Panel invites ex-Gov Oni over ‘missing’ 593 cows

Ado-Ekiti—A panel recently raised by Ekiti State Government to assess abandoned and ongoing projects has invited  the ousted government led by Engr Segun Oni in the state  to come and explain the whereabout  of   593 cows out of the 700 cows imported  to the state’s dairy farm at Ikun Ekiti during his regime. The Oni led administration had in early 2009  imported 700 cows at N1 million each from South Africa amidst fanfare claiming that the cows were imported to produce milk for pupils in public schools and provide beef for the people of the state at cheaper rates.
Briefing newsmen weekend in Ado Ekiti shortly after the end of the visit to the dairy farm , the chairman of the panel, Mr Ranti Adebisi,  said his panel was able to see  just 107  out of the 700 cows in the farm, noting that the ousted administration may have mismanaged the farm.
The RATF Chairman, said if Oni was unable to give a satisfactory answer to the whereabout of the cows that he would be compelled to pay damages over the alleged mismanagement of the dairy over which his administration spent hundreds of millions of naira without a tin of milk to show for their importation.
The panel boss said Oni and other officials connected with the importation of the cows must be made to explain why only 107 cows are left in the dairy farm out of the 700 imported from South Africa early 2009.
Adebisi also disclosed  that the state  governor, Engr  Kayode Fayemi, has ordered that the remaining 107 cows be sold out to interested buyers to save them from dying of starvation.
Besides, Adebisi also demanded that all contractors and consultants of the dairy farm project be summoned to come and explain their roles in the importation of the cows which were brought to the site to be starved to death.
While expressing deep regrets about the state of health of the remaining 107 cows, Adebisi maintained that all the officials of the sacked administration must be called to question to prevent a repeat of such mismanagement and waste of public funds.
The massive death of the cows has heightened fears of epidemic and other heath hazards in Ikun community which is now overtaken with horrible odour emanating from the decomposing cows.
The supervisor in charge of the farm, Mr Yaya Idris  was said to have  explained to the team that the Oni_led government abandoned the farm to the extent that some time, throughout a month, the cow would not be fed while no medication for them.
All these, Idris explained, resulted in their untimely death saying there was a time that the death of the cows became a daily occurrence owing to the neglect of the ousted administration.
“We have invited the former governor to come and see things for himself, but he has refused to come. He did not bother about how this  place was being run” Idris said.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com