Ekiti state youth emerge EYE for APC

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We intend to clear Ekiti unpaid salaries within a year –Fayemi
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Kayode Fayemi
Governor-elect of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, unveils his post-inauguration priorities in this interview with SUNDAY ABORISADE

What informed your decision to join the governorship contest barely three months to the election when many people thought you were no longer interested in the race?



It is true that I came into the race relatively late but don’t forget I was a minister of the Federal Republic and I needed clearance from my principal before venturing into the race. I only entered the race when I received that clearance.

Did it ever cross your mind that you could be defeated, a situation that could have serious implications on your political career?

Not really! I wouldn’t have gone into the race if I wasn’t sure of eventual victory. But I knew there were going to be several hoops to jump on the journey. Certainly, if I had lost, it would have been seen as a huge negative on my political career. I learned a lot from the experience which exemplified the value of adequate preparation and strategic planning.

What were some of the challenges you experienced?

I actually faced many challenges but I saw them as opportunities. For example, there were many of my political associates who naturally would’ve been expected to be in my corner but who went in search of other pastures, either in the belief that I was unlikely to run or because they got irresistible offers from other camps. There was the issue of the kangaroo panel hurriedly set up to indict me by the Governor (Ayodele Fayose) in order to stop me from running which had a demoralising effect on party faithful. There was the issue of my purported intellectual aloofness against the notion that only a candidate fully subscribed to Fayose-like populism could challenge the PDP. I also had limited resources to finance a short but intensive campaign. But as I said, all these were converted to opportunities. Many young Turks, who were not seen to be first eleven, used the exit of some veteran politicians from my camp to develop and prove themselves as dependable workhorses. I also had advantages in sustaining the party structure since leaving office in 2014, running with a known track record of performance in office and also recent record of election management in neighbouring Ondo State. So, it wasn’t all bad.

How prepared are you to manage labour crisis since you are taking over power from a government that owed workers, a backlog of about six months of unpaid salaries?

During the campaigns, I gave a pledge that we would try and clear the backlog as soon as possible, preferably between six months and a year.

We do not know enough about the finances of the state yet and it would be irresponsible to count chickens before they are hatched. Once we get in, we will undertake a forensic review of the state, including a staff audit and that will give us a more accurate picture of the finances and where to get money to offset outstanding liabilities. I believe our genuine, long suffering workers and pensioners will cooperate with us in addressing this issue.

What are the things you would do differently this time?

I don’t know why I always get asked this question. There is no objective observer of Ekiti who ever said we didn’t do well in office. On the contrary, every serious minded assessor concluded we did very well in pushing our agenda of making poverty history in the state.

There was no community that we didn’t impact in a tangible manner in the course of our time in office. Equally, independent statistics from NBS, UNDP confirmed that when we left Ekiti in 2014, the state had the lowest maternal and child mortality, lowest HIV prevalence, the highest school enrolment and the longest life span in the country. One area that I admit we must work on is style rather than substance of governance. We are in an age where the works you do in the service of the people don’t often speak for you. You have to shout on the rooftop in order to ensure that people know what you’re doing. This I find somewhat problematic but I guess we must find the right balance between quiet efficiency and cheap populism. The important point is that we must not leave our people guessing. We must engage our people and ensure we do development with them and not to them and also ensure we communicate at every opportunity. That’s one of the key lessons of our past stewardship.

What agenda will you be pursuing this time round?

We used to have what was popularly known as the Eight-Point Agenda which we pursued religiously. We will still address all the issues captured in that agenda but we will concentrate a lot more on four drivers in this four-year term, we will focus on agriculture and rural development; expanding social investments; promoting knowledge economy, and improving infrastructure and industrial development. It is our expectation that the State Development Plan, which was developed in 2011, can be reactivated and reenergised, having been abandoned by the last administration.

How do you intend to boost the state IGR?

