Honourable Kehinde Bayode is the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) Chairman, Ekiti Local Government Area, Kwara State. The Eruku-born politician who is fondly called ‘Mr no, no pay’, speaks with our Correspondent, Kayode Adeoti, on the issue of ghost workers in his council, fraud among many other issues. Excerpts:
How would you describe the council when you came on board?
As at the time I got to Ekiti Local Government, I met a dead, buried and sealed council. Things were upside down compares to other council. Irepodun was very lively, one will think is a market, but, here, it’s like grave yard. When you come to this council before 11pm, you’re wasting your time because, no one will be there. But we try to change the narrative. Some people have not come to work for more than 8 years, yet to earn salaries. Like I’ve always been advocating, all this biometric screenings will not do us any good but table payment. It’s only by this we can know who is staff and who is ghost workers. We studied the situation, we understand that we must work so that nemesis will not catch up with us, so I realised I called general meeting, people came en-mass. I was able to understand that the issue of ghost workers is a terrible one which I must tackle well.
Would you want to blame the immediate council boss for the ghost workers?
They, they are responsible, for the past 16 years, we’ve not been having it so good in Kwara as a whole. The date of employment of many staff were backdated and they became senior staff with arrears. Imagine?
How do you want to end this?
We’re getting to the end of it gradually. Last month, 15 staff were not paid salary, this month 72 will not be paid. So, it’s going to be a process we will all enjoy.
(Cut in…) You’ve been holding people’s salary, you’re not the one making payment?
To the glory of God, I studied accounting, so I know my ways. Those that are working, loyal and dedicated to their work are not happy with the ghost workers. How could someone be working with the NNPC and still be collecting council money here. Somebody in Abuja, abroad and Lagos still taking our salary here, that must stop. It’s no work, no pay. This is what they named me but, I don’t care, my determination is to clean this council and I won’t rest on my oars.
Shortly after your resumption, we learnt you detected fraud, arrested the perpetrator(s), can you put things in the right perspectives?
I was in a relaxation centre, where they sell palm wine, then, I heard some staff of the council complaining about how Ilorin indigens cheat of their right for long but they’ve been making their own money now through the collections of citizenship. I became interested in the gist so I bought palm wine for them. They don’t know me, I told them my friend is coming from Lagos to get the citizenship certificate, begging them to help me out. One of them said, once I can provide N30,000 I will get it. They gave me address of the house where they produced the document, and when I got there, it was real and immediately, I called the DPO. In that house, I saw 4 booklet which will produce 200 pieces citizenships. This person has perpetrated this fraud to the tune of N4.9million. But today, with the intervention of the council, he has returned half of it to the government’s coffer. He has been transferred from that department in order to avoid future occurrence.
Can you put a face to the identities of the people involved?
No, he has paid, even the state government do this, it has happened in SUBEB, I’m here to put things straight.
Some people complaint that such person or people’s sack should have been recommended?
As TIC chairman, I don’t have power to sack anybody. As at the time we got to KWIRS, they promise to take the matter up.
What’s the number of ghost workers your administration has discovered?
I don’t think I met 15 staff when I came here and the council is having about 700 staff strength. But, now after several efforts and management meetings, we have about 500 coming to work now and that has been one of my greatest achievement and the council of Chief, they are commending it
What are you doing about the remaining 200 staff who are not coming?
We’re dealing with them systematically very soon, the narrative will change. I’ve a register here, if a staff fails to come office for 15times, he or she looses salary for the month. It’s no work no pay. That is the council slogan and that is what they tag me.
We learnt many equipment belonging to council were leased out by the past government of the council, can you put a face to this?
On the issue of tractor, it left this council during Yinka Dallas’ administration, they removed all our equipment from department of Works to Revenue. One was taking to Idaran, Ondo State. The agreement I saw on paper which the tractor will be generating for the council is N10,000 per day. But what I heard concerning the deal was not encouraging. I was told only N50,000 has been paid so far, which of course, has been used to put the tractor in shape. But, we’ve brought it back and is in the council.
Looking at this from the face of law, it’s legal for council equipment to leave it territory?
Why I won’t say it’s either legal or illegal was that, the government we had then was illegal, people don’t vote for them they rigged their ways in. If I were to be an elected council boss, I would have taken it up against them and I will ensure they pay.
Now that you have these equipment on ground, is your council generating revenue through them?
No, because, we are just putting them in shape, they are working now. We’ve repaired our grader too, we removed the engine to put another one. The engineer is still working on it. There are some villages you cannot get to now but by the grace of God, this gradder will assist in paving ways. They’ve been in the bush for the past 4 years. We’ve constructed an office outside, we don’t have enough offices, many of our staff could not get where to seat and perform their duties, this building will put an end to it. Many people mocked me when we started, in fact, I learnt they reported me to the governor that I’ve embarked on project I cannot complete but by the grace of God, it will be commissioned by the end of this month.
We learnt the council’s farm has been sold with thousands of birds…?
Not only birds, we have palm trees too with ripped nuts. I met the former council chairman, Yinka Dallas and asked him the situation about the farm, then he told me the council members sat and resolve to dispose the farm, it’s truly sold. They sold everything including the roofing sheets. But, by the power of God that put AA in government, we’re recovering that place. As soon as we are buoyant, we will bring it back to life.
We learnt TIC chairmen across the LG areas of the state are making plans to frustrate the conduct LG poll?
That is not true and shouldn’t be believed. The only problem we’re having, hindering the consult of the council polls in Kwara State is our electoral college, Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) that are in court. When the KWASIEC is not on ground, no election can be held.
There seems to be serious crisis brewing in your party…?
What does ‘Otoge’ meant for, it means, no more god-fatherism. Our Governor doesn’t believe in god-fatherism, that is why, he’s not afraid to pick calls from any number. The Minister, Lai Muhammed has been causing the crisis in the party, when we wanted to flag off our campaign in Baruten Local Government, Lai Muhammed stopped it. Also, how many time did Lai went out with the governor to campaign? He doesn’t want governor to emerge. He’s romancing with Saraki dynasty, all those causing crisis in the APC came from Lagos.
(Cut in…) There are arguments that governor is not from the state too
What people don’t understand is that when they launched PDP in 1999 in Kwara State, this sitting governor donated N5million. That was when the party was looking for all means no to secure accommodation.
How do attend to the argument that governor’s cabinet are more of technocrats who know little or nothing about politics
People are making a very big mistake. They failed to realise that somebody brought those people they called technocrats to power. I’m here now, somebody brought me here. They forgot that during the election, we will join force with those who brought us to work and defeat the opposing force.