By Olajide Omotayo Harmony
Call Fayemi, the governor of Ekiti state a theorist you are right! Call him a governor with no will power to implement paper policies and documents, you will be vindicated!
These name callings have over the years been proved as a reality than figment of imagination.
The governor is only excellent at delivering papers and lectures on how to make fortunes, improve economy, increase IGR, provide jobs for the youths and numerous act of weakness as a politician.
But, should Ekiti blame itself for voting for a rudderless governor like this character?
Or better still blame itself for reposing confidence in someone whose identity of his children is unknown to the public? Indeed, the State has made a big mistake of letting his will prevail over us forcefully.
However, one major problem our political space is currently facing today lies within the prerogative of men and women with charades of brilliance and deliverability even at the face of challenges, they will teach and tell you how to work out things imaginarily.
This makes me feel that those who often write in their resumé, proclaiming they can work under pressure are often the worse set of homosapiens especially if luck finds them in the field of politics. But, in Ekiti we have a doctor of philosophy, whose acclaimed hefty credentials seems to be seriously fighting tough to meet up with expectations even when all things are seemingly equal and absolute.
This, however, makes me conclude without no doubt that the cock-and -bull story that has been cemented in the minds of some segment of Ekiti people can no longer hold water because the truth has been revealed.
Following his return as governor of Ekiti State in 2018, expectations were high especially with his sloganeering “reclaiming our land, restoring our values”, which was highly catapulted by his cronies in the nooks and crannies of Ekiti state. The belief of an average Ekiti man was that Fayemi, who was initially disgraced from office in 2014 due to his theorist tendencies, having lost all polling units, wards and local governments would have learnt his lessons in a bitter and hard way and would be able to coordinate the affairs of the State properly. This however, made the larger proportion of the people of State to allow him hold sway to power in an election that was heavily rigged and monetized in his favour by the federal instruments.
Two years almost gone, the story still remains the same. The land he claimed was stolen by the marauders are still yet to be reclaimed after copious theoretical display of competence and arrogance in his pedagogic encounters to his thousands asslickers.
A quick assay into his sojourn within the past twenty months are embarrassing, showing no indicator of governance in the length and breath of the state. One prime function of the governor is the security and welfare of the people. Fayemi’s government has made it so porous for the devil to operate freely without being checkmated. The saga of Orin Ekiti killings is still fresh in the minds of all discerning citizens of the State. This was even worsen with his crass ineptitude in handling the matter which resulted in massive protest, making one feels if we truly have a governor.
Do you equally have to be reminded that the killers of Federal University of Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), students are yet to be prosecuted as promised by the governor? Don’t be surprised. That is expected to happen when you have a wife who controls the government and give out marching orders. The said students met their death from the shootings carried out by policemen in the entourage of the First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. They were simply demanding for power supply in the student dominated part of Oye Ekiti. The policemen who carried out this dastardly act are still moving freely in town while the family of the deceased continue to live in grief and sorrow. What a wickedness!
Yet to corroborate this widespread insecurity in the State, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon Olabode Folorunsho was kidnaped and in broad daylight while plying one of the roads in Ekiti. This is a testament that commoners are no longer safe and secure. Despite hefty security votes allocated for the governor, it seems Fayemi is only saving such monies for his unclear political ambition.
In fact, when you move closer to thousands of job seekers who applied for the state government’s job, you will see the bitterness in them. Some would even rain curses on him and call him unprinted names; having sold forms for the unemployed youths at an outrageous price of N1,000; the hope of these youths are fading away and the assurance of them getting jobs is becoming zero. This is not even a painful matter. What about the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (EKSU) workers he sacked around festive period last year?
The scars still leave a painful trail and sign on the affected thousands of Ekiti sons and daughters who were handicapped and rendered amputated by the wicked and inhumane governor; while his counterpart in Oyo State reasborbed over 300 workers illegally sacked by his predecessor.
Do you really have to be bothered about the character called Fayemi? Have you forgotten how he demoted principals and top teaching professionals in his kangaroo rejig in teaching service in his first term? That is his trademark. So do not expect something special from someone who once boasted that the teachers in Ekiti are mere dumbass who are only excellent at delivering expos to students during external examinations. The same teachers he accused of incompetence ensured excellent results of secondary school students in the 2016 and 2017 NECO examination. What an irony we have today!
It might also interest you that Ekiti State government under Dr Kayode Fayemi has received over N20 billion since January from the Federal coffer.
Aside the salary of workers he struggled to pay, Fayemi is yet to keep to his promise of clearing the back log owed by his predecessor, Ayo Fayose. Fayemi had on several occasions during his campaign days boasted to clear all the back logs within six months. He later changed his promise of six months to one year. He has successfully relegate Ekiti workers who thought that his coming would transcends into economic prosperity for them.
Only God knows when he would kick start the payment of new minimum wage. However, the rest shall be in the history book of the State. It would be indelible particularly for his neglect of retirees, depriving them of their gratuity between 2010-2014 and causing the deaths of thousands of them.
Now come to think of it, the infrastructural revolution the present day government is purportedly championing is artificial. The metropolis of Ado Ekiti as we speak is messed up with flooding due to poor drainage and bad state of the roads. Recently, two people were drowned in Ureje river in Ado Ekiti, while others suffered severe injuries and damages. The road although, being a Federal road requires urgent attention from the government instead of waiting for the Federal Government at the detriment of the people of the State. Hilariously, Fayemi is laying asphalt on already dilapidated roads in some part of the States without good foundations just in the name of infrastructure development making me to feel that his cluelessness is inbuilt and inherent.
