The Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the release of the audited account of the fund received by the state during the COVID-19 pandemic from the governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi before he leaves office on October 16.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Raphael Adeyanju in a statement on Tuesday accused the governor of hosting the award and dinner for the COVID-19 Response Resource Mobilization Committee (RRMC) in Lagos instead of the state to conserve resources.
The opposition party while describing the event held in Lagos last week for members of the committee as a vote of no confidence on the state governed by the governor for four years, noted that the scarce resources of the state were expended on the event in Lagos.
The PDP said, “Besides, the purpose of the event should have been to render an audited account of how the humongous money was expended. As a party, we demand full disclosure of the COVID-19 expenditure before the governor leaves office.
“Our party condemned the hosting of the event which should have been held in Ekiti, thus making the state waste taxpayers’ money. Such an attitude by a supposed number one citizen of the state could be likened to a prodigal son or what Yoruba call ‘akotileta’.
“A government that is accountable to the people should have considered the cost implications of hosting such an event in another state when Ekiti could boast of some government and privately owned event centres.”
But, reacting, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said Fayemi had not committed any error or flouted any law for hosting the award in Lagos, saying many of the committee members reside in the metropolis.
He explained that the PDP lacked the power to demand the audited report of the Covid-19 fund, saying, ” PDP should stop being lazy and political about everything.”
Dipe said, ” What is wrong with Governor Fayemi hosting members of the COVID-19 resource mobilisation committee in Lagos? They should understand that most of the committee members reside in Lagos and they contributed to the safety of Ekiti by donating millions and also made contacts with friends to help our state.
“If the PDP is truly sincere with itself, has the governor committed any offence by travelling to meet these good Samaritans in Lagos to say thank you? That was what any reasonable governor should do and Governor Fayemi had done just that.
“I heard them asking for an audited account of Covid-19 fund, they lack the power to ask for that. The audited account must have been delivered to the committee members and contributors, who are the people that can only make such requests. So, PDP should stop being lazy and political about everything.”
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