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Here is a statement by Olayinka olabode cps to Gov fayemi
The planned arrest of former members of the state executive council over monetised official cars has been described as another crude ploy by the state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose to harass and intimidate members of opposition, especially officials who served under the Dr Kayode Fayemi-led administration ahead of the March 28 presidential election.
Fayose, had through a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday threatened a clampdown on the former state officials over the monetised cars even as his administration is yet to pay the severance allowance and sundry other allowances being owed them, despite completing their tenure, which qualifies them for the severance pay in line with the laws.
Reacting to the threat which was aired on state radio and circulated via press statements by the government, the former state officials in a statement made available to journalists, described the planned clampdown on them as a deliberate ploy by Fayose to keep them and other notable APC chieftains out of circulation ahead of the March 28 presidential election and subsequent elections.
The officials said in a statement that the planned clampdown would be the second attempt by Fayose and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to get them out of circulation, having made a similar attempt to get many of them arrested in February before the presidential election which was originally scheduled for February 14 was postponed.
Explaining the circumstances surrounding the monetised cars, the ex-state officials said that it was a policy of the immediate past administrations in the state to monetise official cars to public office holders of certain categories.
Under the arrangement, the officials are to pay 60 percent of the cost of the vehicles while the government would pay the remaining 40 percent. Under the agreement, an agreed sum was deducted monthly from the officials’ salaries while the outstanding balance would be deducted from their severance allowance at the end of their tenure.
Severance payment to public office holders is 300 per cent of their annual basic salary and is payable at the end of their tenure in line with the directive of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RAMFAC).
By the time the Fayemi administration wound up on October 15, 2014, majority of the affected members were at various stages of completion of the repayment for the monetised cars, while government was also owing them some obligations including unpaid allowances, salaries and the severance allowance.
A clearance letter stating the outstanding balance for each of the former officials were given to them as part of end of tenure formalities. The clearance letter indicated how much each member was owing (as outstanding balance on the cars) as well as how much the government was owing as par severance allowance. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Finance did a comprehensive document detailing the outstanding balance (payable by each officials), the amount to be paid as severance by government and final entitlement (of each official) after the outstanding balance on the monetised cars is deducted.
All these documents were part of the handing over note to the incumbent administration and each of the officials was given copies. So it is mischievous and petty for the Fayose administration to claim ignorance of this simple administrative procedure.
The fact of the situation is that it is the state that is owing most of the officials their severance pay. Once the government pays the severance allowance, the outstanding balance of the cars would be automatically deducted at source as agreed.
The former state officials reminded Fayose and the State security agencies that the matter of the monetised vehicles is currently before the Ado- Ekiti
High Court, in the case of Mrs Modupe Adelabu and 34 others Vs The Government of Ekiti State & 2 others (Suit NO: HAD/122/2004) filed on 15th December 2014 in which the former state officials are seeking the following reliefs :
A Declaration that the Governor of Ekiti State cannot validly review and revoke the decision of the Executive Council and the approval of the erstwhile Governor of Ekiti State vis- vis the Political Office Holders monetized vehicles scheme.
A Declaration that the Claimants are entitled to and are beneficial owners of the monetized vehicles by virtue of the clearance letter dated 8th October, 2014 and 10th October, 2014 and issued under the hand of the permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Governor respectively.
A Declaration that the Claimants are not indebted to the government of Ekiti State under the vehicle monetization scheme or any other scheme in any way whatsoever.
An Order of Perpetual Injunction restraining the government and governor of Ekiti State, their agents, privies, assigns or any person howsoever described from harassing, going after, tampering with or collecting the vehicles acquired by the Claimants as former political office holders and members of the erstwhile Ekiti State Executive Council by virtue of the Political Office Holders monetized vehicles scheme.
The matter is yet to be heard because of the industrial action embarked upon by judicial workers in the state.
“Having served the state meritoriously, it is rather immoral, crude and irresponsible for the incumbent administration to continuously harass us and seek very dubious ways to tarnish our image over a state policy that was duly documented.
We maintain that this attempt to get us out of circulation, like the previous ones would fail. We challenge the state government to meet its obligation to former state officials. You cannot be harassing us over an amount that is less than what we are being owed by your government.” The statement added.
