Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has charged newly inaugurated chairmen of councils in the state on the need to be accountable to the people.
The Governor gave this charge, even as he assured them that his administration would not divert nor touch allocations accruing to the local councils from the federation accounts.
Oyebanji, thereafter, warned the Chairmen and other council officials against dropping his name to perpetrate fraud, saying whoever is caught in the web will face the full weight of the law.
In his determined action to stop pilfering of public funds in councils, Oyebanji cautioned against moving of public money into private accounts for direct labour projects, saying such act is tantamount to fraud and won’t be tolerated under his leadership.
Oyebanji gave these warnings on Thursday while flagging off a three-day retreat for the elected council chairmen and other top local government functionaries in Ekiti State, held at Adetiloye Hall, Ado Ekiti.
Declaring open the retreat with the theme: “State and Local Government Strategic Planning and Implementation”, the Governor assured that under no guise would he interfere with how the money appropriated for the councils are expended.
“Sometimes around December 2023, I learnt local government officials in each of the councils deducted N1m out of the money approved for Christmas celebration and claimed they wanted to give it to me. I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me.
“This might be true and it might not be true . If it was true, I didn’t get any money. Let me clear that I didn’t ask anybody to bring any money to me. And I didn’t collect any money. Henceforth, when you hear something of this nature, quickly contact me.
“Nobody should use my name for any fraudulent thing. I have made a covenant with God that such won’t happen under me. I am not going to touch your money, but I won’t allow you to spend it recklessly. Remember that humility in power is not a weakness, but a virtue”.
