National Vice-Chairman (South-West) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, has described incessant claim by the Dr. Kayode Fayemi-led Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government that his (Oni) administration left a N40 billion debt as a function of a confused and clueless state of the government.
Reacting to the PDP claim that the state government was secretly accessing N11 billion from the capital market, apart from the N20 billion raised and made public, the State Commissioner for Information, Funminiyi Afuye had said the Fayemi administration inherited N41 debt when it came to power in 2010.
However, Oni’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lere Olayinka said; “Fayemi and his men are confused, pure and simple.”
He said only a confused government would regard financial commitments on projects that were ongoing as debt, adding that; “for the umpteenth time, let it be made clear that the Segun Oni administration did not leave any N41 billion debt.
Olayinka, who said it was laughable that Fayemi and his men were still being hunted by Oni’s ghost more than two years after he left office added that; “Prior to the October 15, 2010 Salamic judgment that made Fayemi governor, bank loan and borrowings stood at N7 billion. The amount included the outstanding loans of N3.4 billion obtained by civil servants in the state on which deductions are being made from their salaries.
“However, if they have any record of that imaginary N40 billion debt, as we have done many times, let them publish it for the public to see.
Better still, they can approach anti-corruption agencies.
“And if outstanding payments on projects that were ongoing then are what they have been referring to as debt, it is very unfortunate. Or how can financial commitments on ongoing projects be regarded as debt?
“For instance, let’s assume that my income is N1 million per year and I have a building project that will cost N4 million. If I choose to start the building project this year and spanned the construction across four years, by next year, can anyone tell me that I was owing N3 million when only jobs earmarked for the first year had been done?
“Interestingly, many of the projects, including those already completed before Fayemi purchased the judgment that brought him to power have been advertised as achievements of the government.”
On the claim that the Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki road that 80 per cent of the contract sum was paid and 20 per cent job done by the time Fayemi came into office, Olayinka said; “Assuming but not even conceding that the contractor was overpaid, did the contractor abandon the job? Was the job not being done even now?
“The fact as per the road is that as at October, 2010, all earth works and drainages had been done while substantial part of the road had been tarred. Then, all bridges had been done except one. If they say that in their own parochial minds, the level of work on a road already being asphalted was 20 percent, it is understandable because what they thrive on is lies, propaganda and corruption.”