The 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army (NA) Owena Barracks, Akure, has deployed the use of technology to fight the scourges of kidnapping and banditry within the Ondo and Ekiti States axis.

    The Brigade Commander, Brig-Gen Zakari Logun Abubakar, disclosed this on saturday during the launching of a high tech drone device in the Osi community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State to combats the criminal activities in the vast forest of the two states which has become a den of kidnappers.

    Abubakar explained that the drone, a Phantom 5DGI, procured by the Army would assist the military formation of the Anti-kidnapping Squad in identifying the movement and activities of suspected bandits, kidnappers and other criminals.

    According to him, the device which would also help the survey targeted areas in the two states is the latest technology in aerial surveillance and can cover up to seven kilometer radius with capabilities of recording and transmitting report back to the base.

    He said “There are thick forests in these states and that is the advantage some of the criminals are using because some of the places you cannot penetrate them easily. So in line with the Chief of army Staff directive to have a responsive Nigeria Army in the discharge of its constitutional role, we decided to use technology in addition to the Anti-kidnapping Squad. We have two of this drone, one for Ondo and the other one for Ekiti State which would easily help us to fight the issue of this kidnapping headlong.”

  • EFCC unseals buildings linked to Fayose in Ekiti

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has unsealed some properties it allegedly linked to a former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

    Men believed to be EFCC personnel in a white-coloured bus with the number plate – BWR 627 AT – with police protection, on Thursday erased the markings from the buildings with white paint.

    Although the EFCC personnel did not disclose the reason for their action, sources said that the development might be connected with the anti-graft agency’s discovery that the properties were sealed in error.

    EFCC had on November 22, 2018, sealed the properties in different locations in the state capital, marking them with red ink with the inscription: “EFCC: Under Investigation KEEP OFF ABJ-HQ FAFI.”

    The buildings include a block of two-storey commercial complex located opposite the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission; the NTS Event Hall and Hotel, Fajuyi; Our Peoples 104.1FM, Fajuyi; and a building beside Spotless Hotel, GRA, Ado Ekiti.

    Others are a twin-building behind the Government House at the GRA; a two-storey commercial building at the Okesa Market; and a petrol station.

    Recall that Fayose had in a reaction through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, accused the EFCC of sealing houses belonging to innocent people in the state under the guise that they were linked to him.

    The two-storey commercial building at Okesa Market, owned by a medical doctor and former member of the State House of Assembly, Dr Samuel Omotoso, was among the sealed properties unsealed last December.

    Omotoso had personally removed the EFCC marks on the building, saying his action was consequent upon presentation of documents to EFCC to prove his family ownership of the property.

    When contacted on the development, Olayinka said, “We saw it like that and do not know the rationale behind it. We have not been told anything by the EFCC.”

     

  • Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Benue assure workers of readiness to pay N30,000 minimum wage

    Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Samuel Ortom (Benue) have assured workers of their readiness to pay the N30,000 new minimum wage.

    They spoke Thursday at different fora on the minimum wage, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari

    Fayemi said the welfare of the workers had always been his concern, stressing that his government would pay the minimum wage for effective and efficient service delivery.

    The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Biodun Omoleye, spoke in Ado-Ekiti at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) delegates’ conference, where Olatunde Kolapo was elected as the new chairman of the state NLC.

    He said the newly elected leadership of the trade unions would be invited soon for a meeting on the modalities to ensure the payment.

    He announced that facilities at government offices would be upgraded and conducive environment would be provided to ensure the optimal performance of workers.

    At the event, NLC National President Ayuba Wabba, who was represented by an ex-officio, Maureen Onyia-Ekwuazi, stated that the workers would not accept any minimum wage that is less than N30,000 from the governors.

    Wabba said the new minimum wage has become binding, having been signed into law by the President, stressing that the excuses by some governors that they would not be able to pay was not tenable.

    But, Akeredolu pleaded with the Federal Government to review the present revenue sharing formula to enable states to cope with the new increment.

