Fayemi have something to hide in alleged sale of Abuja lodge – Ekiti PDP

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has described the reaction by Governor Kayode Fayemi’s Aide, Segun Dipe, to the alleged sale of the Governor’s Lodge in Abuja as mere rhetoric devoid of facts and a clear confirmation that the State government was hiding something.

The party said it had expected the government to lay everything about the lodge bare for public scrutiny instead of embarking on the usual voyage of abuses and throwing of tantrums, adding that “what we simply demanded from the government was to show transparency and accountability in the running of Ekiti State.”

In a statement by Mr. Diran Odeyemi, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, the party said “it is a fact not denied by Fayemi’s Aide in his epistle that the property situated at TY Danjuma,  Asokoro, Abuja was demolished and a new structure being built on the land by an unknown contractor and for a client not specified.

The PDP said further that; “If truly, the new structure being built on the land is owned by the State Government, why did the contractor not specify this by placing a billboard in which the project title, client, contractor, consultant and duration of contract will be clearly stated?

“When was the contract awarded, to whom was it awarded and how much? Also, where is the evidence of publication of invitation to tender?

“For the avoidance of doubt, we are aware of budgetary provision of N1 billion in 2019, for construction of Governor and Deputy Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. Out of this N1 billion, a sum of N770.9 million was spent last year.

“The question is, on which construction was N770.9 million spent last year? This is because the Governor’s Lodge located at Asokoro in Abuja was demolished this year and the building of a new structure started last month.

“Or is the government saying that it spent N770.9 million on the construction of the new lodge last year even before the old building was demolished this year?”

On claim that the property was bought by the Segun Oni’s government and it was not so good for habitation since the roof was leaking, making former Governor Ayo Fayose to abandoned it, the PDP asked; “What did Governor Fayemi do to the property between 2010 and 2014? Or was it Fayose that took over from Oni?

“If the roof was leaking in 2010, why didn’t Governor Fayemi fix it then?  Where did he use as lodge between 2010 and 2014 as well as 2018 and 2020?

“Also, why did it take the government over 72 hours to respond even after the Commissioner for Works, Sola Adebayo, who should have information on the property at his finger-tips cleverly dodged the matter by refusing to say anything when he was asked by press men yesterday.

“It is therefore our demand that the government drop its garment of ‘we don’t care’ and give proper explanations to the people of Ekiti State on the true state of the Abuja House.”