Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has shed more light on why he allowed staff auditing before payment of April workers salary.
The governor, also insisted that operation stop and search of vehicles by security agencies must continue notwithstanding the opposition by the All Progressives Congress (APC), wondered why efforts being made to fight kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state are being given political colouration by the APC.
Fayose, who stated this while inaugurating suggestion box as means of knowing the views of the people at the Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, said it was very clear that quite a number of ghost workers were drawing salary from the government purse monthly.
According to a press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, and made available to the press on Thursday, Governor Fayose said that many of these ghost workers have either died, retired from the service or had traveled out of the country.
He asked, “Is it not interesting to hear that names of some students who are not workers of Ekiti State are in the payroll of the government. I am appealing to the workers to support the government to expose these cheats. If you know those who have left, let us know them so that it will be easy for you to receive your pay regularly. It is you who know them, they are your friends.”
On the issue of insecurity in the state, the governor wondered why anybody would be jittery of steps taken by the government to rid the state of criminals.
Fayose continued, “I have not put kidnapping at the door step of anybody or party because I don’t want to be distracted in the effort we are making to arrest the situation and rescue those in the custody of the kidnappers.
Everybody in the state must join hand with the government to fight these criminals who have just arrived the state.
I am to secure lives and properties of Ekiti people who elected me as their governor. No matter what anybody said or interpretation given to our actions, I will not be distracted.”
Fayose said he introduced suggestion box so that complaints of the people could be heard by him, explaining that though he gave out his telephone number so that people could either call him or send text message, however, he saw it as not being enough
(The Guardian)
