If Buhari Really Wants To Fight Corruption, He Should Start By Probing How His Campaign Was Funded- Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Thursday described
the nationwide anti-corruption protests of the organised labour as a mere
jamboree.

The governor, who said “no political office holders can
steal without the cooperation of the civil servants,” urged the labour unions,
predominantly civil servants, to purge themselves of corruption.

He spoke while receiving the labour leaders, led by the
Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Raymond Ade-Adesanmi and Trade Union
Congress, Ayodeji Ladeji, in his office in Ado Ekiti.

Fayose said, “No governor, minister or top political office
holders can steal a penny from the treasury without the cooperation of the
civil servants. We don’t write papers as politicians, but we only approve
whatever the civil servants came up with.

“I consider the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu
Buhari as mere propaganda. If you want to fight corruption, you have to do it
by example. President Buhari must start from his party men. He should probe how
his campaign was funded because he told Nigerians that he is a poor man.

“Whatever I say about Buhari should not be mistaken for
hatred, I don’t hate him. But, he has to desist from fighting corruption with
political face. I differed seriously to his anti-corruption war because he has
been protecting other former heads of state, except President Goodluck
Jonathan, who contested against him.

“What is happening to Halliburton’s scandal and other
corruption cases perpetrated before Jonathan’s government? This is what I
expected the labour to do. They should ask questions, rather than mere
protests.”

Fayose also criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, which he accused of also displaying signs of corruption.

“The commission has been evading the payment of N10 million
it ought to pay me over appeal court judgement when I sued EFCC for harassing
my wife. Is this not corruption.

“I stand to be corrected, I am the only governor who calls
the labour leaders to Joint Allocation Account Committee and Federation
Allocation Account Committee to decide how the state allocation should be
spent. This is to tell you that I have nothing to hide and nothing to fear.”

Ade-Adesanmi said the protest was designed to sensitise the
public about the danger of corruption to the society.

“All funds identified to have been stolen should be
recovered and kept in special accounts to create jobs.

“Corruption has affected all the sectors; education, civil
service, banks, markets, transport, power, manufacturing and other private and
public institutions. It has lead to the closure of factories and engendered
poverty in the system.

“It breeds all kinds of crimes like robbery, vandalism,
kidnapping, youth restiveness and insecurity. We promise that the trade unions
will continue to support the current leadership in its fight against
corruption,” he said.