Nigeria Content Online

The former Governor
of Ekiti State, Segun Oni has denied the claim by the state government
that he left a debt profile of over N40 billion.

Mr. Oni, in a
statement signed by his media aide, Wale Ojo-Lanre, said there are
inconsistencies in the allegation saying two weeks ago the current
governor, Kayode Fayemi, claimed the debt stood at N30billion, “only
for him to wake up yesterday to declare that the debt has risen to over
N40 billion.”

“This is the second
time we are reacting to the lies and dishonest statements of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi
concerning the debt profile left behind by the former governor of the
State, Olusegun Oni,” Mr Ojo -Lanre said.

“The imaginary debt
he inherited is just to prepare the ground for his impending
non-performance, looting of the state treasury and the N40 bond
agreement of which is already being drafted by a Lagos- based lawyer.”

State allegation

Mr. Oni, however,
claimed that the true account it left behind, as at on October 15,
2010, shows that “the bank loan and borrowings then was about N7
billion and this included the outstanding loans of N3.4 billion
obtained by civil servants in the state on which deductions are being
made from their salaries.

“On the
contractors, it is clear that Fayemi was only playing to the gallery
when he said that the total debt owed contractors amounted to N27
billion,” Mr. Oni said, declaring that it is a general knowledge that a
contract does not become a debt until it is certified completed and
contractor moves out of site.

Revealing the alleged debt profile on Tuesday, the state
Accountant-General, David Ibikunle and its Auditor-General, Adebayo
Ajayi, said the state owed contractors handling various projects in the
state about N27 billion, while the various loans obtained by the
deposed administration were said to amount toN7.5 billion.