THE Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has raised the alarm that his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the All Progressives Congress are frustrating his efforts to pay workers’ salary arrears.

The governor accused the Federal Government of stopping payment due to the state as refund on road projects.

Fayose at a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday said the action was based on a suit filed by Fayemi through his former Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Kolawole.

He said he had planned to use the refund to pay the outstanding salaries of Ekiti civil servants, adding that it was the hope that the money would soon be paid that made him to constantly assure the workers that he would not leave the office a debtor on October 16 .

Fayose said, “It is with heavy heart and deep sense of responsibility that I address you today on the latest display of deep seated hatred against Ekiti State and its people by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, especially the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

“When I said that I won’t leave office as a debtor of salary, I was sure that the over N12bn owed the state by the Federal Government on construction and rehabilitation of federal roads will be paid this month.

“However, I’m shocked that in their usual characteristics of working against every effort to alleviate the sufferings of the people, Dr. Fayemi through his Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Kolawole, went to court in Abeokuta seeking an order that the N11bn refund should not be paid to my administration.

“Because of this court action, the refund that should have been made this month is said to have been stopped.”

According to him, the latest onslaught was aimed at destabilising the state government ahead of the July governorship election.

But reacting, Kolawole denied that he and Fayemi were blocking money due to the state.

He accused the governor of only trying to blackmail them to score cheap political point.

He said, “As to whether he will pay workers, all the money he has been earning before, was he paying workers? All the bailouts, budget support, monthly allocations, was he paying workers? Ask him.

“I have gone to court to defend my name. He has received money more than Fayemi. Have you ever heard from him that the Federal Government owes the state before? Which salaries, the money they have been giving him in the past, can’t he pay salaries?” – Punch

– Feb. 1, 2018 @ 10:54 GMT