Fayemi: Ekiti On Scale Of Gains Three Years After
By, Wole Olujobi
IGIRABATA OFFCUT COLUMN
AFRICAN VOICE MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 15, 2021
"Independent spirits spread like a foul disease, so men must keep their places; some up, some down," says Galileo Galilei, the impossible Italian philosopher, scientist and astronomer, in a deviant response to the Italian church's challenge to his superior discovery that the Earth revolves round the Sun; a somewhat heretic declaration that was against the Italian church's long held view that the sun revolves round the earth.
Not quite long after facing inquisition and imprisonment threats over confrontation with the church, Galileo was proved right by no other person than Clavius, the church's scientist, thus stamping Galileo's authority as a modern science icon that revolutionised philosophical thoughts on cosmos science.
But for Galileo also, world cannot stand without the influence of the less endowed to make the cycle of development and mission complete. In a somewhat complementary adjunct to his former assertion, a well-informed Galileo also found relevance in the deeply ignorant people to complete his work and world. He had said: "I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him", thus reinforcing his thesis that no one is independent in this terrestrial plain in the interplay of roles to make impact, otherwise the world will be a hell of singleness of thought that does not provoke creative solution to a common challenge.
And so for Ekiti State, 25 years after it was created by the martial licence of the regimental tradition, the state has fared in the contradictions that characterise human conduct as philosophised by Galileo. While a section believes that Ekiti State is a project that will work and is working, others swear that it is a dream that has been aborted at conception.
Governor Adeniyi Adebayo between 1999 and 2003 had donned the Galileo cap to put Ekiti State in the nation's development map, but that dream, in the manner of the Italian early church, was contested and suspended by the conspiratorial antics of a strange invention in the state who thrived in physical and moral violence.
The administration of Governor Segun Oni, reputed for probity, was hampered by crisis of legitimacy in his development plan before the new dawn nurtured by the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi that posted sterling performance between 2010 and 2014 was also violently cut short by the gangsters in garrison accoutrements, who believed that Ekiti State existed more for the pleasure of one man against the general principle that propelled Ekiti leaders to demand for a state that would cater for the development purposes of the generality.
For Fayemi's critics, buffetted by bile, the rots between 2014 and 2018 served Ekiti people better than JKF's first class landmarks between 2010 and 2014.
But Fayemi never despaired. For in the autumn of the regime that aborted the Ekiti dream and mounted a roadblock on her development track, Fayemi, again drawing from Galileo's theoretical corpus, retreated to his mental ambience, plotting to "learn" from the frail competency quotient of the deeply "ignorant" task force helmsman that choreographed the reversal of fortunes for Ekiti people after the initial murderous years between 2003 and 2006.
As expected, the protagonists in the Ekiti leadership cadre have their own disciples too just like Galileo kept Andrea, son of his house-keeper, who kept faith with his master till the end in his revolutionary science.
While Adebayo and Fayemi's disciples fly their principals' flags to flaunt their development strides, the disciples of the leaders in the opposition, while flaunting nothing, prefer to dismiss the entire Ekiti project as lacking in any merit.
For the records, Fayemi changed the narrative of abandoned projects syndrome fuelled by base instincts, bad blood and blurred vision in Ekiti State politics and embraced a collective and continuity approach in development strategy. As we read, Fayemi has almost completed all abandoned projects by previous administrations, as he believes that the continuity and completion of these projects is for the benefit of all Ekiti people.
Three years into his four-year second term, Ekiti people can feel and see development strides of his administration in infrastructure development, including road construction and rehabilitation, water projects, electricity projects, enhanced health management system, opening of new schools for increased enrolments, supporting small businesses, relieving students from pains of prohibitive school fees, encouraging foreign businesses and revamping moribund state's industrial assets to create jobs, including creation of a new vista in bureaucracy to enhance openness and transparency in public administration, while also recording several firsts in Ekiti State's development history.
For effect, Fayemi had earlier during his first term between 2010 and 2014 made history in posting unrivalled achievements in his development goals encapsulated in his Eight-Point agenda. He bought over 70,000 computer sets for distribution among secondary school students and renovated 183 secondary schools and 835 primary schools.
For the first time by any administration, Fayemi commissioned five mini- water treatment plants while also erecting 167 water fetching points across the state and moved water supply capacity to 52 percent as against 25 percent on assumption of office.
He also introduced social security of monthly N5,000 stipend for the elderly; the first in the West Africa subregion, while some communities that had existed for more than a century without light were connected to the national grid.
For the first time, youths were kept off thuggery camps and engaged in commercial farming in the YCAD scheme that took Ekiti to lead the entire nation in cassava cultivation, with the yield at 15THa above national average of 12T/Ha while his health scheme also scored first by reducing infant mortality rate at 98 per 1000 in Ekiti State at the time the national rate was 189 per 1000.
All moribund state enterprises, including ROMACO, Fountain Hotel and Ikogosi Resorts, were resuscitated. Ikogosi Resorts was developed into one of the top seven hospitality destinations in Nigeria while a Knowledge Zone was also created within the facility for advanced studies in various fields, even as a knowledge-based economy through ICT was also instituted within the facility.
The United Nations acknowledged Fayemi's innovative governance in September 2013 when the world body invited Fayemi to its session on the basis that his state met many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agenda. But for the opposition, Fayemi's efforts are either a silhouette of development strategy or none at all.
As with the disciples on the other side, Fayemi's disciples have also been flaunting their principal's landmarks. In his remarks marking the Third Year Anniversary, Fayemi's media aide, Segun Dipe, had written:
"No one can deny the fact that Ekiti has within the short period adapted itself to the global standard of the changing world, to the new economic context, to the new technological paradigms and to new set of values.
"Looking clinically, one would see a level of confidence building in the state’s essential role in harnessing resources within and directing incentives through a distinctive policy-making process. The policies of the present administration of Dr. Fayemi have greatly attracted investors into the state. This is a thumbs-up achievement for a landlocked state like Ekiti.
" Ekiti ranks higher than other states in terms transparency and integrity. It is second only to Kaduna State which slightly leads it, with both sharing the “A” rating."
Not done, another Fayemi's aide, Adeoye Aribasoye, a lawmaker and attorney at Law, wrote in his anniversary message, praising his boss for the progress made so far to enhance the living conditions of Ekiti people.
He had said: “To me as an individual and not because I am in government as a representative of my people, the creation of this state in 1996 was a huge and immeasurable blessing to all of us as Ekiti citizens and not a curse or burden to anyone.
“We knew how Ado Ekiti was in 1996. We knew the little space and attention Ekiti attracted then and what had followed afterwards. This state is undoubtedly making steady progress."
While Fayemi keeps himself busy strategising to achieve these strides, the cynics have burdened themselves with tasks in the demarketing of this focused visionary. Just like Galileo did while his traducers tortured him with the punitive canon law, Fayemi, whose passion for Ekiti development is the genesis of his genius, profits from the criticisms of those who see nothing good in Ekiti State since creation by using their criticisms as sauce for better performance.
Today, Fayemi is a reference point in Ekiti development strategy. He profited from the obstacles created in his way by the 2014 electoral heist to restrategise and work for Ekiti development just like Galileo beat a tactical retreat from his persecutors to stamp his feet in his belief to become a legend in the world of science.
