The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State has carpeted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over its criticism of the state government’s handling of palliatives to the residents to tackle the effects of lockdown occasioned by the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The group said it is an irresponsible opposition politicking to condemn, outright, measures by the state government to assist the people instead of joining the government in efforts to overcome a plague threatening the world.
PDP had at a press conference by its factional State Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, criticised the state government over the quantities of food items distributed to his party as palliatives, condemning the government for “locking up the people for four weeks without adequate food”.
But reacting in a statement by the State Chairman of CNPP, Deacon Olu Komolafe, the group described Oguntuase’s response as “irresponsible politicking at a time all hands should be on deck to salvage the people threatened by coronavirus pandemic”.
He expressed displeasure at turning the tragedy to politicking even after Governor Kayode Fayemi demonstrated statesmanship by raising a multi-partisan platform to tackle the coronavirus menace never caused or envisaged by the government.
He explained: “To demonstrate statesmanship that all must play their parts to rescue the people from a problem not caused by the state government, Governor Kayode Fayemi raised a committee composed of eminent Ekiti people across party lines and professions to have a joint response to a common threat to save our people.
“It is regrettable that PDP would exploit a calamity Ekiti people did not bargain for to play politics of condemnation in order to reap political capital.
“While Fayemi is renowned for probity and inclusiveness, Oguntuase-led PDP made deception a state policy to enrich one man while Ekiti people lived in hunger, owing pensioners and workers between five and eight months after taking N157b in loans to address salary and pensions payments but all were diverted for personal benefit.
“Even though cost of coronavirus crisis was not budgeted for by Fayemi in this year’s financial estimates, if Oguntuase is painting the governor as dehumanizing Ekiti people for providing little during this emergency, what will Ekiti people say to Oguntuase and his master, Ayo Fayose, when they budgeted billions of naira for stomach infrastructure but gave few Ekiti people at market squares a yearly supply of four-liter measure of rice and a month-old fowl, including burdening them with anti-people policies, such as taxation of pupils and heavy taxes that could not be accounted for?”
Wondering why Oguntuase who earlier praised Fayemi for his initiative would now turn around to vilify the governor, Komolafe added:
“It is on record that the state government provided for 73 political parties under the umbrella of Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), including providing for other segments of the society without political consideration.
“Besides, the gesture is on continuous basis as the state receives more supplies from government and private individuals, even as political appointees have been making donations to assist the government in providing for the people; the gesture that would never be contemplated by PDP appointees while in the saddle of government.
“The package by Fayemi is one of the richest across the country, which accounted for two eminent watchdogs, StearsBusiness and Integrity Leadership Organisation, to score Fayemi as number two in leading anti-coronavirus fight across the country.”
CNPP counselled PDP and Oguntuase in particular to donate to the cause of assisting Ekiti people like his professional colleagues to tackle the coronavirus plague instead of staying on the sidelines flying the opposition flags to criticise a noble gesture by the government to overcome the global calamity among Ekiti people.
