Fayemi seeks law against project abandonment by new govs

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has canvassed the enactment of a transition law to prevent succeeding governments from abandoning projects initiated by past administrations.

The governor said the law was needed to check wanton abandonment of projects simply because they were not initiated by the incumbent.

Fayemi in a statement stated that most of the projects he initiated during his first term which impacted positively on the lives of the people were jettisoned by his successor.

He said the law will serve as a guide for any government and stipulate lines of demarcation between what constitutes infractions by way of abandonment of projects and actions that would be of benefit to the people.

Fayemi spoke in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday while receiving officials of the Security Exchange Commission who were in the state to inspect projects that were financed from the N25bn bond taken by the state government during his first term.

The first tranche of the bond, put at N20bn, had been fully repaid in line with the structured repayment plan.

Fayemi said he would suggest to the state House of Assembly to come up with a transition law that would state what would happen between the past and new government.

He said, “This is the best way to have a neutral, non partisan approach to governance. The politicians can fight their battle out there, but when the interest of the populace has to be protected, we need to play the right game.”

Commenting on the repayment of the bond money, the governor said the completion of the repayment of the N20bn bond taken by the state government had rubbished claims by the immediate past government of Ayo Fayose that the bond money was mismanaged and that it had put the state in debt.

Fayemi, who said the first tranche of N20bn had already been defrayed, added that the repayment of the remaining N5bn would be completed next year in line with the repayment plan.

He explained that the funds were expended on the construction of 11 road projects across the three senatorial districts, Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ire Burnt Brick, Ekiti Liaison office in Lagos, Adunni Olayinka Civic Centre, Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, and Oke Ayoba Governor’s lodge, among others.

Earlier, the leader of the SEC team, Mr Usman Mohammed, explained that the visit was to assess the projects and monitor compliance with the rules of the commission.