Bertolt Brecht, a German writer in his book "Galileo" has since etched Galileo Galilei in the hearts of the peoples of the world as a symbol of the power of superior intellect over the brute force of the ancient orthodoxy just like Ekiti people bear testimonies to the genius of Fayemi in Ekiti development history, even as critics moan on the sidelines.
For Ekiti people, Fayemi's third year in government is a lesson in moral integrity, brilliance, resilience, vision and mission to nurture a prosperous society built on the scale of gains.
* Olujobi, a journalist, is Commissioner in Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission, Ado-Ekiti.
Ekiti Poll: After Mass Defections, What Hope For PDP?
By
Wole Olujobi
In the last four years, the colour and shape of politics in Ekiti State have changed so much that many hybrids of political persuasion have emerged, making it difficult to sustain the political philosophy that underpins conservatism and progressivism, the two traditions that characterise political cleavage among Nigerian political partisans.
In Ekiti State, these tendencies have become more pronounced in the last four years as major political players strategise to entrench their positions to control the levers of power.
At the national level, the strategy has worked with the defeat of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections when a major bloc in the ruling party left the fold to join forces with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat PDP in the election that produced President Muhammadu Buhari and turned PDP to a minority party in the National Assembly.
As it was in 2014, so it appears to be today in Ekiti State where aggrieved members of PDP are defecting massively to APC.
But while defections in PDP at the national level in 2014 were driven by institutional challenges and cleavage complex, political combustion in Ekiti State in the same year after the governorship election was consequent upon the conduct of the lone driver of PDP, Governor Ayodele Fayose, who saw the victory of PDP in 2014 poll as a personal victory with party itself playing no role or having no relevance in government.
Fayose has a background that does not tolerate dissension or superior argument of opposing views. For him, his views must represent the collective views of members of his party.
Besides, ego and personal interest that threaten individual interests of fellow party members dominate his political conduct and this has caused an unprecedented defections never witnessed at the state level of PDP like was the case in 2015 at the national level that cost PDP the Presidency and National Assembly Elections victory.
Defections started in PDP when Fayose's foundational associates in PDP pre-2003 started to desert him over irreconcilable differences bordering on alleged intolerance, selfishness and greed.
Fayose's political trajectory started with young and vibrant Ekiti State politicians drafting an unknown Fayose just fresh from Ibadan with deep purse into Ekiti politics to square it up with Governor Adeniyi Adebayo in 2003 rigged poll that produced Fayose as governor.
Soon, so soon, the unknown Fayose made himself known as he started showing ingratitude to those who propped him.
They included Senator Bode Olowoporoku, the late Chief Ojo Falegan, the late Chief Adebamigbe Akilaya and their youth wing consisting of Chief Ropo Adesanya, Fatai Adeyemo, Dele Owoju, Goke Olatunji and Sikira Ilawe, all of who are now in APC.
The 2014 election heist that returned Fayose to power and masterminded by President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government gave the governor all the licence he needed to practise the democracy of unequal partners he cherishes so much to enable him be in the exclusive charge of the till.
The first set of the people to give the signs that Ekiti State PDP is potentially doomed to the fate of the party at the national level were Fayose's foundational associates, including Fatai Adeyemo, Richard. Apolola (aka Sikira), Dele Owoju, Barrister Tunji Lawal, Tope Longe and Taiwo Olatunbosun, among others, who all left the governor over alleged greed, selfishness and hatred to see his aides nurtured to riches. They are all in APC today.
Also not able to cope with Fayose's leadership style, PDP top leaders, including Senator Gbenga Aluko, former Minister of Education, Prof Tunde Adeniran; former State Chairman, Ropo Adesanya; PDP spokesman Taiwo Olatunbosun, Kayode Babade, Senator Bode Olowoporoku, Senator Ayo Arise, Ambassador Dare Bejide, former Deputy Governor Bisi Omoyeni, Bisi Aloba, Dapo Alibaloye, Justice Edward Ojuolape, former Speaker Clement Akinyemi, former Speaker Femi Bamisile, all foremost leaders of PDP, defected to mainly APC with a few of them in other parties.
PDP's defection problems heightened after Fayose manipulated the process that produced Eleka as the governorship candidate of the party. The effects of that process clearly manifested at APC's Dr Kayode Fayemi's governorship campaign rallies where hundreds of PDP top members across the 16 local governments defected to APC.
Among notable members that PDP lost in Efon Local Government to APC included a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon Olamide Oni, and his Personal Assistant, Banjo Filani.
Others are Afolabi Olasope, a lawyer and former First Bank Secretary in Nigeria and Overseas, who also won Ekiti Central Constituency Two seat in the House of Representatives under UNCP. Aanu Oni, who is former Special Adviser in PDP administration, also defected.
Others included immediate past State Women Leader of PDP, Busola Oni; Dele Jeje, who is father of Efon Local Government Chairman, Bobby Jeje; and Local Government Woman Leader, Olomi Adeniyi.
At Odo Oro-Ekiti, PDP Ward Chairman, Ajewole Olufemi, led over 70 PDP members to defect to APC, citing anti-people stance of Fayose's administration. Other PDP leaders and members followed suit in all other communities visited in Ikole Local Government, where influential Otunba Ben Oguntuase had earlier defected to APC.
Defectors cited selfishness and anti-people policies of Fayose's administration.
In what looked like a desperate community ranged against a vicious terror, PDP leaders in Ekiti West and Ijero local governments renounced their membership of PDP to pitch tents with APC to sack Fayose in the July 14 poll.
At Ikogosi, PDP chiefs and no fewer than 50 other supporters defected to APC, citing closure of Ikogosi Resort and Gossi Water by Fayose that resulted in job losses.
In Aramoko, Erio, Ido-Ile, Okemesi, Ikoro, Ijero, Ijurin, Iloro, among others, hundreds of PDP leaders led crowds of supporters to defect to APC, citing Fayose's "deceit, wickedness, lies and greed" as reasons.
In Aramoko-Ekiti, a hitherto stronghold of PDP, for example, no fewer than 30 of its top leaders led hundreds of supporters to defect to APC while in Ido-Ile, residents said they would vote for Fayemi for the water project, roads, schools rehabilitation and social security for the elderly people he provided in his first term.
In Erio-Ekiti home town of Fayose's wife, residents regretted that though Fayose is their son-in-law, they had not seen any development assistance from neither Fayose nor his wife in the last three years.
The community presented a copy of the Holy Bible to Fayemi, declaring that APC candidate represented a soldier of Christ who will always win his battles. They said victory is sure for Fayemi on July 14.
In Ilejemeje Local Government, scores of PDP top members who defected to APC at Ijesamodu-Ekiti was described by Fayemi as those who used to menace APC members in the past. Praising their courage to join APC, he assured them that they would be equal partners in driving the agenda of APC for development.
