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Ekiti PDP seeks refund of N100m collected from job seekers

By Ayodele Afolabi, Ado-Ekiti
23 June 2020   |   3:01 am
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has demanded an immediate refund of the over N100 million allegedly collected from job seekers last year August

We won’t dignify opposition party with the answer, says APC
• Gov signs N91.1billion supplementary budget into law

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has demanded an immediate refund of the over N100 million allegedly collected from job seekers last year August by the state government under the pretence of giving them jobs.

The opposition party alleged that Governor Kayode Fayemi had refused to employ anyone since last year August that employment forms were sold to over 100,000 job seekers after the sack of over 3,500 workers in the state public service as well as the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

In a statement signed by Secretary of the Ekiti State Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Diran Odeyemi, the party said: “It appears the recruitment done by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) and Civil Service Commission has turned out to be a scam after the over N100 million allegedly collected from job seekers by the state government.”

Odeyemi said it was painful that a governor that prides himself as a democrat could throw over 3,500 families in the state into anguish by sacking people that were duly employed.

But reacting to the PDP’s allegations, the All Progressives Congress APC) Spokesperson in the state, Ade Ajayi, said the ruling party was not ready to dignify the opposition party with response.

He said: “We are not ready to dignify PDP with response because we are currently busy joining Governor Kayode Fayemi in finding solutions to COVID-19 pandemic that had affected some people in the state.

“PDP might be insensitive, but APC is not. Our main pre-occupation now is how to defeat this pandemic and not playing politics with the lives of the people.

“But let me assure the people that we shall reply them at the appropriate time.

“We will let them know that the APC was more beneficial and kind to Ekiti people than PDP,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday signed the reviewed Appropriation Bill of N91.1 billion into law.

The governor said that the initial N124.7 billion budget earlier passed and signed in December 2019 was reduced by N33 billion following the slump in oil prices and the attendant reduction of federal allocation to states.

Fayemi, who spoke in Ado-Ekiti yesterday after signing the reviewed budget, stated that the 2020 “Budget of Deliverables” was reviewed downward owing to sudden outbreak of COVID-19, which had destabilised the economy, making the implementation of the initial budget unrealistic.

He said that to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the economy, it became imperative to review the 2020 budget and prepare a supplementary one that would be responsive to times and circumstances.

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