    He spoke through the Head of Service (HoS) Toyin Akinkuotu during the election of Mr. Sunday Adeleye as the state NLC Chairman.

    The governor said: “We are not against the new minimum wage and if we are not against it, we are in support. Our prayer is that the Federal Government should look into the revenue allocation sharing formula, by giving more money to states and local governments to enable them to implement the new minimum wage”.

    Congratulating the new NLC executives, the governor, who hailed the peaceful conduct of the election, advised workers to cooperate with the new executives.

    To Ortom, workers deserved more than N30,000 minimum wage if funds were available to pay.

    The governor said consultations would soon begin towards successful implementation of the new wage.

    The governor, however, called on the Federal Government to review the Revenue Allocation Formula in favour of states to facilitate the smooth implementation of the new wage.

    He spoke at the JS Tarka Foundation, Makurdi while opening the Benue State NLC Council delegates’ conference.

    Ortom urged those that would be elected at the conference to brace and provide selfless service to the organised labour, stressing that they should be servant leaders.

    Ahmed said his administration was also committed to paying the new minimum wage.

    Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications Dr. Muyideen Akorede said “in this regard, the government set up a committee headed by the Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Susan, to work out the modalities and sources of revenue for the payment months before the President signed the new minimum wage into law”.

    “The committee is expected to submit its report to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed next two weeks,” the media aide said.

    Ahmed said the state government did not owe core civil servants any salary arrears.

    But, he stated that the state government is owing junior secondary school teachers and local government workers some months’ salaries.

    The state is claiming that the junior teachers and council workers are in the payroll of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

    Teachers under the aegis of Kwara State Concerned Teachers have blamed their predicament on Nigerian Union of Teachers’ (NUT) leaders.

    The group said the NUT leaders had mortgaged the welfare and interest of its members.

  • Herdsmen kill two, injure three in Ekiti

    Herdsmen kill two, injure three in Ekiti

    Tension brew in Iyemero community in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Monday as suspected herdsmen allegedly attacked the community.

    The suspected herdsmen at the wee hour of Monday attacked Eda, one of the communities under Iyemero town.

    The gory incident has claimed two lives and three others were inflicted with various degrees of injury.

    Sources identified one of the dead as Mr Danjuma Ali, a Muslim farmer while the identity of the second person whose bodies had been deposited in the morgue of the General hospital, Ikole Ekiti is still undisclosed as at the time of filing this report.

    Those undergoing medicare at the emergency section of the Federal Teaching Hospital(FETHI), Ido Ekiti include: Mrs Jennifer Akoko , Mr Joseph Achebe and one other victim.

    The source said: “It has happened again today, it has been a recurrent killing. Some herders called Bororo stormed the farmstead and shot these innocent people.

    “They came around 1am and were there till dawn. Our farmers are all afraid to go their farmsteads. They all rushed to the palace of Oba Ebenezer Agboola Ogungbemi, the Olu of Iyemero Ekiti to take refuge.

    “We are mourning today at Iyemero, we are not happy about this incident and the government must do something about it”, the source said.

    The Olu of Iyemero, Oba Ogungbemi and Olu-In-Council, restated their calls for establishment of a police station in the town to curb the attackers.

    The monarch, who spoke through the palace spokesman, Chief Ariyo Abejide, said there was urgent need for the teeming population of farmers in this farmstead to be protected and secured by the security agencies from another seemingly and imminent attacks and onslaught from the marauders.

    “These Fulani herders stormed the community through the border of Iyemero at Eruku in kwara state. This makes Iyemero a porous exit and entrant, which portend dangers and insecurity to the community, ikole local government and the state in general”.

    Oba Ogungbemi urged the residents to be peaceful and called for immediate intervention of the state government in this regard.

    Also, the head of security and community vigilante group, Chief Jimoh Eshikin called on the state government to empower the village hunters , in order to assist the security agents in effective Security surveillance and patrol.

    When called for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said he has not been briefed about the matter.