A defector at Iye-Ekiti, who is former senatorial Chairman of PDP, Tunde Adetifa, said he and other defectors decided to leave PDP for APC to enable them work with a man who could be described as a man with vision to drive the state's development process, while at Ewu-Ekiti, 30 PDP members defected to APC,
In Ise-Orun Local Government, one of the two strongholds of PDP where former Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, and immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Fayose's administration, Owoseni Ajayi, hail from, virtually all the entire Exco members in the local government and all the wards joined Adeyeye and Owoseni to defect to APC.
Owoseni and Commissioner for Utilities, Deji Adesua, were technically relieved of their positions by Fayose to the shock of both men as well as the public who saw them as the staunchest of Fayose's supporters.
Among other leaders that PDP also lost to APC in the local government are former Secretary to the State Government, Dr Afolabi Ojuawo; and a serving member of the House of Assembly, Ebenezer Ade Alagbada.
Both Adeyeye and Owoseni described Fayose as "a greedy, fraudulent and selfish politician with uncanny capacity to spin reckless lies".
In Ikere Local Government, former House of Assembly member, Gboyega Akinola (aka Sadola); a serving House of Assembly member, Sunday Adeniyi (aka Gbosa); former Assembly member, Omoyeni Peter; Banji Aluko, who is former councillor; former local council chairman, Adejumo Tajudeen and Councillor Tunji Ogoji, all defected to APC, citing Fayose's greed and penchant for inflicting pains on fellow human beings.
In Emure Local Government, PDP lost former House of Representatives aspirant, Ayo Peters; former Senatorial Chairman of PDP, Tale Ghadafi; former House of Representatives aspirant, Tony Yisa, to APC. At Eporo-Ekiti alone, 140 PDP members defected to APC.
In Ado-Ekiti, PDP lost Fayose's associate who is also the immediate past Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Ademola Bello.
Others lost to APC are former elected House of Assembly member who was denied his mandate by Fayose, Odunayo Arinka; former Special Adviser on Agriculture under Fayose, Bosun Osaloni; influential PDP leader, Kusi Omodara; and immediate past Chairman of Teaching Service Commission, Abiodun Falayi, who counselled Fayose and Eleka not to waste their time and money to campaign in Ado-Ekiti.
"Fayose has lost all the goodwill he enjoyed among the people here because of his greed, selfishness and his penchant for paying evil for good," Falayi, an influential community and political leader said.
In Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local government, top PDP leader, Chief Tunde Adetiba, and his supporters, defected to APC.
It was a tsunamic devastation to PDP in Ido-Osi Local Government, the strongest base of PDP, where virtually all its top leaders defected to APC to join former Governor Segun Oni in the party. They include former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Clement Akinyemi (Falex).
In Ido-Ekiti, Cyril Fasuyi popularly called the "GOC of Ido-Osi Politics, led who is who in Ido politics to defect to APC, while in Ifaki, Orin Ora, Ifishin, Igbole, Osi, Ido, Ilogbo and Usi-Ekiti, among other communities, defections also hit PDP, losing its top members to APC. At Igbole-Ekiti, for example, Isaac Idowu led the entire Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM) structure to defect to APC, to join Fayose's close ally, Prince Akin Olayisade from Ido-Ekiti, who had earlier defected to APC.
Fasuyi described Fayose as a selfish politician who fraudulently schemed him out of the House of Representatives contest in 2014, vowing that the governor would pay for his undemocratic and callous conduct to members of his party who worked for his success at poll but "paid them back with evil".
He assured that the 27,000 votes in Ido-Ekiti would be delivered to APC and vowed to take Fayose to court for taking Ido Osi allocations and misappropriated them for selfish motives.
All local government and ward executive members in Ido-Ekiti defected to APC, with the promise to deliver all the votes in Ido-Ekiti for APC.
It was the same story in Gbonyin Local Government where PDP leaders defected to PDP.
In Ijan-Ekiti for example, two former PDP ward chairmen defected to join former State Chairman of PDP, Ropo Adesanya, in APC.
At Iworoko, Igbemo, Iluomoba and Are-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government, hundreds dumped PDP to join APC. Fayose's Chief of Staff, Dipo Anisulowo, lost his main backers in his Are-Ekiti country home to APC.
They were led by the Local Government Youth Leader, Sola Olowojebutu, in company of the PRO, Adeyemo Adeola; Youth Leader, Eze Victor Ifeanyi; former Women Leader, Idowu Adu and 23 other leaders, to defect to APC "because Anisulowo is a selfish leader you can't gain anything from".
In Moba Local Government, former Assembly member , Lekan Osasona, and former PDP Chairman of Igogo Ward Two, Agbeyemi Abiodun, defected to APC, while at Isan-Ekiti country home of Fayemi.
Oye Local also recorded defection of hundreds of PDP members with top leaders in Oye-Ekiti, Felix Adegun and Johnson Awobusiyi leading Adeyeye's PAAM group to APC, while in Isan-Ekiti country home of Fayemi, PDP Ward Chairman, Samuel Agbelusi, led several PDP members to defect to APC.
Since politics is a matter of interest, all the defectors cited Fayose's selfishness, callous conduct, greed and alleged fraudulent practices as reasons they were parting ways with Fayose, who, they said, sees his election victory as a winner-takes-all conquest of other party members to pursue selfish interests.
All the defectors have a common agenda to see the back of Governor Fayose and his Deputy Governor Olusola Eleka, the governorship in the Government House.
With the collapse of PDP and Fayose's bad image arising from the anger of workers over refusal to pay workers' salaries despite taking massive intervention funds to pay but diverted and and non-performance of his administration, the question now arises: where will Fayose and Eleka get the votes to win the July 14 governorship election?
. Olujobi is Director, Media and Publicity,
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
June 29, 2018
Lies Won't Save You From Defeat, Fayemi Campaign Tells Fayose
The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of spinning "irresponsible lies", saying that lies will not save the governor and his candidate, Prof Olusola Eleka, from defeat in the July 14 governorship poll.
Fayose had at the weekend on the state radio accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, of planning to compromise INEC in the July 14 poll, saying also that Fayemi planned to ban okada operations and sack workers through competency tests if he wins the governorship election.
But reacting on Sunday, Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, said Fayose's lies will not save him from defeat, as "Ekiti people were done with a fraudulent and callous administration that manipulates the people always for selfish motives".
He said: "Fayose is haunted by his past when he criminally manipulated INEC to win 2014 election as revealed in Captain Sagir Koli audio tape where Fayose himself was heard talking about how he collected INEC sensitive materials he said he printing, including talking about how the results of the election of June 21 was collated in Efon-Alaaye on June 19, two days before the election and as was corroborated by PDP State Secretary, Tope Aluko, in his testimony to the security agencies.
"Fayemi never plans to sack okada operators as he always insists, instead, he will strengthen their operations like he once did when he bought over 150 motorcycles and helmets for Okada Association Cooperative Society to improve their living conditions.
"Instead of sacking workers, Fayemi during his campaign visits in the last two weeks always insisted that he will never sack workers, instead, he will develop a policy that will encourage job creation as one of the cardinal programmes of his Eight-point Agenda."
Olujobi berated Fayose for always employing lies to achieve the "ignoble objective of robbing Ekiti people all the time and at all times".
Describing the governor as a man in need of salvation from leading a life of lies, Fayemi's spokesman explained:
"The only thing that Nigerians and indeed peoples of the world must believe in Fayose is when they see him breathing, which is the evidence that he is still living; everything else is fake and lies.
