Ekiti impeachment crisis overblown – Fayose, NLC President

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, have said the crisis created by the impeachment plot was being blown out of proportion by members of the opposition. They spoke on Thursday during the opening of the NLC Delegate Conference in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Wabba, who was represented by the General Secretary, National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, Mr. Babatunde Liadi, said the impeachment plot had sent wrong signals to outsiders. The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers have served an impeachment notice on Fayose and his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, citing eight impeachable offences. Wabba said, “When I was to come to Ekiti to preside over this election, I was skeptical because I thought the State was under serious crisis. But when I got here, I saw that everywhere was peaceful, so I began to think about the impression they had created about Ekiti by political actors to the outside world. “But I want to commend Governor Fayose for handling the matter maturely. I want to believe that the maturity must have caused the peace being enjoyed by citizens of the State.” Fayose, who described workers as promoters of peace and the pivot of his government, stated that they played a prominent role in his reelection during the June 21 governorship poll. The Governor lamented the dwindling financial status of the State monthly allocation to about N2 billion when the wage bill was N2.6 billion, saying he would soon convoke a stakeholders’ meeting, to chart a new course on how best to appropriate the State resources. Fayose said he would continue to accord the welfare of workers, especially salaries utmost priority, saying any politician who underrates workers was heading for a doom. He said, “Those of you who traveled from to Ekiti today can attest to the fact that Ekiti crisis was being overblown. “I want to thank the NLC President for even raising the observation. We are on the ground alongside these workers here in Ekiti . We are not doing our own politics on the pages of newspapers because I deal with reality. “The Ekiti workers played prominent role in my coming back to government after eight years they said I was impeached. Even the Supreme Court in his judgement last week said they were only lying that I was never impeached. What victory could be more than this? “I am not in Ekiti to persecute anybody. I believe I was brought back to do good to all manners of men and that was why I have been waving the olive branch to the lawmakers and the opposition. “They have to be honourable enough like President Goodluck Jonathan, who had to concede for Nigeria to remain united. They have to appeal to opposition to allow Fayose to be so that I can take care of the people who voted me into power. “I want to appeal to you to use your election as an example. Let it represents the wish of your members. Don’t conduct the election in a way that would create crisis or division because another four years is in the offing for another person to take over,” Fayose advised.