Guardian, Nigeria: Ekiti State government has sued former governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and his finance commissioner, Mr. Dapo Kolawole, for allegedly misappropriating N4.9 billion while in office.
The development came less than two weeks after releasing a white paper on the report of the Justice Silas Oyewole Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the finances of the state during the administration of Fayemi, who is now the minister of mines and steel development.
In the 19-count charge filed before the State High Court, Ado Ekiti at the weekend, Fayemi and Kolawole were accused of stealing, abuse of office and criminal contempt, among others.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to Governor Ayodele Fayose, Fayemi and Kolawole were accused of misappropriating N4.9 billion being the proceeds of Ekiti State Bond for the sum of N20 billion earmarked for various projects that were either not executed or partly done.
When the white paper was released on January 15, 2018, the government directed the Ministry of Justice to institute appropriate legal action(s) against the minister and others, saying they should be made to account for the whereabouts of the funds.
Count 12 of the charge read that Fayemi and Kolawole between 2011 and 2014 conspired to steal N2,750,000,000.00 (N2.75 billion) earmarked and released for the construction of ultra-modern market in Ekiti State, which they never built and thereby committed an offence.
Also on the N25 billion bond, Fayemi and Kolawole were accused of stealing N716,688,790.92 out of the N750 million earmarked and released for the construction of Ekiti State School of Agriculture out of which only N33.311,209.08 was allegedly spent.
The duo were also accused of stealing N198,860,023.00 being outstanding of the N500 million earmarked and released for the construction of Ekiti State Liaison Office in Lagos, out of which only N301,139,977 was expended for the said project.
Also, out of the N767, 970,167.47 earmarked in the bond prospectus and released for renovation of the governor’s office, only N87, 622,912.25 was allegedly spent, leaving an outstanding of N681, 347,255.22.
For the renovation of Ado Ekiti Water Works, N335.5 million was earmarked and released but only N155, 523,558 was spent, leaving N197, 979,441.77 as outstanding. The Ero water project, for which N468.6 million was earmarked, was allegedly not executed.
Fayemi and Kolawole were further charged with criminal contempt for allegedly refusing to appear before the commission of inquiry, an offence punishable under Section 13 of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap C. 10, Laws of Ekiti State, 2010 and Section 126 (2) of the Criminal Code laws, Cap C. 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2010, among others.
