Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has demanded that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde return the N30 billion federal intervention fund released for victims of the January 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan, since Makinde admitted the money had not been spent.
In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Femi Philips, on Thursday, Fayose accused Makinde of concealing the funds until he himself exposed the full N50 billion request. He insisted that since the governor acknowledged keeping the N30 billion in a bank since 2024, the money should be sent back to the federal government to be used directly for the victims.
Fayose further argued that the deposited funds should have accrued interest, stating: “N30 billion in a bank for 18 months would have generated at least N4.5 billion at 10 percent interest. Therefore, Governor Makinde must return not less than N34.5 billion to the Federal Government.”
He described Makinde’s actions as a lack of transparency and accountability, stressing that he only spoke out after the governor publicly disclosed only select details of a meeting with the President.
“You can’t tell the public what favours you about a meeting and keep the ones that should favour the other parties,” Fayose said. “As a Yoruba man we will not allow you to destroy the President’s name and image because of inordinate presidential ambition.”
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
