- Fayose: Payment too meagre to alleviate poverty
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed joy over the fulfillment of one of the party’s promises to pay N5,000 to vulnerable Nigerians by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The party said with the commencement of payment of N5,000 to one million poor Nigerians through the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme of the government, the Buhari administration has demonstrated its commitment to the party’s ‘Change’ manifesto which is couched on true transformation.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described the achievements so far recorded by the present administration as historic and unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
“We recall that as part of its Social Investment Programme (SIP), the government has begun implementing three other major campaign promises of the party designed to provide jobs and lift the most vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty.
“These include: the N-Power Volunteer Corps which will provide jobs to 500,000 young Nigerian graduates; the National Homegrown Feeding Programme which has commenced in selected states, and the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), which provides soft loans ranging from N10,000 to 100,000 to artisans, traders, market women, among others.
“The APC views these achievements as historic and unprecedented in the history of Nigeria even as it assures Nigerians that the government is committed and working hard to make significant progress on the economy, and other sectoral areas.
“The party acknowledges that the past year was a tough one for Nigerians occasioned by the economic recession but have confidence in the ability of President Buhari to design programmes and policies that will provide succor to the masses.
“We urge Nigerians to continue to support and pray for the President Buhari-led administration so that our dream of a more prosperous, secure and stable nation will be achieved.
But the party was busy rejoicing, the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, described the programme as a mere propaganda, advising the federal government to stop running government and governance through propaganda.
He said: “A blind man will say it when it gets into his mouth, not mere promises.”
The governor, in a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said there was no evidence of the payment in his state, which is one of the states the federal government claimed the exercise had started.
He said apparently, the states they claimed have started receiving the payment are APC-controlled states knowing fully that the governors cannot come out to disprove the payment.
He said the APC government led by President Muhammadu Buhari should come to the reality that Nigerians are hungry and also angry and that Nigerians are no longer interested in empty promises.
He also explained that the people have realised that the APC government only operates by deceit and that Nigerians are running out of patience.
Fayose challenged them to publish the number of people receiving it and their account numbers.
He insisted that the economic policy of the federal government ahead of the 2019 elections is on how to entrench themselves in power and not the welfare of Nigerians.
The governor condemned the N2billion to be spent on entertainment alone in the Villa in the 2017 budget.
While calling on the federal government to put a proper economic team beyond party line in place to salvage the economy of Nigeria, which He said is already on the floor as many businesses have closed down.
He appealed to the president not allow Nigerians to die before the so-called benefit and ‘change’ come to bear on them.
Meanwhile, Fayose’s wife, Mrs. Feyisetan Fayose, yesterday declared that “all wolves in sheep’s clothing, close to her husband’s government” will meet their waterloo this year.
Mrs. Fayose, who spoke to thousands of Ekiti people during this year’s edition of inter-religious thanksgiving service organised by the office of Senior Special Adviser to governor on Religious
Matters, Pastor Seyi Olusola, said it was high time all enemies of Fayose, very close to him, but pretending as friends, to be exposed in shame.
“Every enemy pretending as friends, close to the government of Ayo Fayose and working against the government, the Lord will expose them with shame this year. Enough is enough! She said.
Urging Ekiti people to dismiss any negative predictions against the state and its government, Mrs. Fayose said God has assured her not to entertain any fear for her husband’s government in 2017, adding: “Don’t listen to whatever prophecies you hear from anyone.
Anybody can say whatever they feel, but God has given all the power to turn every negative utterances to your favour. Confess positive things about Ekiti State and it shall be so, no matter what anyone says,” she declared.
