Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti State, has lashed out at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for criticising the renaming of the Civic Centre after Governor Kayode Fayemi as the ‘JKF Cultural Centre’.
In a release signed by its Director of Publicity, Sam Oluwalana, the ruling party described PDP as a ‘child without a settled home’ who is daily envious of another child with a peaceful home and therefore wishing to destroy that settled home.
“It is unfortunate that the PDP in Ekiti has become so fragmented to the extent that no qualified PDP person in Ekiti is fit to direct its affairs except bringing a stranger from Osun state to superintend over it.
“We believe that this is their cause of constantly crying wolf where there isn’t any,” Oluwalana said.
Unlike in the case of the former Governor Ayodele Fayose, who named a market after himself, Oluwalana said it was the people through their representatives who requested that the Civic Centre as a monument be named after Governor Fayemi.
During its special sitting marking its first year in office, the Ekiti State House of Assembly had passed a motion renaming the civic centre, which was nearing completion after Governor Kayode Fayemi who they believed had done a lot to develop the state.
But the PDP, in a reaction through its Caretaker Committee Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, described the action as ‘petty and empty’.
The APC wondered what was petty or empty in the action, describing Diran Odeyemi as a figurine in the PDP who knows nothing about development in Ekiti, except the lies he is being fed by the renegades of the dying party (PDP) in the state.
“APC affirms the decision of the lawmakers. Dr. Fayemi deserves the honour of naming a legacy project after him and even more, Oluwalana said, describing Dr. Fayemi as a quintessential Ekiti Omoluabi who had contributed immensely to the development of every town in Ekiti State during his first tenure and as the current governor.”
Speaking further Oluwalana said, “There is nothing strange in honouring a person who had served the State meritorously through the execution of many legacy projects as we have seen.
“It is the people from the various constituencies in Ekiti state whose lives have been transformed by Governor Fayemi who requested through their representatives that a project be named in his honour and the lawmakers responded to the clarion call.
“The present crop of lawmakers in EKHA are men and women of integrity who had conducted the business of lawmaking with grace and candour and in accordance with the constitution and the standing rules of the house of Assembly.
“This is not a House of Commotion where a governor would dress shabbily into its hallow chambers holding a miniature gavel and proclaiming himself the Speaker to pass the budget, which he presented within minutes while the so called lawmakers would look on helplessly and haplessly.
He said further, ” In fact, the immediate past Assembly ( 5th Assembly) peopled by a bunch of jokers so much desecrated the Assembly such that they prostrated for former Governor Fayose inside the hallowed chambers which is against parliamentary protocol!
“This sacrilege had been corrected by the 6th Assembly which had restored lost parliamentary glory!
“We now have a House of Assembly so properly called and not an Assembly whose mace was residing with the governor and whose members would sit under the bridge to conduct a make-belief legislative business.
“The PDP is thus advised to face its business and put its scattered house in order, rather than throwing stones from outside into a peaceful home.”
