•No, It’s Not True, Says Legislators







THERE SEEMS to be no end yet to the war of
words between the Ekiti State government
and the 19 All Progressives Congress (APC)
lawmakers as the two sides on Monday June
1, 2015 engaged each other over media
report that the embargo placed by Governor
Ayo Fayose on the salaries and allowances
of the legislators had been lifted.








The lawmakers, in a statement, accused the
government of sponsoring the report, even
as the government described as falsehood
their position, adding that the legislators
had acknowledged their payments last
week.









The APC lawmakers, in a statement by the
Media Adviser to the Speaker, Wole Olujobi,
said the report was mischievous and lacked
the basic tenets of journalism.








Olujobi’s reads: “It is shocking that those
behind the media report chose not to
believe us but overzealously believed the
purported sources that thrive in falsehood,
lies and propaganda while working for the
government.








“The reporter in one breath said his
investigation revealed that the lawmakers
had been paid, yet he reported that both
Fayose and the lawmakers did not confirm
the report as they refused to talk to him.






“If this were the case, then who were the
sources that confirmed to the reporter that
the lawmakers had been paid?
“To make matters worse, contrary to the
reporter’s claim that we did not talk to him,
we told him that we have not been paid.








“Apart from getting this fact from us, the
speaker’s media aide told him the same and
so we are surprised that the reporter is
claiming that he received no information
from us.






“In fact, as at Saturday night, the alerts we
received from our bank were deficit alerts
and so we wonder where the reporter got
his story.






“It is unfortunate that just because the
reporter wanted to file an exclusive report
for his paper, he went ahead to report this
falsehood motivated by blackmail.








“Let us even agree without conceding that
we were paid our lawful entitlements, what
favour does the governor do to us by that
after illegally cutting short our tenure by
seven months and putting us in harrowing
inconveniences in addition to his brazen
rape on the constitution of Nigeria?
“Must payment of our legal entitlements
prevent us from defending the constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which we
swore to protect?








“Where are the indications of payment
when embargo is placed on our accounts by
the governor?








“Even those who should know in
government are wondering where the
reporter got his story because there is never
any payment to the lawmakers.









“This is irresponsible journalism at its worst
and it is unfortunate.’’







However, the government in a statement
issued by the State Commissioner for
Finance, Toyin Ojo, said: “We would have
remained silent in deference to the
agreement reached at the last Monday
meeting in Akure that all parties should
maintain silence on the outcome of the
meeting, especially because the lawmakers
said they do not want their leaders to know
the outcome of the meeting.







“However, since the lawmakers have chosen
not to abide by this agreement by first
issuing press statement to deny and reveal
what was discussed in the meeting, and
now going to the press to say that they have
not received any payment, the government
does not have any other option than to tell
the public the truth and set the records
straight.









“The government is by this press statement
putting the records straight since the money
paid to the lawmakers belong to Ekiti
people.








“The payment was made in cheques
because the lawmakers pleaded that their
accounts should not be credited directly so
as to avoid the banks from making
deductions for loans taken from the banks.








“Saying that they have not been paid is quite
unfortunate and unbecoming of honourable
members of the State House of Assembly
and this is sad.








“We will want to keep our fingers crossed
and we wish to caution the lawmakers to
adhere strictly to the spirit of the
agreements.








“Governor Fayose’s good gesture, aimed at
ensuring peace in the state should not be
abused.”












source:www.dailyindependentnig.com/2015/06/paid-fayose-tells-apc-lawmakers/

..