Why we obtained N25bn bond from capital market - Fayemi

 

Written by Oluwole Ige Monday, 15 October 2012

EKITI State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said his administration decided to obtain N25 billion from the capital market to fund the provision of basic infrastructure needed in repositioning the state.
He maintained that out of the N25 billion bond, secured in August, 2011, N5 billion had been used to offset debt, saying that “N20 billion is what we are using on basic projects. 
“On roads construction, we have expended N12 billion. We have no room for capital expenditure in our monthly allocation,” he said.
Besides, Fayemi said the compulsory test for teachers in the state was not a ploy to sack anybody, but to enhance the quality and knowledge base of teachers.
Fayemi, who made this known at the weekend, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, said the state government was committed to delivering concrete democratic dividends to the citizenry by implementing projects that have direct and positive bearing on all and sundry.
While giving a breakdown of the financial status of the state, the governor said “the salaries of civil  servants in Ekiti gulp N1.3 billion monthly, subventions to university teaching hospital is N600 million, but it has been reduced to N400 million and a sum of N100 million is earmarked for social security.”
On why the state does not have an airport, considering its tourism potentials, Fayemi contended that “Based on investigation, Ekiti can have what we plan as airport with at least N1.5 billion or N2 billion. If I were to compare, that is what we spend in a year on our laptop per child initiatives. 
“Is that not number one priority. Airport is also important because of Ikogosi spring water. We have to equally take over federal roads. Presently, we are being owed N8 billion by the Federal Government on roads alone,” he said.
Reacting to the controversy generated by the compulsory test his government directed teachers in the state public schools to write, the governor said the development was not aimed at victimising any teacher; rather it was part of the measures to address the dwindling quality of teaching personnel in the state. According to Fayemi, “I organised an education summit when we came on board.” 
The summit, which was chaired by the late Professor Sam Aluko came out with recommendations. 
The quality of our teachers was part of it. Teachers are not in their best shape. Generally speaking, if we provide all the enabling facilities we have promised and we don’t have quality teachers, then it is trouble. 
A school in Ado Ekiti that used to score 90% before in WAEC now scored 9% in 2012".”There is no way anybody can convince me to play politics with the lives of our children. I don’t have anything against the teachers. 
That’s why I’m not going to bow down on the test issue. Employees have a pact with their employers. Ekiti is not the only state that will introduce test It was done in Kwara and Bayelsa. It is not about retrenchment.”