A disagreement has emerged between the Ekiti State government and a non-governmental organization, the Opeyemi Falegan Foundation, regarding the allocation accruing to the state and the palliatives provided by the Federal Government to ease the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
According to the ODF Founder, the FG palliatives allocated to the state were diverted and politicized, and the monthly allocations remained unaccounted for. However, the state Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, stated that the government was transparent and had no hidden agenda concerning allocations and palliatives.
In a statement released on Thursday, Falegan expressed concerns about the challenging living conditions faced by the Ekiti people, who are reportedly experiencing hunger due to the high prices of food, fuel, and other essential services.
The ODF founder urged the governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, to provide a detailed account of the Federal Government’s palliatives and the spending of the N6.5 billion federal allocation for June 2024.
He highlighted, “The Federal Government had announced the distribution of 20 trucks of 25kg bags of rice as palliative measures to each state, including the federal capital.
“While the Federal Government instructed that the palliatives should be given to vulnerable Nigerians across the states, unfortunately, such distribution did not happen in Ekiti State.
“We are deeply concerned about the plight of the underprivileged population in Ekiti, whose situation has not shown any improvement despite the increased federal allocation and the Federal Government’s palliatives,” Falegan emphasized.
Meanwhile, Olatunbosun defended the prudent utilization of allocations in the state, stating, “This prudent management has led to the recognition and accolades received by the Oyebanji administration from Transparency International and other reputable global organizations.”
Regarding Falegan’s criticism, Olatunbosun described him as “an attention-seeking individual disconnected from reality,” clarifying that “the Biodun Oyebanji government operates transparently regarding allocations and palliatives. The details of the state’s monthly allocations are consistently made public on the government’s official website.
“Only those with a narrow perspective and political bias would fail to acknowledge the positive changes occurring throughout the state.
“Falegan’s assessment of the Oyebanji administration contradicts the widespread praise and approval the governor has been enjoying from the public, including objective critics,” the commissioner concluded.