"Fayose's show of shame as a pathological liar at the Ado Ekiti High Court hearing of a libel suit he filed against Femi Falana (SAN) and TheNews magazine in 2006 over alleged defamation of character typifies the life of lies he leads.
"In the open court during cross-examination, Fayose recklessly lied and lied so much that the presiding Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, who is now the Chief Judge of the state, and all the counsel in the court, including Fayose's lawyers, were watching and shaking their heads in disbelief as Fayose lied and lied so much that he was also contradicting himself.
"During judgement, Justice Daramola told Fayose that he was an incorrigible liar, as he was found to be lying throughout the cross-examination, and consequently, the judge dismissed the case, telling Fayose that he had no integrity to protect.
"Fayose, about 60 years old and grandfather, lied for more than a year denying that he ever collected N2b Ecological Fund and monthly N1.3b Budget Support Facility for 13 months.
"In the case of the N2b ecological fund, Fayose never owned up collecting the money until he got information that APC planned to approach the Ecological Fund office in Abuja for confirmation.
"The same week he owned up, he announced Ecological project contract totalling exactly N2b, even though up till now, there is no evidence of ecological project anywhere in the state, as floods ravaged the state early in April.
"As for the budget support fund he collected to pay workers salary, for long, Fayose denied collecting the facility until the Federal Government published the figures, the same way he denied borrowing one naira until DMO published the states' debts showing that Fayose had borrowed N56b between 2014 and 2018.
"Unfortunately, this is the man Ekiti people are doomed to have as their governor and who Nigerians and other peoples of the world read in the news as leading Ekiti people renowned for integrity, learning and honour."
Describing Fayose as the Pharaoh in the life of Ekiti people, Olujobi said Ekiti people were set to return from Egypt, "and there is no amount of lies that will make them vote for Prof Olusola Eleka who the governor is propping to sustain his continuity agenda for mass poverty while Fayose and his family enjoy the life of bliss".
Wole Olujobi
Director, Media and Publicity,
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
No Plan To Sack Teachers, Says Fayemi
... As APC Candidate Parleys Workers, Artisans, Others
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has allayed fears over rumour that he plans to sack workers, saying that as a worker-friendly leader, he will never pursue policies that will cost Ekiti people their livelihoods.
He made the clarification on Monday at interactive sessions with religious associations, Timber Traders Organisation, Tippers Owners/Drivers Association, NLC, NUT and artisans, among other groups. They in turn pledged their support for him in the July 14 election.
At interactive meetings in various sessions in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, they said the confidence they had in Fayemi informed their decision to join in the interactive sessions to listen to his campaign messages and present their own demands.
Timbers association members thanked the APC candidate for the right environment he created for their business between 2010 and 2014 when Fayemi was governor, saying that the gesture informed their decision to support him.
They also thanked him for donating a bus to them as a mark of recognition, regretting, however, that the present administration of Governor Ayodele Fayose punished them for supporting Fayemi in 2014.
They vowed to support Fayemi despite victimisation, even as the association warned members not to submit their voter cards to the Government House as allegedly being demanded by the governor.
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) emphasised on security in the state and across Nigeria, saying that security must be guaranteed to create friendly atmosphere for peace to reign and thanked Fayemi for donating a bus to the association.
They said that the governorship election must be seen as a collective project irrespective of political differences to ensure peace and progress for Ekiti State.
Fayemi said he was an apostle of security and peace, including the security of jobs, which is the most important aspects of security for development.
He promised to resuscitate youth agricultural scheme (YCAD), traffic management service, Fire Service, ambulance service and ensure regular payment of salary, adding that he raised salary three times in four years to ensure welfare of workers and keep peace and security in the state.
Explaining that he never advocated creation of cattle colony in Ekiti State, Fayemi said herdsmen's crisis is not about Christian or Muslim but a crime that must be punished according to the law, regretting that the security measures he put in place in the cattle-rearing zone at Iyemero and Oke-Ako to maintain peace while he was governor was summarily cancelled by Governor Ayodele Fayose who, he said, was over-dramatising herdsmen's activities in the state.
He regretted infrastructure deficit in the state, citing Ado-Ekiti road contract from Ado end to Iju-Itagbolu end he awarded and paid for but was cancelled by Fayose and diverted elsewhere.
At the session with NLC, the workers' association led by Ade Adesanmi appreciated Fayemi for his landmark achievements during his first term.
The union demanded for Fayemi's explanations on rumours that he will sack workers when elected.
Fayemi said he had always been a worker-friendly governor, having increased their salary three times in four years and paid relativity package while 25 per cent for rural posting and core subjects allowances were also paid and was the first governor to pay special salary to health workers while also pensioners' benefits were also increased, including introducing biometric salary payment that eased burden of salary payment system.
Noting that he was the most generous governor to teachers and workers in general, he said he never sacked a single worker but engaged doctors, teachers, civil servants and moved teachers in local government to where they could do better professionally to advance their careers.
He said he paid the highest Christmas bonus, adding that there was no governor that provided in-house and overseas training for workers than him.
He admitted that like in other systems, there might have been issues that didn't go down well with many people, but said resolving the issue is what is important as a receptive leader.
He apologised for taking decisions that might have hurt at individual level, saying, however, that misinterpretation of policies created some of the misgivings between the government and workers.
He cited teachers' assessment scheme that was misunderstood as an assessment examination to demote, sack or promote teachers, explaining that the policy was to develop a programme that would assist them in their capacity building through seminars and workshops.
He denounced insinuations that he he was coming back to the government to take revenge, explaining that were he to take revenge, he would have done so in the remaining three months of his administration after his election, adding that he would have also denied workers their salaries as a revenge.
Explaining that he was never engaged as a consultant by Kaduna State government to sack teachers, Fayemi emphasised the importance of communication, saying he was an advocate of genuine communication between workers and government for good working relationship and security of their job tenure.
He said he believed that government is a continuum, explaining that this was responsible for the completion of Governor Segun Oni's projects, adding that in all the 133 communities his visited during his campaign tours, there was no community he could not point to four projects.
He promised to make the welfare of workers a priority, saying that would be possible through sourcing from other alternative sources of income outside federal allocations.
He also said he was in vantage position to attract federal support for adequate funding of development projects, citing anchor grower scheme and school feeding programme in which 15 states benefitted, including PDP states, regretting that Ekiti State did not benefit because of bad politics the governor was playing.
He explained that he sought to come back as governor to make hunger history in Ekiti State, stressing that the mission is a collective responsibility for accountability and better conditions of living.
He added that he took N25b bond to be defrayed in seven years, saying that before he left office, he had paid back N14.5b. He said if the repayment protocol had been sustained, full repayment would have completed in December 2018.
Citing the clearance of pensions and other entitlements that were unpaid by his predecessor, Fayemi promised to also clear all salary arrears within six months after assumption of office.
He added that the state had no business owing salaries, explaining that intervention funds, such as bailout and budget support facility, were enough to pay workers.
He also said he would not embark on stomach infrastructure that will not put food in the stomach or basic infrastructure in the state.
