The Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Femi Akinwumi, has debunked the rumours making rounds in the social media that the Board is owing contractors engaged in the UBEC/SUBEB projects for years 2020, 2021 and 2022 interventions.
Prof. Akinwumi gave the information in Ado Ekiti while reacting to an on- line allegations of unpaid contracts by one Elder Ajibade Olufemi.
He said the board had since balanced the payments of contractors over the UBEC/SUBEB Intervention projects executed within that period and described such allegations as unnecessary imagination of mischievous political elements who were on a fruitless mission to destroy the legacies of the present administration.
The SUBEB boss wondered why some people would wake up overnight to cook rumours against the government who had already won the heart of the people like Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji through his people oriented policies that have endeared him to the people, adding that no amount of falsehood is enough to turn the people against the governor.
Elder Ajibade Olufemi had gone over the social media alledging the SUBEB chairman of withholding the payment to some contractors and therefore planning a protest against the state government as a response to government’s failure to settle their outstanding payments.
According to him, “many of us received buildings and renovation contracts in 2020, 2021 and 2022, today the payments we have received are far from what we have invested in those projects”
In response to the allegations, Akinwumi said ” I am bold to say it anywhere without fear of contradiction that we are not owing any contractor a dime, all contractors engaged in the execution of 2020,2921 and 2022 UBEC/SUBEB Intervention projects have been fully paid, the 2023 projects are under way and that of 2024 will soon commence as Governor Oyebanji had already paid the counterpart funds of over 3.5 billion naira for the projects.
“If there is anyone claiming he was yet to be paid, let him be bold to confront me and prove it by mentioning his company’s name rather than going on social media to propagate false allegations, because as far as I know, we are not owing any contractor” Prof. Akinwumi confirmed.
He therefore urged the peace loving people of Ekiti State to disregard the allegations as unfortunate, unfounded and false, maintaining that it was the imagination of people with the intent to disrepute the government.
“We urged members of the public to disregard the false allegations and anyone or group of people planning a protest against the state government over alleged unpaid contracts should think twice before doing so to avoid the wrath of the law, as government will not take it kindly with anyone trying to disrupt the public peace over a false accusation” the SUBEB boss warned.