Is it the agricultural revolution scam we want to talk about when other states are massively cultivating farmlands on large scale? Perhaps, we might need to ask him what has happened to the several hectares of land in some selected parts of the State that were cleared last year? We equally need answers to what has stopped the commencement of work at the airstrip site. It is sad that his only achievements are in MoUs that are only on paper, while his counterpart in Borno state is massively overhauling the State despite insurgency. What a shame!
Today, when you look at the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics, you will see Ekiti sitting conveniently at the 6th position in the comity of Southwestern States. This is so because of widespread unemployment of the youths, lack of support for business men and women and poor ideas at attracting feasible investment to Ekiti that can generate and create wealth. It is even threatening that the State can be among one of the poorest States in Nigeria if care is not taken before 2022.
Equally, when you look at his approach to intra-party affairs, Fayemi is fast becoming a demagogue and authoritarian who never get tired of advancing attrition war against his perceived opposition in the party. He singlehandedly picked his members of the House of Assembly via SMS and locked up forces he viewed to be against him.
However, in a case filed at the Federal High Court Abuja, by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo and other progressive stakeholders of the party, they were challenging the illegality of the State Executive who had held sway to power without congress in various wards in Ekiti.
“A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered substituted service in the suit filed by some stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, against the party’s Wards, Local Governments and State Executive Committees,”, the statement read in part.
Also prior to this time, the governor, had caused a mild drama in the party in connivance with some other governors who staged an aborted war against the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, in their desperate moves to secure the party’s structure ahead of 2023 general elections.
Earlier, the governor who doubles as the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) chairman had predicted that the ruling party, APC will collapse after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. He made this bold statement during his interview with Daily Trust at the beginning of the year, stressing that the party would cease to exist by 2023.
But, in a reaction to this, a party chieftain in Lagos Kunle Okunola, lambasted Fayemi, calling him a “spoiler” which can be equated to “atoko wa ba le je”, in Yoruba parlance.
Also in his swift reaction, the governor of Jigawa Abubakar Badaru condemned the governor act of prophecy, calling all party faithful to ignore the comments from the governor.
This comment made by Fayemi however, has indicated that he is only interested in the gains of the party rather than building the party beyond 2023.
Meanwhile, we have seen recently in the media space the outburst of APC faithfuls at the grassroots in Ekiti, who are insatiable by the manner in which Governor Fayemi is running the party. The statement which was signed by one Ekiti youth noted that up till now, the governor is yet to approve the appointment of supervisors across the local governments we have in the State despite the efforts of these party faithful in the 2018 and 2019 elections. The statement have further exposed the act of shenanigans of the governor to corner millions meant to actualise this feat into his treasury.
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Funnily enough, Fayemi in his desperate move, was one of the governors who vehemently opposed the presidential order of financial autonomy to the legislative and judicial arms of each States in Nigeria. These would allow these arms of government to be independent of the executive arm and reduce any act of undeserving loyalty and allegiance to the governor. Fayemi’s act of selfishness as the NGF chairman frustrated the decision of the president to a standstill.
The above could only validate the doctor of war as a dictator, prophet of doom, and despotic lord.
More interestingly, his approach to the obaship crisis in Ekiti recently calls for serious concerns of what legacy he is trying to lay. Fayemi led a serious battle against the paramount rulers in Ekiti and
made Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti chairman of the Obas Council.
The governor made serious moves to disgrace the monarchs the same way the Emir of Kano was thrown out of office. This would have been a bad precedence in the history of Ekiti, as no governor under the progressive umbrella ever disrespected the traditional sanctity of kings in Yorubaland in recent time. If not for Alaafin, things would have gone really awry between the kings and the governor.
Therefore, one should not be taken aback by his high degree of betrayal which has been tested to be inherent and irredeemable. He was once under the tutelage of APC national party leader, Bola Tinubu . Today he is at logger head with someone who brought him into political limelight when he was nothing because of his failed presidential ambition.
Among those who helped Fayemi are Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and so on. Do we have to talk about the achievements of Asiwaju and compare to what the acclaimed ore mekunu in Ekiti has done so far? It will only amount to disgrace and disrepute on Fayemi’s part because he is a no-match to the Jagaban of Borgu.
However, such is life. It is bound to happen. Same way he was shamefully disgraced from office in 2014 seems to be inevitable as the race for 2022 guber race is under serious politicking. This writer observes that the party might needs to ensure sanity is brought back to play within the party ahead of 2022. The writer equally suggests that only due process in the intra-party affairs should be sought after. That is why many meaningful stakeholders of the party are coming to rescue the party’s structure from a nonchalant warlord.
By October 2020, the governor would be comissioning a project almost 80 per cent completed by the past administration, he would also be comissioning a project that he started about eight years ago.
The people of Ekiti will be made to score him whether low or high by then. The achievements will speak well for him or else in the reverse. I’m sure Ekiti cannot be fooled yet again. The emptiness of Fayemi have been revealed. Time to render his scorecards into ignominy is underway. This time around his booby-trap will not save him. Ekiti will be great again!
Olajide, a loyalist of the APC lives in Ondo State
