Fayose: I was successful before I became governor

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, is insisting that he will not publish his assets despite pressure from opposition All Progressives Congress.

Fayose, who said he became a successful entrepreneur before his emergence as governor in 2003, maintained that contrary to claims made by the party, he does not have properties outside the country.

His full statement is reproduced below:

Once again, I consider it necessary, germane and sacrosanct to for the sake of the already hoodwinked and coaxed general public, react to the totally malicious, misleading and wicked accusations enumerated in the press statement released on Monday 7th September by the Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in which they (APC) challenged me to publicly declare my assets just because President Muhamadu Buhari and his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinabjo recently declared their’s. I would have ignored the statement in its entirety if not for the truth that was completely circumvented therein, thus this rebuttal;

1. On the public declaration of assets, I want to say expressly today that I have done what is required of me to do as stated under paragraph 12 of part 1 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria regarding the declaration of assets by public officials. Consequently, any citizen of Nigeria particularly those from Ekiti State who’s interested in knowing my assets have the rights to inspect or access the declarations made by me at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by enacting the Freedom of Information (FOI bill) under section 14(2(c) which prescribed that “the participation of the people in the affairs of the government shall be guaranteed and protected by government”.

It is also important I say for the sake of posterity that I never promised public declaration of assets when I was asking for votes from the good people of Ekiti State. It was the APC that, when playing to the gallery and on the emotion of Nigerians, made public declaration of assets a political campaign issue and thus, I beg to be excused from this euphoria of public declaration of assets. The constitution that granted the citizens rights to know my assets equally bestowed right to privacy on me.

2. On the rumored accumulation of properties by me outside the shores of the nation of Nigeria, I want to declare with every sense of truth and sincerity of purpose that such only exist on the famed imagination of the APC and their co-travelers. It is a common knowledge that hyperbole is the trademark of the APC.

3. I also consider the statement by the APC that I had no source of income before becoming Governor as a highest level of insult on my esteemed person. Without sounding immodest, I want to declare today that I was a successful entrepreneur who bathe in the firmament of starvation and fought poverty with zeal to become a creme-de-lame before becoming governor. For the records, one of the state executive members of the APC in Ekiti State was once a Bar Attendant in my Hotel (SPOTLESS) which I had built before I ever thought of contesting for the Ekiti governorship seat.

4. I will also like to inform the general public that contrary to the claims of the APC, many of my houses in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State have been built before I became governor. The APC should equally be informed that Justice Jonathan Shakarho of a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan on March 30, 2011 ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay me N10 million as damages for forcefully sealing off my private home, located in Government Reserved Area (GRA), Iyaganku Quarters, Ibadan on September 29, 2010. Very soon, I will approach a court of competent jurisdiction to seek for an order, garnishing the account of the EFCC if the cost awarded as damages in my favour is not paid.

The attached are the links to the reports of two national dailies over the invasion of my Ibadan residence on September 2010.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/sealing-of-property-court-orders-efcc-to-pay-fayose-n10m/
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/efcc-court-awards-n10m-damages-to-fayose/88772/

5. The APC in its uncharitable idiosyncrasy, also claimed that I have received N22billion as a refund from Federal Government for the federal roads tarred by Ekiti State Government in Ekiti. Well, I had earlier replied them that lawfully, the total sum Federal Government is owing Ekiti on road projects is less than N3bn because all the federal roads which the administration of Dr. kayode Fayemi rehabilitated in Ekiti did not receive the approval of the federal government, and so, we are on our own. Therefore, how could I have been paid N22bn when what Ekiti State is being owed by FG on road projects is less than N3bn?

The APC is now in charge of federal government; they now have access to information in Abuja; thus, I challenge the Esau and Jacobs in APC to buttress their allegation with papers embedded with empirical values. The APC vuvuzelas also alleged that I paid myself N720m as salary for seven months aftermath the recent nullification of my controversial impeachment in 2006 by the Supreme Court. This also is another outstanding lie from the pit of hell concocted to wheedle the unsuspecting general public. My monthly salary is less than a million naira. Now, assuming without conceding that I paid myself seven months salaries, please can it be up to N10m?

6. I want to tell the APC to stop being hypocritical. Today, the same APC that directly and indirectly blackmailed me with public declaration of assets have forgotten that none of its 22 state governors has publicly declared their assets. If they are looking for whom to blackmail emotionally, they should look elsewhere because Ayo Fayose cannot be blackmailed. I am the rock. They said I do travel out of the country, please, I want to ask them, who has traveled out of the country more between me and President Buhari? For their information, I have the traveling dossiers of APC governors. The last time I traveled, it was reported by theirs’ The Nation Newspaper that I sat on Economy Seat accompanied with only one aide which shows that I am a very modest and prudent manager of resources.

7. Let me remind the APC leaders in case they have forgotten that Fayemi traveled out of Nigeria more than 100 times within the four years he spent in Oke Bareke Government House. However, I Peter Ayodele Fayose have abolished capital flight in Ekiti. I have declared peace, prosperity, stomach and physical infrastructures in Ekiti State. Today, while two APC control States in South West owe their workers four-eight months salaries, Ekiti under me is not owing a dime. Despite the paucity of funds, today, I have declared a state of emergency on all the untarred roads in Ado-Ekiti. We just concluded a summit on elementary education and soon, we shall have a Tax summit. I am also constructing a never-seen-before women development center in honor of the late former Deputy Governor of our state, Funmilayo Olayinka. May her soul continue to rest in peace. An international market is under construction at Ikere-Ekiti. The construction of Oja Oba market, Ado-Ekiti is about to start. I am currently dualizing roads in Ado-Ekiti. Afao-Ado road is under reconstruction. I just gave teachers and civil servants cars and housing loans. Today, More than ten roads are under construction in Ekiti State despite the paucity of funds that is currently militating against all the states of the federation.

Ekiti under me is progressing and my people are happy with my leadership. We shall continue to serve the people realistically. We won’t play to the gallery. God bless the people of Ekiti State. God bless Nigeria.