Local government officials in Ekiti State who served between 2008 and 2010 yesterday protested against alleged refusal of Governor Ayo Fayose to pay the allowances covering the remainder of their tenure.
The former local government chairmen and councillors who were elected on December 20, 2008, alongside the supervisors and advisers who were removed from office on 29th October, 2010 by former Governor Kayode Fayemi accused the governor of not obeying the Supreme Court order which ordered him to pay them the money.
The protesters who were armed with placards of various inscriptions who converged at the gate of Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti before moving to other parts of the town lamented that since the Supreme Court judgment delivered on December 9 last year, nothing has been done to pay them as ordered.
Some of their placards read: "Ekiti Government Should Respect the Rule of Law," "Gov Fayose, Pay Our Money," "No Individual is Bigger than Supreme Court," "Mr Governor, Stop Dragging Judiciary in the Mud," "ALGON 2008-2010 Challenge Gov Fayose To Pay Our Allowances as Ordered by Supreme Court," among others.
Mr Babalola Adekunle, who served as Special Adviser on Internally Genrated Revenue in Oye Local Government, wondered why Fayose is allegedly punishing fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members by refusing to pay them their salaries, allowances and emoluments.
He disclosed that they resorted to the protest having waited for seven months without any action from the government saying some of their colleagues had died while others are finding it difficult to meet up with their responsibilities.
According to Babalola: "We don't know why Fayose is delaying the payment of our financial entitlements as ordered by the Supreme Court.
"We are PDP members like Fayose, he should pay us from the N9.6 billion Paris Club Refund cash."
Another protester, Clement Omotoyinbo, who served as Councillor in Gbonyin Local Government, advised Fayose to stop what he called "frivolous projects" and pay the former council officials their entitlements as ordered by the apex court.
Omotoyinbo said: "Fayose should stop these frivolous projects he is executing and pay us our entitlements. It is only a living person that can climb and ride a vehicle on the flyover he is constructing."
