BY GBENGA ARIYIBI

ADO EKITI — The face-off between  Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and the leadership of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employee, NULGE, over the payment of N19,300 minimum wage has taken a new twist. The union has vowed not  to apologise to the governor for the offence “we did not commit.”

The governor had in his recent television programme , disclosed that the leadership of NULGE had sent a private apology for the statement credited to it that he, Fayemi, had been  deducting the sum of N1billion monthly from the allocation to the councils

But reacting swiftly, the state secretary of the union, Mr. Victor Adebayo denied ever apologising to the governor.  According to him, the union had never accused the person of governor Kayode Fayemi of tampering with the councils’ funds

Adebayo explained that their visit to the governor was to seek clarification and not to apologise for the offence they did not commit

“There is no basis for us to apologise, since in the first instance, we have never accused the person of Dr. Fayemi of deducting the sum of N1billion from the councils’ funds monthly.

“The issue at hand came up during the process of negotiation. Fayemi had in the programme denied allegation that he has been tampering with local governments”  funds.

He  revealed that the state chapter of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has written a letter to him that the allegation of illegal deduction of council funds leveled against him is not true.

Fayemi  maintained that he would not accept a private apology from the union insisting the he wants a public apology from the leadership of the local government workers.