Fayemi's government house too expensive for Ekiti - Fayose

The new Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday branded the N3.3bn worth Governor's Lodge built by the ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi as a misplaced priority, he also stated that the building was too expensive for the state to maintain considering the level of poverty in the state.

He spoke while administering oaths on the newly appointed  Secretary to the State Government, Dr Mrs Modupe Alade and other Special Assistants  in Ado Ekiti.

Fayose berated Fayemi for spending such amount of money on a building when the masses were facing serious hardship and challenge of abject poverty.

He said : "My heart nearly failed me when I got to the new Government lodge on Thursday . The mansion cost N3.3 billion . It was initially awarded  for N2.3 billion and later increased to N2.7 billion, while a sum of N640 million was used to procure fittings and furniture.

"And this building will cost a sum of N150m maintenance annually. Ekiti cannot sustain this and we have to do something about it . How can a Governor be living in such house when the masses are living in abject poverty?, he asked .

The Governor also assured that his administration would ensure strict compliance to 35 percent Affirmative Action for women in government in consonance with the Beijing Declaration of  1993.

He said that the appointment of Alade underscored the enormous respect he had for the women, pledging that his government would protect them and allot more appointments and elective positions to them during the 2015 State and Federal Legislative polls.

He declared, "let me tell the men here who are politicians to know that some of them will be asked to step down for women in the election next year.

"I want to assure you  that  those that will step down have nothing to lose, we are going to reward you accordingly. But if you disobey us, we will still go ahead to do it, as long as what we are pursuing is in the interest of Ekiti people," Fayose posited.

The governor promised that his government will  reward loyalty and hardwork, particularly for politicians and those in the civil service to promote the culture of brotherliness in Ekiti.

Fayose said he was desirous of streamlining his government to a sizeable form, particularly the civil service to reduce cost, adding that he would pursue the restructuring with the fear of God.

"There is no point having 39 Permanent Secretaries, whose Running Grants we won't be able to pay. I want to maintain a sizeable number of political and top government functionaries, I mean the one we can sustain. But whatever we are going to do we have human face," he declared .

Fayose urged the political appointees to be patient with him in view of the parlous State of the Government's finances, advising them to desist from embarrassing him with text messages to solicit for appointments.

"Some have started disturbing me with text messages telling me to appoint them  this or that, you have to stop this. When the time comes, your own appointment will come.

"You don't need to tell me the kind of appointment I will give you. I may even give you something better than what you are requesting for or you may not get appointment at all."