Muslim organisation thanked Fayemi for counting them worthy in his first term and sought further recognition for both Muslim men and women in government, saying that such would create harmonious relationship for peace to reign.
At a session with the artisans, Deputy Director General of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Bamidele Faparusi, urged them to vote against poverty and neglect, assuring that Fayemi will give them adequate recognition if elected.
Wole Olujobi
Director, Media and Publicity
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
July 2, 2018
Fayemi Faults Fayose's Claim On Paris Club Refund Denial
The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has debunked claims by Governor Ayodele Fayose that the Federal Government is deliberately delaying disbursement of Paris Club cash to the states of the federation to hurt Ekiti State's bid to pay workers salary.
Fayose had said that the alleged move by the Federal Government was to incapacitate Ekiti State to pay workers salary to enable the All Progressives Congress (APC) use non-payment of salary as a campaign tool against PDP candidate, Prof Olusola Eleka, in the July 14 governorship election.
A statement by Fayose's media aide also alleged that Fayemi's administration plunged the state into debt, including leaving two months’ salaries unpaid and that N35.34b was being deducted every month from Ekiti allocations to service the debt, arguing that if the governor had N35.34bn, he would not owe workers.
But a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, faulted the claims, arguing that Fayose was using cheap blackmail to get undeserved public sympathy and support ahead of the July 14 poll and explained that Ekiti total debts while Fayemi was leaving office, according to DMO, was N18b.
He added that contrary to claim that Fayemi owed two months salary, the administration owed just one month salary mainly because Fayose threatened banks not to grant Fayemi a standing facility to pay salary ahead of Abuja allocation.
He said: "This is a cheap blackmail and characteristic propaganda by Fayose who has taken Ekiti people for fools as he often derides them among his friends; for how can one claim that N35.34b is being spent to service the debt of N18b?
"How can the Federal Government cripple all the states because of the election in Ekiti State as if President Muhammadu Buhari is like President Goodluck Jonathan's administration that paid Ecological Fund cash to PDP's states but refused to pay APC states?
"How did Fayose spend the Paris Club refunds he earlier collected to pay salary but refused to pay workers?
"Fayose collected a bailout of about N20b in two tranches for workers salary but diverted all to self-serving projects having earlier taken N2b CBN small-scale business credit scheme but never release one kobo to any small-scale business owner.
"Fayose collected N2b Ecological Fund, but for close to a year, he consistently lied that he ever collected the money, only to own up when APC approached Ecological Fund office with the Freedom of Information (FOI) instrument to get the fact, and the very week Fayose shamelessly confessed taking the money, he announced Ecological project contract totalling exactly N2b, even though up till now, there is no sign of ecological project across the state as could be seen in ecological disasters that ravaged the state.
"Again, the governor was secretly collecting N1.3b Budget Support Facility for 14 months to pay salary but he never told workers he was collecting this money on their behalf for salary until he exposed himself when he made similar allegation like the case here that President Muhammadu deliberately withheld Ekiti State allocation.
"After a long period of blackmail, the Federal Government responded, explaining that it withheld Ekiti cash because Fayose was illegally diverting it to other purposes, and this expose created opportunity for Ekiti workers, for the first time, to know that Fayose was collecting such facility on their behalf to pay salary but consistently diverting it illegally."
Olujobi also faulted Fayose's claim that Fayemi's administration debts service obligation was hurting the state's capacity to pay workers.
He explained: "DMO put Ekiti total official debts at N18b by the time Fayose started blackmailing Fayemi for plunging the state to N86b debts, and by the time Fayose later became more notorious for his lies on Ekiti debts, DMO published the debts by all the states of the federation, revealing that Fayose had borrowed N56b between 2014 and 2018.
"Records have also shown that Fayose is presently paying N1.7b monthly in monthly salary, but still fraudulently claims that the figure remains the same as N2.6b that Fayemi was paying after Fayose removed about 40,000 names from the wage bill he inherited from Fayemi."
Urging Fayose to disclose the IGR profile allegedly kept in secret accounts, JKF Campaign spokesman said Ekiti people and workers in particular had become wiser after discovering that their governor had been "unconscionably running Ekiti State like a buka where accountability is zero".
Stressing that Ekiti people can no longer be fooled by deceits, he urged workers to insist on their salaries and should not to be deceived by an administration that sees Ekiti State as a jackpot for private comfort.
He also urged Fayose to stop lying that he owed workers four months salary, asking the governor to pay six months he owed state workers, seven months for workers in tertiary institutions, local government eight months, teaching hospital seven while pensioners were owed 11 months.
Wole Olujobi
Director,
Media and Publicity,
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
[9:41 AM, 6/24/2018] Wole Olujobi: Fayemi Campaign Organisation Praises EKSU Lecturers, Students Over Degree Performance
The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has Praised Lecturers and Graduating Students of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, over Performance in their Degree Programmes.
It said the performance is a reflection of resilience and winning spirit in both the lecturers and students to succeed in the face of daunting challenges that were allowed to fester to create unfriendly atmosphere for learning.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, said in a statement on Saturday that the campaign group and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Kayode Fayemi, rejoiced with all the fresh graduates and particularly the 47 of them that made first class in their academic programmes.
"In spite of unfriendly academic environment characterised by non-payment of salaries and allowances and failure to assist the university to enjoy grants for academic programmes, the lecturers devised means to meet the challenges of producing graduates that can match their colleagues in academic programmes in well-funded universities.
"In spite of humiliating circumstances under which they work without salary for several months, the lecturers dropped the sentiments of labour union partisans to assume the responsibilities of concerned parents in the management of the unfriendly circumstances to ensure that academic programmes did not suffer in the university.
"We particularly praise the lecturers for the parental roles they played in ensuring the termination of their strike action when it appeared that the patron of the school was not bothered about their plights, particularly when Governor Ayodele Fayose reportedly advised the authorities of the school to close down the school and bring him the keys when the lecturers were demanding for payment of their salaries and subventions to the school that had not been paid for a very long time.
"We also commend the students for coming out in flying colours after burning the candles and after putting extra efforts to succeed in the face of unfriendly academic environment to produce that performance."
The statement criticised Fayose for not "making a word of encouragement to those brilliant young men and women, who created that unprecedented record in academic performance in the university".
He said: "Again, Governor Fayose displayed his contempt for academic excellence today when he attended EKSU graduation ceremony where 47 graduates made First Class without volunteering words of praise for those brilliant fresh graduates.
"He would not also comment on the efforts of the lecturers that produced that wonderful performance, instead, he kept tasking and taxing those awarded with honourary degrees to contribute for the development of the university.
"Neither did the governor say anything on the various demands by the authority, staff and students of the university on how to improve academic environment and quality of learning.
"In climes where leaders cherish education and brilliant performance, besides praising those bright young graduates for their record performance, they will be honoured to encourage other students coming after them for better performance."
The statement also condemned Fayose for declaring that he came to the graduation ceremony mainly because his wife and the wife of Deputy Governor Olusola Eleka were graduating in Guidance and Counselling.
"Why will a governor declare in an academic community that he was at a graduation ceremony in an institution where he is the Visitor just because his wife is graduating from that university?
