For allegedly paying N75 million to Mike Ozekhome SAN as part payment for handling his case against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Governor Ayo Fayose has attracted the ire of civil servants in Ekiti State.
An interest group in the state workforce under the auspices of Enlightened Workers Forum, EWF, said the payment of such a “huge amount” on Fayose’s private case was sad, condemnable and unjustifiable at a period workers are owed six months’ arrears of salaries.
Regretting that the payment was another dent on the image of the state, the workers’ body, in a statement issued on Friday by its coordinator, Mike Bamidele, said Fayose should explain to workers and people of the state on why he shelled out N75 million as “part payment” to Ozekhome.
They wondered why they are still being owed six months’ arrears after the Federal Government had released N9.6 billion bailout, N8.88 billion and budget support funds for nine months amounting to N10 billion within a space of one year and two months.
EWF said Fayose has much explanation on how the financial reliefs received from the federal government were spent and why they are still being owed arrears.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had in a counter-affidavit filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos claimed that the N75 million in the senior advocate’s account was part of the proceeds of the alleged loot from the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
The EFCC filed the counter-affidavit in opposition to an application by Ozekhome seeking to unfreeze his account which was blocked by the anti-graft agency.
Ozekhome had in a statement revealed that the N75m frozen by the EFCC in his account was a part payment of legal fees by the Ekiti state governor. He explained that the fund was for legal services he rendered the governor in his personal capacity, and to his aides.
The senior advocate represented Fayose against EFCC before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Ekiti where the judge on January 31 dismissed EFCC’s motion seeking to restrain the governor from withdrawing the remaining balance from his account that was earlier frozen by the commission but was de-frozen by the judge.
The workers reacted thus: “Releasing a whopping sum of N75 million to Ozekhome as part payment of legal fee in the governor’s private case with the EFCC, particularly at a time when he had bluntly refused to pay salaries and pensions.
“No matter the amount of coloration given to the case, it is not a state case; rather, it is purely a private one involving him and the EFCC and therefore should have been prosecuted with his personal fund.”
The workers recalled that Nigerians were shocked when Fayose claimed that his campaign was sponsored by Zenith Bank only for the bank to deny the claim adding that revelations from the court is a challenge to the governor that he owes Ekiti people explanations.
They said further: “By the way, what impression is Fayose trying to create in this case? Is he trying to turn to white what the whole works already knew as black? He said the money found in his account at the Zenith Bank was donated by the bank to sponsor his 2014 election but the bank promptly denied.
“The EFCC said it was his own share of the diverted N2.1 billion arms fund. Senator Obanikoro who brought the money to him did not only come out to confess but had begun to pay back his own share.
“His personal assistant corroborated the statement of the senator, the bank manager confirmed it, driver of the bullion van did same so also is the pilot of the plane that brought the money. Yet, Fayose insisted, it was his money but from what source?” EWF asked.
