Photos: This is "50 million Naira" bed Fayemi bought for his wife -Gov. Fayose.

Governor Ayòdele Fayose of Ekiti State, on Monday, flayed the former governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for expending over N3.3 billion on a new governor’s lodge, saying the project was “ill-conceived and a misplaced priority.”

Fayose made the statement while administering oaths on the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Alade and other special assistants in Ado Ekiti, on Monday.
The governor berated Fayemi for expending such a staggering sum in building an edifice for his comfort, even when the masses were facing serious hardship and challenge of abject poverty.
 

“My heart nearly failed me when I got to the new government lodge on Thursday. The mansion cost N3.3 billion. It was initially awarded for N2.3 billion and later increased to N2.7 billion, while a sum of N640 million was used to procure fittings and furniture.
 
“And this building will cost a sum of N150 million maintenance annually. Ekiti cannot sustain this and we have to do something about it. How can a governor be living in such house when the masses are living in abject poverty?” he asked.
 

Reacting, Fayemi, through his media aide, Yinka Oyebode, said “it is a non-issue.”
Oyebode, who reacted through a text message to a text message earlier sent to him, said the former governor, Fayemi, “is entitled to his opinion.” see more photos ....


Fayose, speaking further at the inauguration ceremony, said he was desirous of compressing his government to a sizeable form, particularly the civil service, to reduce cost, adding that he would, however, prosecute the restructuring with the fear of God.
 
“There is no point having 39 permanent secretaries, whose running grants we won’t be able to pay. I want to maintain a sizeable number of political and top government functionaries. I mean the one we can sustain, but whatever we are going to do will have human face,” he stated.
 
Speaking against the backdrop of the imperatives of women empowerment, Fayose declared that “let me tell the men here who are politicians that some of them will be asked to step down for women in next year’s elections.
 
“I want to assure you that those that will step down have nothing to lose, we are going to reward you accordingly, but if you disobey us, we will still go ahead and do it so far what we are pursuing is in the interest of Ekiti populace,” Fayose posited.
 
He said his government would reward loyalty and hardwork, particularly politicians and those in the civil service, to promote the culture of brotherliness in Ekiti.
 
The governor hinted that the appointment of Mrs Alade underscored the enormous respect he had for the womenfolk, pledging that his government would protect them through allotment of reasonable appointive and elective positions, especially during the 2015 state and federal legislative polls.