An Ekiti State Judicial Commission of Inquiry has ordered former Governor Kayode Fayemi, to account for the N2.75 billion meant for the construction of Ado Ekiti ultra-modern market.
The order was contained in the report of the panel which was submitted by its Chairman, Justice Silas Oyewole, to the state Governor, Ayo Fayose, on Wednesday.
The panel, which looked into financial transactions of the state during Mr. Fayemi’s administration, said the funds were drawn from the N25 billion bond the former governor obtained while he was in office.
It said the Mr. Fayemi never executed the market project and the fund for it was not returned the state’s coffers.
The panel also ordered the contractor who furnished the Government House built by the Fayemi’s administration to refund a sum of N324.8 million, noting that the contract should not have been more than N280 million.
According to the panel, Kitwood Nigeria Limited, which was paid over N600 million to furnish the property had no traceable address.
It said, “the address on the Letter of Award is a virgin land at opposite the new Central Bank along new Iyin Road, Ado Ekiti.”
On the purchase of vehicles, the panel said “the claim by Coscharis Motors that it supplied 235 and/or 250 vehicles was fraudulent and fraught with many contradictions.”
A part of the report reads, “That Coscharis Motors supplied some vehicles outside Ekiti State especially, at Ibadan Liaison office when Ekiti State Government does not have a Liaison Office in Ibadan.
“In respect of this, seven vehicles were supplied outside the state and signed for by unknown persons.
“That Coscharis Motors only supplied 219 vehicles to the Ekiti State Government and that 17 Joylong Buses were supplied to the Ekiti State Government as gift but later carted away.”
On the controversial N852.9 State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) fund, the commission said it was clear Mr. Fayemi tricked the Federal Government into paying its own matching grant by obtaining N852, 936,783.12 loan from Access Bank on November 25, 2013 without perfecting documentation in respect of the loan, thereby flouting the provisions of Section 11(2) of the UBEC Act, 2004.
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While receiving the report, Governor Fayose said asking people to account for their stewardship should not be termed witch hunting.
He argued that leaders must be accountable, adding Ekiti people have in inalienable right to know how their commonwealth was being used.
“I appreciate the panel members for a thorough job done. The time and energy they put into the job,” the governor said.
“The panel waited for the outcome of the court case instituted by former Governor Kayode Fayemi before it concluded its job because we are ardent believers in the rule of law and if the court had ruled that we should stop, we would have stopped.
“There is no witch hunting in a situation whereby people are asked to account for their stewardship. Am glad that the Federal Government is also pursuing the policy of accountability and we are following suit here too,” he said.
Governor Fayose subsequently inaugurated a four-man administrative panel to study the report and come out with a White Paper.
The administrative panel is headed by the Commissioner for Justice, Kolapo Kolade.
Earlier, Justice Oyewole said though the panel was given three months to do its work when inaugurated in May this year, it had to bid its time to see the end of the litigation by the former governor.
