Rivers Polls: Hold Buhari Responsible for Bloodletting, Says Fayose

Following the deaths recorded in the rerun elections in Rivers State at the weekend, the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, has said President Muhammadu Buhari must be held accountable for the violence and loss of lives in the highly violent elections.
Fayose said: “Members of Buhari’s party, All Progressives Congress (APC) are emboldened to unleash violence on the people of Rivers State and other states in Nigeria because they know that the president won’t lift a finger provided his party members are the ones perpetrating evil.

“Those who called the Ekiti State governorship election in which soldiers and other security agents made sure that there was no violence, no live was lost during and after the election and no ballot was snatched Ekitigate should be asked what the Rivers election in which eight people were killed and several others injured will be called.”
In a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said President Buhari was culpable in the killings in Rivers State and that the manner Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted itself has destroyed the legacy of free, fair and transparent elections bequeathed on Nigeria by former President Goodluck Jonathan was.

“Can President Buhari fold his arms if the people being killed are from Daura in Katsina State? Is it that any soul that is not a Fulani is not important to the president?”
While calling for the immediate sack of INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the governor said Nigerians must ask questions as to how INEC produced Results Sheets of over 230 polling units with PDP omitted.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to check over-billing of parents by owners of private primary and secondary schools, the Ekiti State Government has mandated them to clearly define items on the bills they are giving to parents to pay in respect of their wards and children.
Also, the state government has said no school owner should hide under the guise of paying the mandatory Education Levy to the government to exploit parents or charge parents more than N500 per term for students in primary school and N1000 per term for students in secondary school.
To help parents check any erring school owner, a Parent Complaint Section has been set up in the Ministry of Education where violators of government’s orders should be reported to.
Fayose, gave this directive at a meeting with some concerned parents at the Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti.

In a press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, yesterday the stance of the governor followed the discovery that some school owners were charging parents more than the approved levy.
It was discovered that most private school owners charged double the amount stipulated by the state government.

Also, Fayose, said he will not meddle into the process of selecting a new Onisan of Isan-Ekiti or any candidate for any vacant traditional stool in the state.
He stated this at the weekend when some community leaders from Isan-Ekiti visited him at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.
The governor said filling vacant traditional stool is a sacred assignment that must be allowed to take its natural course.

The governor opined that whoever should pervert justice and fair play in selecting rulers for vacant traditional stools might not be able to stand the consequences later in life.
Isan Ekiti is the country home of Fayose’s predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.