"Why will a governor call out his wife to a podium at a university graduation ceremony and ask the wife of a governorship candidate (Eleka) to tap anointing from his wife for onward transmission to her husband?
"We condemn this deliberate desecration of the citadel of learning and hostility to education in the Land of Honour with solid fountain to promote knowledge.
"Government's activities should not be promoted or be more pronounced on the streets alone for selfish political advantage while neglecting critical academic environment where young men and women are baked to shape humanity.
"Ekiti State University will soon start to enjoy better attention when an academic with the right vision assumes the leadership of the state in October this year," the statement concluded.
Wole Olujobi
Director, Media and Publicity,
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
Fayose Runs Fraudulent Administration, Says Adeyeye
... As Fayemi Campaigns In Ado, Ise
Former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Adedayo Adeyeye, on Tuesday joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ekiti State in the July 14 poll, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to visit Ise/Orun, Emure, Ikere and Ado Local governments in the continuation of his campaign visits to the 16 local governments of the state.
Fayemi in company of party leaders, including State Chairman, Jide Awe; and Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, had campaign stops at Ise, Emure, Emure, Eporo, Ikere and Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
Adeyeye, who recently defected to APC, is from Ise-Ekiti, Ise-Orun Local Government.
He described Fayose as "a greedy and selfish politician with uncanny capacity to spin reckless lies".
He thanked Ise-Ekiti residents for their massive turnout at the rally and urged them to show same enthusiasm on election day.
Another defector and former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ajayi Owoseni, spoke in the same vein, saying Fayose was the most ungrateful human being that loved to pay evil for good.
Fayemi told the residents that he was touched by the decrepit conditions under which Ekiti people lived in the administration of PDP, saying that APC's administration as could be seen between 2010 and 2014 still presented the best option that could address their problems in the most enduring manner.
He said he would continue his development policy encapsulated in his Eight-point Agenda, assuring that a vote for APC is a vote for freedom and opening of new opportunities for development.
He urged residents not to be deceived by PDP that he would sack teachers and local government workers, saying that he never contemplated sacking workers but was an apostle of jobs creation to keep a decent living.
In all the communities visited, defections swept through PDP, losing hundreds of members to APC.
In Ise-Ekiti, Adeyeye led other leaders to defect to APC. Among other leaders that PDP lost to APC are former Secretary to the State Government, Dr Afolabi Ojuawo; immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, and a serving member of the House of Assembly, Ebenezer Ade Alagbada.
Others are former House of Assembly member, Gboyega Akinola (aka Sadola); a serving House of Assembly member, Sunday Adeniyi aka Gbosa; former Assembly member, Omoyeni Peter; Banji Aluko, who is former councillor; former local council chairman, Adejumo Tajudeen and Councillor Tunji Ogoji.
In Emure-Ekiti, PDP lost former House of Representatives aspirant, Ayo Peters; former Senatorial Chairman of PDP, Tale Ghadafi; former House of Representatives aspirant, Tony Yisa; while at Eporo, 140 PDP members defected to APC.
In Ado-Ekiti, PDP lost Fayose's associate who is also the immediate past Special Adviser on Culture and Tourism, Ademola Bello; former elected House of Assembly member who was denied his mandate by Fayose, Odunayo Arinka; former Special Adviser on Agriculture under Fayose, Bosun Osaloni; influential PDP leader, Kusi Omodara; and immediate past Chairman of Teaching Service Commission, Abiodun Falayi.
Falayi said that after 15 years of parting ways with the progressives fold, he had to leave PDP after finding out that Fayose liked to pay evil for good. He explained that he was led by a man of God to work with Fayose because he assured that he would behave well after becoming governor again in 2014, regretting, however, that he had to leave after discovering that Fayose had gone worse in his relationship with the people.
Falayi said he felt great that his supporters who went with him to PDP are now with him in APC, even as he counselled Fayose and PDP candidate, Olusola Eleka, not to waste time and money to campaign in Ado-Ekiti.
"Fayose has lost all the goodwill he enjoyed among the people here because of his greed, selfishness and his penchant to pay evil for good.
"Fayemi is not new to us. He is honest and humble and he represents Ekiti symbol of integrity everywhere around the world who, as we can see, is now favoured to win the election because of his records of performance and transparent manner of running government affairs," Falayi concluded.
Wole Olujobi
Director, Media and Publicity,
Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation
June 26, 2018
OF COMPRADOR AND FAYOSE’S CONTINUITY AGENDA GAMBIT
His political adversary promised to "reclaim our land and restore our values" devastated by a human tsunami as he mounted roadblocks against the progressives' determined quixotic engagement to free the people after three and half years of vicious raid on Ekiti collective destiny.
In high-pitch cacophony of verbal attacks that can overwhelm the hardest of hearts and the bravest of soldiers, he said the Minister of Mines and Power, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, would not be allowed to taste power again through a fraudulent White Paper.
But against all odds, his nemesis broke all the roadblocks last weekend and damned all the threats as the former governor led a pack of eminent aspirants to clinch the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a cliff-hanger primary contest.
Laying the snare is the supreme comprador of no mean savagery, Governor Ayodele Fayose, who likes to gnaw at the souls of fellow human beings for instalmental death.
A monument of waste, call him an enigma in a strict and classical characterisation of a flawed leader and you cannot be faulted; for in the two times he had happened to the life of Ekiti State, Governor Fayose has led an administration whose leadership has proven to be an epochal interregnal blight to the cherished and chequered history of Ekiti people who take integrity and honour for granted.
Not only did the masterful genie succeed in importing strange culture to disorientate the youth against the customs of their forefathers, distaff the womenfolk and topple the cultural heritage of Ekiti people, he also succeeded in unlettering the lettered, including the overthrow of the palaces as the royal heads surrender their crowns for mob-caps to become fawning slave boys at Fayose's feet.
Like a consummate comprador, a slave driver that turns owners to the victims of deprivations, he not only conquered the yokel in the land but also dispossessed the upscale elites of their intellects, integrity and honours. The poor he has also stolen their minds and robbed them of their brains through deceits and crumbs to live satisfactorily in derelict conditions as a fate bestowed on them by destiny.
Unlike the Tinubu that Fayose wants to become, while the Nigerian political leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has made hundreds of millionaires across the country, Fayose, like a ruthless comprador, hates to see his supporters prosper to be responsible members of their families and indeed of their communities in general.
Even though disadvantaged with questionable academic integrity woven around alleged certificate forgery, yet some Ekiti frontliners in academics and Law practice crawl to dine with this fiendish legend of the medieval slave-driving variety. Through patronage driven by commercial interest and greed, some elites willingly surrender their integrity. For instance, those who stood against him leading to his forced exit in his collapsed first term suddenly turned around to embrace him as a son in whom they were well pleased, courtesy of commercial interest that elevates private interest above communal good.
Not only that, media reports alleged that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of Ekiti origin based in Lagos with wide connections, including a strong religious inclination to boot, suddenly renounced Christ to help promote a devilish, sinister agenda in secret trials that would deny his fellow elites justice in their graves after cruel murders, all in attempt to help Ekiti government's leaders free suspects in the murders of Dr Ayo Daramola and Tunde Omojola for a fee.
