The dinner was ruined with empty seats, wasted food and drinks. Less than 20 of the expected guests attended the event slated to commence by 7pm as at 12midnight.
Loyalists, political appointees, aides, party faithful and supporters of outgoing Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose at the weekend shunned a farewell dinner in his honour at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.
The failed dinner was one of the week- long activities to mark the end of Fayose’s tenure.
Governor-Elect Dr Kayode Fayemi will be inaugurated on Tuesday at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado-Ekiti.
The dinner was ruined with empty seats, wasted food and drinks. Less than 20 of the expected guests attended the event slated to commence by 7pm as at 12midnight.
Only journalists, armed security men, protocol officers and a musical team contracted to perform at the ceremony were on seat as at 11pm.
Conspicuously absent at the valedictory dinner were members of the House of Assembly, commissioners, political appointees and loyal Permanent Secretaries.
Their absence led to wastage of food and drinks meant for entertainment.
A Government House source disclosed that many of those invited were agitated over one issue or the other.
The source, who craved anonymity, disclosed aside from the governor who paid himself and his deputy lump sums as severance package, including parting vehicles, none of the remaining appointees was paid a dime.
“Besides, all the 16 Local Government chairmen are battling to save their jobs in the court, as information was rife on Friday that the incoming governor had concluded arrangement to dissolve the councils anytime soon after his swearing-in on Tuesday.
“The comment of the governor earlier in the day also sounded shocking to most political appointees when he told them that whatever that anyone of them may likely encounter in the hands of the new governor should be taken calmly as such was a prize of leadership.
Commenting on the development, one of the personal domestic steffers of the outgoing governor, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was not in any way disappointed by the attitude of absent guests.
He recalled when Fayose was still very much in power, thousands would always answer his call at the slightest notice, such that the venue of any event organized by him was always overcrowded.
A political appointee who spoke in confidence said: “How do you expect me at such a dinner?
“Fayose only took care of himself and family, he did not take care of us because majority of us who served under him are suffering.
“As I am talking you, he had not paid our severance allowance and his owing us many allowances. He denied us opportunities to assist people in our constituencies. That is why I and a good number of my colleagues shunned the so-called dinner.” Before the failed dinner, the governor handed over the instruments of office to the Head of Service, Dr. Gbenga Faseluka.
He surrendered the handover note to Faseluka at a special valedictory State Executive Council meeting at the new Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Fayose said history would be kind to him the way he managed the resources in trust for the people of the state.
He said he would be available to answer questions on how he ruled the state anytime he was called upon to do so.