We can’t revive Fayose’s poultry farms - Fayemi
From Doyin Adebusuyi, Ado-Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has given up any plan to resuscitate poultry farms initiated by former governor of the state, Ayo Fayose, alleging that his predecessor did not design the project to succeed.
Fayemi stated this shortly after inspecting a poultry farm and processing plant established by his administration in Ikere and Ado Ekiti respectively, saying the poultry project of the Fayose-led government was not designed as a viable project.
He said this explains why his administration has not bothered to resuscitate it like it did to some other moribund projects and industries established by past administrations.
The governor said Fayose’s poultry project which gulped more than N1 billion also did not have a sustainability plan, adding that there was no equipment in the processing plant purportedly put in place by the erstwhile governor in his country home, Afao Ekiti.
He stressed that his administration had put in place a processing plant in Ado- Ekiti for farmers under the Youth in Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD) with less than N20 million while the Fayoseled government merely paid lip service to the people of the state having expended large amount of money on a similar project that never took off.
While reiterating the commitment of his administration to making Ekiti the food basket of the South West, the governor stated that the processing plant has the capacity to process no fewer than 2,000 birds daily as Ekiti is poised to supply the state and neighbouring states with fresh frozen chicken.
Commenting, former Governor Ayo Fayose who is being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misappropriation of funds meant for the poultry project, through the Director of Publicity and Research of Ayo Fayose Campaign Organization (AFCO), Mr Idowu Adelusi, described the comment as reckless and subjudice since the case is already before a court.
Fayose said that Fayemi lacked correct information about the project and therefore referred him to the project file which, he said, would better educate and guide the governor on the scope of work done before the EFCC stopped the project.