Such is the power of a man who has conquered all in a subjugated community under the jack-boot of a ruthless potentate.
It is not for nothing that Fayose insisted that he must be installed the Apesin of Ado-Ekiti against the reported Ewi-in-Council-approved title he was billed to take at the last yearly Udiroko Festival of Ado people, the festival that marks the beginning of a New Year among Ado-Ekiti people.
By its literal meaning, "Apesin" means a man that must be unconditionally and servitudely served by all irrespective of their social and economic stations in life; a psychological flaw that often goes with both low self-esteem and manic depression in which a weak leader wields enormous and limitless powers to subjugate the public, high and low, to personal whims for private comforts.
Like a comprador, and blatantly antithetical to the thesis of Ekiti moral ethos, Fayose did not just happen to Ekiti State; all is a product of a calculated but dark business interest cloaked in messianic accoutrement. And like a friend once observed, Fayose came for Ekiti goods and not for Ekiti good.
Coming from the background of Ibadan-inspired "amala and ewedu" politics, for Fayose, Ekiti State is a virgin land where he could prop his political business for bountiful harvests, using intimidation and lies as fertilisers to nurture his trade.
In the exploration of his political business, therefore, he stole, like a thief in the night, into Ekiti people's hearts in 2002 with the wand of Prophet Moses in his right hand and jingles of Prophet John the Baptist on the left proclaiming salvation. And for the people in a hurry for bread and butter without sweat, it was not difficult for Fayose to build another Egypt in the heart of Ekiti hills where Fayose, the new Joseph in a strange land, must feed Ekiti people with butter and bread as a divine intervention for the survival of the people, who, unlike the Israelites in Egypt, erroneously assumed that they were living in hunger.
But then unlike in Egypt where Joseph fed the Israelites with barley, wheat and grains, Fayose, the Ekiti Joseph, lapsed into vending water and paracetamol, free, to residents to treat the body that was not ailed and the trick worked, drawing the applause of the sanguine people, educated and unlettered, who were misled into walking to their misery dressed in redemptive mission.
He succeeded with astounding acclaim, and this was the first trophy that Fayose won in his political exploration of Ekiti State as a stranger to Ekiti credo as defined from the cradle to become a suave political merchant.
After he firmly established his dynasty, it emerged that a ruthless comprador had come to town to stun the people to the reality that with an entertaining masquerade is a cudgel tucked inside the mask to menacingly take charge of the watching crowd, all to his pleasure.
So it was for Fayose who deployed cudgels, daggers and scorpions in his smiles to whip his Ekiti bemused captives into the line for maximum harvests for the sweat of his subterfuge through which he climbed to the hearts of the people and the harvests were bountiful.
From reported mindless looting of the state treasury to alleged poor implementation of fraudulent projects that collapsed six months after commissioning, cruel murders stuck deep into the hands of the administration with the alleged record assassination and attempted murders of no fewer than 22 indigenes.
Several people also lost their property to state-sponsored attacks by hoodlums and criminals, the development that signalled the autumn of that administration when Fayose made a clinical escape inside the booth of his car and was rid out of the state like a mad man, as armed tanks rolled into the state to save Ekiti people from the shrieks of pains and threats to their lives in Fayose's administration of three and half years of one day, one trouble.
By the time history closed its page on that beleaguered administration, Ekiti State had notoriously become assassination, murders and attempted murders capital of the entire South West Nigeria.
But that was not the end of the Fayose myth. After spending months in self-exile to escape justice over alleged frauds and multiple murders, Fayose emerged one afternoon in a scorching sun in Ado-Ekiti clutching a talking drum he beat to herald the second coming of the "saviour".
Like his first coming, his victims, who had yet to recover from the trauma of their first false dance-steps with the devil, also danced to the sounds from his mint talking drum, which later permanently shut their memories to the trauma they went through in his first term.
With the combination of memory loss and deployment of federal troops, among other resources, Fayose berthed again in the Government House after his usual deceits of better life for the people.
And like a comprador in deceit stunts to compound the pains of a vassal state in favour of the cruel chief slave driver, Fayose announced that he was incapacitated to continue to pay salaries of workers over alleged "heavy debts" by his predecessor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Expectedly, salary arrears piled up. Allowances to workers were cut. Obas' pay was cut and even the little that remained in their favour was not paid for eight months.
There was neither promotion nor recruitment in the civil service, instead, some 40,000 names were removed from the state's wage bill that Fayose inherited from Fayemi after cancelling empowerment and life-lifting schemes that Fayemi initiated as a safety net to secure the lives of Ekiti people.
GTB, Ecobank and Cocacola were shut over refusal to surrender their corporate social responsibility cash to the governor with Ekiti people working in these organisations losing their jobs.
Like a deceitful jade, Fayose rode to power assuring that he would horse Ekiti people to safety only to break that promise to their hopes, citing debts overhang, and promising that he would not add more debt burdens to Ekiti treasury.
Some callously deprived and abused Ekiti workers resorted to stealing pots of soup from their neighbours to survive, even as their school children were forced to pay tax after a depraved administration went blind to the sufferings of workers.
But by the time the Debts Management Office (DMO) opened its books, Ekiti people were shocked to discover that Fayose, who had sworn uncountable times that he had never borrowed one kobo, had indeed taken N56b loans he negotiated their repayments till 2036, only to lie again that it was Fayemi who put the state into debts till 2036.
From Fayemi's more than 2,000 political appointments, Fayose reduced them to below 300. While Fayemi implemented at least four projects in each of the smallest communities across the state and several projects dotted big towns, Fayose concentrated his energy and resources of the state on a N15b one-lane 800m flyover built on dry land, the most costly flyover of its sort anywhere in the world; though he lied again that the bridge is 1.5km long.
While Fayemi executed13 projects in Fayose's Afao-Ekiti country home alone with 180 elderly people there benefitting from Fayemi's monthly social security scheme of N5,000 each; 61 youths in Volunteer scheme; 87 people in conditional cash transfer; four in Peace Corps; and five in YCAD making Afao-Ekiti community to receive N2,025,000 on monthly basis during Fayemi's administration, Fayose cancelled all these schemes without introducing new ones, even as he maliciously cancelled the State School of Agriculture established in Fayemi's Isan-Ekiti community.
Not done, Fayose again sought to shut Fayemi out of electoral contest by raising an army of loyalists to probe his administration. They returned a guilty verdict in a White Paper, which the internal opposition also celebrated as a weapon to get the minister out of the race.
Now the die is cast between Ekiti people and Fayose for a return to the second rescue mission led by Fayemi after surviving the battles to stop him from seeking the mandate of Ekiti people.
With Fayose's fresh N56b debt burden, uncompleted Oja Oba project that is fraught with fraud and salary payment default of between seven and 10 months, including those of his commissioners and House of Assembly members while he regularly pockets a reported whopping N300m monthly security vote and another N90m monthly vote reportedly called "sundry expenses"; unabated house demolition in Ado-Ekiti and Ikere-Ekiti with fraudulent compensation scheme; and alleged contracts racketeering and wage bill padding in which Fayose still signs N2.6b monthly wage bill as Fayemi after removing 40,000 names from the wage bill he inherited from the former governor, the stage is set for Fayose to test his wits again in an enslavement scheme through a continuity gambit as they go to poll on July 14, 2018 to elect a new governor in the election that Fayose is backing his Deputy, Prof Olusola Eleka, for the continuity of hard times for Ekiti people.
