Ekiti Set To Take FG Loan To Pay Salaries

                                                                                                                                                                               The Ekiti State Government has said it will join other States that have opted to take the N90 billion loan being offered by the Federal Government to those owing workers salaries.

The State Government said it has met all conditions necessary to access the fund.

This, the state government ‎said in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, would complement its efforts at prudently managing the resources of the state to meet the expectations of all Ekiti State people.

Briefing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola, the Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, said the Ayodele Fayose-led administration had taken all necessary steps to benefit from the fresh plan by the Federal Government to ameliorate the financial conditions of state governments.

Ojo, therefore, called on public servants in the state who are currently on strike to return to their duty posts and remember that the love of the State Governor, Ayo Fayose, for civil servants and Ekiti State people in general remained firm.

Also briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, frowned at the fresh attempt by The Presidency and some of its agencies to harass, intimidate and threaten officials of the state government over issues long-determined and settled by the Supreme Court.

Ajayi said: “We condemn in strong terms alleged threat, intimidation, harassment and embarrassment of officials of the state government by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Department of State Security and even The Presidency over issues already settled by Supreme Court.

“The allegations are to coerce the people of the state and they should note that ‎the government was popularly elected by the people of the state about two years ago and the All Progressives Congress, which was defeated then, went through all legal processes to challen‎ge the election and lost.

“Using a military panel that assessed not only Ekiti poll, but Osun, Rivers and presidential poll is an exercise in futility‎.

“Ekiti is peaceful.

“We don’t have militancy or Boko Haram trouble and we don’t want anyone to provoke us and the people of the state.

“Nobody in the government, organs of the government and lawmakers doing their legitimate duties should be intimidated, harassed or threatened in whatever form.

“They are doing all this because Fayose is the only voice of the opposition in the country and that is permissible under democracy and when Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the president, former Governors Kayose Fayemi, Rotimi Amaechi and Babatunde Fashola criticized him and they were not harassed or intimidated.‎

“To use state apparatus to har‎ass anybody will be resisted.

“What Fayose is saying is assisting the government and the people of Nigeria in general.”

Also, the Commissioner for Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi, said all lovers and defenders of democracy should not just watch and see the opposition being muzzled.