Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has dismissed claims that he is under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC over an alleged N4 billion fraud.
The former chairman of Governors’ Forum, in a statement on Friday, June 2, by the Head of the Fayemi Media Office, Abuja, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, disclosed that during his visit to the EFCC, no such allegation was raised as he engaged officials of the anti-graft agency.
The statement, however, pointed out that all Fayemi did during the interraction with the officials of the EFCC in Ilorin, Kwara State, was respond to a frivolous petition from a group that was trying to soil his good name and image.
The statement read, “We would like to address the concerns surrounding the invitation and subsequent visit of Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, to the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Last month, Dr Fayemi received an invitation from the Ilorin office of the EFCC regarding a money laundering petition against him. It was during the height of the preparations for the change of government, with many activities and programmes lined up as part of the event.
“A key member of the APC, Dr Fayemi was already committed to playing important roles at these events and his non-appearance would have impacted them significantly. Understanding the significance of his commitments at that time, Dr Fayemi duly notified the EFCC of his willingness to cooperate but requested a more suitable date for his appearance.”
The statement said, Fayemi, on Thursday, accompanied by his counsel, visited the EFCC office in Ilorin, and engaged in fruitful discussions with the investigators before being allowed to depart after a few hours.
It added, “We firmly believe that Dr Fayemi’s visit has provided answers to the agency’s inquiries regarding the petition. However, should there be a need for further clarification, Dr Fayemi stands ready to cooperate fully.
“We wish to note, too, that contrary to the news that made the rounds about a purported N4b fraud case against Dr Fayemi, no such allegation was raised in his conversation with the EFCC.
“All he did was respond to a frivolous petition from a faceless group, the so-called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which we strongly believed is a front for some anti-Fayemi politicians, who are trying to soil the former governor’s good name and image.”
The statement further clarified that throughout Fayemi’s tenure, he served the people of Ekiti State with utmost dedication and was renowned for his principled leadership.