Will Ekiti people tie their fates to the whims of a comprador who thrives in romantisising the plights of the people to his political advantage in his continuity agenda primed to benefit himself only while Ekiti people again become the victims of callous deceit of a slave driver?
Are Ekiti people fated and doomed to the machination of a comprador whose interests reside outside the collective interests of the state and welfare of its people?
Will Ekiti people, especially workers, allow the continuity of sufferings and deprivations in their lives over unpaid salaries even though Fayose received intervention funds from the Federal Government to pay salaries but diverted all to contracts he allegedly has personal interest?
Will Ekiti people vote for the triumph of frauds and deceits of a comprador to make themselves the most dispossessed of the land?
July 14, 2018 is an opportunity to provide answers to these probing questions that have been gnawing at the hearts of Ekiti people since Fayose stole into their lives more than a decade ago.
• Olujobi, former SSA on Speech Writing & Public Communications to Fayemi and Special Adviser (Media) to Ekiti Assembly Speaker, writes from Ado-Ekiti.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE APC PRIMARY ELECTION
By, Wole Olujobi
We had better know the details of what happened today before we serve politicians collective guilt on the primary election cancellation. Fact is that as soon as Fayemi's delegates arrived the primary election venue this morning in no fewer than 40 buses, several of them luxury buses, other aspirants with scanty population of delegates became jittery.
Last night, while Fayemi was visiting his delegates at locations where they were lodged, the other aspirants had nowhere to visit. I was part of Fayemi's visits and the itinerary took us to pass through the campaign headquarters of no fewer than seven aspirants where they had all gone to sleep by 12am when Fayemi's camp was still very much active with activities till the morning.
Now, there is a foursome in APC allegedly sponsored by Fayose to help him achieve his plan to frustrate Fayemi's ambition. After accreditation, voting commenced with the agents of the aspirants watching as delegates cast their votes. The agents were passing information on the voting pattern to their principals and it was clear Fayemi was coasting home to victory enjoying votes "monopoly". While Fayemi's camp was upbeat, a dark pall fell on the camps of other aspirants.
Soon, the atmosphere became charged with information spreading that Fayose had also heard about developments at the election venue with Fayemi looking set to win having gotten the bloc votes of five critical local governments.
Soon also, news spread that thugs mobilised by Fayose had trooped to the vicinity of the voting venue. The bold one among the thugs, apparently on large doses of drug, shocked everyone, including top officials of APC, when the fellow started destroying ballot boxes bearing the votes already cast. He was beaten black and blue by the angry mob watching in disbelief. He was stripped naked and was promptly arrested by the police and taken to unknown destination.
As planned, a woman aspirant though unknown in Ekiti politics but who also wants to be governor, walked to Dr Fayemi, shockingly calling him unprintable names. An unperturbed Fayemi just smiled at the woman in dignified self-respect. But before you could say Jack Robinson, the other comrades in the conspiracy emerged from the terrace to start an orgy of violence that overwhelmed security agents. Their supporters joined the fray.
Mayhem lasted for hours and the organisers had no choice than to postpone the exercise. Along the stretch of the stadium road, Fayose's thugs and PDP members had massed up to cause more confusion. As aspirants departed the stadium road already taken over by members of PDP, only Fayemi received hostile reactions from the rally of PDP thugs on sponsorship of Fayose who called him unprintable names.
But back to the streets, popularity swelled for Fayemi because what started as a rumour that Fayose was funding four aspirants in APC became a reality.
The implication of this rebellion is that like in similar instances of violence at primaries, the repeat vote may not take place in Ekiti State owing to threat to security as witnessed at the event this afternoon.
If that were the case, the already weary and cash-strapped aspirants that tasted the bitter reality of electoral contest may have difficulty to continue in their ambitions to participate in a more costly rescheduled primary that may not take place in the state if precedent were to be followed.
For instance, two aspirants that had earlier boasted to spend N150,000 for each delegate ended up paying between N20,000 and N30,000 to their delegates when as at 6pm yesterday, the delegates that had collected huge sums from them could no longer be reached again, as they had switched off their phones. Some of them ended up in the camps of those they actually wanted to support from the beginning.
As things stand, head or tail, Fayemi will still win the ballot and this is not for nothing.
Fayemi was the lone voice against the dissolution of the present ward, local and state governments Excos as canvassed by these same aspirants who wanted the votes of the Excos who constitute the delegates.
Not only that, he paid for the nomination forms of all the Excos from the ward to the state levels, including paying them monthly stipends while other aspirants looked away doing nothing to help the party and its officials.
Today's voting pattern today therefore is a harvest time for Fayemi who is reaping from where he had sownin giving hope to the Exco members, who are delegates today in the party.
Now that the conspiracy of the foursome may force relocation of the rescheduled primary, where will the already broke aspirants get the money to move their supporters outside the state for a fresh poll?
That is the question the majority of the aspirants may not have answer to, as clock ticks to July 14 guber poll.
Wole Olujobi
Igirabata L'Okun Ekitipanupo
Ekiti Guber Race And Fayemi's Journey Of Destiny
She has served
as consultant/ market analyst to Partnerships In Niger Delta PIND project, CAVA Cassava Adding Value for Africa; a Bill
and Melinda Gates funded project, headquartered at the Federal University of
Agriculture , Abeokuta, Nigeria , and as expert advisor to Dalberg Global
advisors on the IDH Market study on commercial opportunities in agricultural
value chains in Nigeria. Folusho also served as Business
Development and Marketing Adviser to MADE (Market For Development in The Niger
Delta), funded by DFID through DAI UK and as a consultant to Palladium Group
United Kingdom, on the West Africa Food Markets Pilot Programme in 2016. She
also served on the judging panel of the Rockefeller foundation Cassava Yield wise
$1 million dollars Challenge set up in 2016 to promote innovation in cassava
post harvest practices, as well as being a consultant to the World economic
forum Grow Africa project in, on data assessment of maize , soya bean,and
coffee sectors in Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia.
She has served
as consultant/ market analyst to Partnerships In Niger Delta PIND project, CAVA Cassava Adding Value for Africa; a Bill
and Melinda Gates funded project, headquartered at the Federal University of
Agriculture , Abeokuta, Nigeria , and as expert advisor to Dalberg Global
advisors on the IDH Market study on commercial opportunities in agricultural
value chains in Nigeria. Folusho also served as Business
Development and Marketing Adviser to MADE (Market For Development in The Niger
Delta), funded by DFID through DAI UK and as a consultant to Palladium Group
United Kingdom, on the West Africa Food Markets Pilot Programme in 2016. She
also served on the judging panel of the Rockefeller foundation Cassava Yield wise
$1 million dollars Challenge set up in 2016 to promote innovation in cassava
post harvest practices, as well as being a consultant to the World economic
forum Grow Africa project in, on data assessment of maize , soya bean,and
coffee sectors in Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia.
