Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has challenged the Debt Management Office (DMO), commercial banks and All Progressives Congress (APC) to publish any debt he owes since coming to power.
Contrary to the claims of the opposition, Fayose insisted that he has not committed the state to any debt by means of bond from capital market or loans from commercial banks.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday at the Governor’s Office, Ado Ekiti, Fayose justified the purchase of a N75 million Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle for himself as a “parting gift.”
Reacting to the claim of the Transition Committee set up by the governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, that record from DMO showed that Ekiti debt profile under him has ballooned to N117 million, Fayose described the allegation as a “cheap blackmail and lie from the pit of hell.”
Fayose said: “When Fayemi was leaving as governor in 2014, he left with a car and so did other governors before him. So, you can’t expect me also not to have a befitting car when I am leaving office.
” Fayemi himself ordered a Jeep of almost N7 million for me when l was still Governor-elect in 2014, but he didn’t pay for it. I had also bought a Jeep for former Governor Niyi Adebayo to honour him. That is how it is done every four years.
” If Fayemi’s government wants to probe me, I will present myself and would not behave like a coward like he did. I have served Ekiti, l have given my best. Relevant documents will be handled over to the in-coming administration at the appropriate time.
“I have not committed Ekiti to one Naira since I assumed office as governor for the second term. I haven’t borrowed from any financial institutions.
“They should stop just saying it and publish any record of debt from any bank or the Debt Management Office (DMO) as evidence. I did not borrow or take any bond or borrow from any financial bank.
“In my first tenure, I left N10.4 billion in the covers of government but I started this administration on October 16, 2014 meeting huge debt incurred by my predecessor.
“The last administration of Fayemj brought Ekiti to N25 billion million bond and N32 billion commercial loan and the state will pay the bond until year 2022. The commercial loan was restructured like it was done for other states, Fayemi stated.