We did a lot in improving internally generated revenue in my last term in office. We did this by deploying technology as well as focusing on the informal sector where a lot of tax avoidance is prevalent. There was also a significant boost in mining contribution to the GDP during my period as minister. I do have a track record for expanding the tax net without overburdening the ordinary citizens. We shall be exploring a whole range of options that can help boost our IGR whilst improving the ease of doing business in the state, including the elimination of multiple taxation. In the last four years, many key investors like Coca Cola, GTB and Ecobank left the state because of unfriendly investment policies and practices. We will embark on a massive investment drive.

Will you probe the financial transactions of the outgoing government?

I have said that Ekiti people are entitled to know what transpired in government in the last four years. I don’t call that a probe even though I understand the journalistic sentiment for the sensational and the outlandish by focusing on semantics and not substance. Again, I repeat: we will review the state of the state.

What economic challenges does the state still face and how do you plan to address them?

Ekiti is a rustic, landlocked rural backwater. Geography can play a positive or a negative role in the development of any state or nation depending on the use we put Geography to. It needs not therefore be a death sentence because it is a landlocked state. There is no gain saying the fact that a key vehicle for rapid transformation is the opening up of these rural backwaters through an effective internal and interlinking transport infrastructure. Interestingly, it is well positioned right in the middle between Abuja and Lagos and could provide an effective terminus on that journey. So, that’s a challenge that we must overcome and we started this during my first term in office. With the coming of the rail extension to Ekiti and our determination to reduce the journey time to Akure airport by dualising the Ado Ekiti-Akure road whilst improving on the fibre optic link in the state – something we also started in my first term – I’m sure our job is cut out for us. Investments will come to the state once we have addressed these challenges relating to ease of doing business for those bringing investments to the state. We plan to address the impediments against economic growth by also investing in the people and strengthening human capital through functional education andpromotion of Ekiti as a hub of the knowledge economy, enhancing social investments whilst strengthening the agricultural base for food and job security.

Many people have accused you of running an elitist government during your first term. What are we to expect this time?

What is elitist about free and compulsory education for children up to senior secondary schools or social security benefit for the indigent elderly citizens? On the contrary, my government during my first term, was people centric and people driven. Our budgets were drawn up in a bottom-top manner after extensive consultations with all the communities in the state and projects drawn from these communities. We are a social democratic, left of centre party and our people should expect the same people-driven policies that we believe will help lift our people out of poverty. In terms of what we will likely do differently, we definitely will communicate and communicate and communicate all the time about what we are doing. During the first term, we felt our work should speak for us but we learned a tough lesson. Now, we would speak at every opportunity about our deeds.

What’s your take on the stomach infrastructure? This seemed to be an effective governing policy in the last four years.

I find it utterly contemptuous and disrespectful of Ekiti people. It has significantly diminished our brand in the public eye. Our social investment programme is geared towards lifting our people out of poverty without making them lose their sense of self worth. That’s why it is important to me that we reclaim our land and restore our values. It seems to me that the outgoing government was more interested in promoting poverty in perpetuity instead of helping to lift our people out of misery. So, I do not intend to retain the structure.

Until May this year, you were the Minister of Mines and Steel Development. How would you use your exposure at the federal level to help Ekiti State?

You will notice that I’ve gone round my old colleagues in the federal cabinet to solicit their assistance for Ekiti since I emerged victorious in the election. We have received very positive responses from them and we are looking forward to a profitable working relationship with many of these ministries and agencies. Besides, unlike my first term when I didn’t fully understand the inner workings of the Federal Government, I’m certainly at an advantage now and I intend to put this to good use on behalf of our people.

Would you say that the playing field has changed since you entered politics?

I think so. I think the citizens are better informed and more demanding of their politicians. The field is also gradually witnessing a lot more professionals in politics and the weeding out of what I call professional politicians – those who see politics as business and not as service. Also, elections are more keenly contested and the votes count a lot more than when I came into politics in the mid 2000.

The recent elections in Ekiti and Osun have shown that the votes are real unlike in the days when figures were just written and landslide victories declared. I believe this will help change our winner takes all mentality and encourage the dawn of coalition politics in the country.

What are the most significant personal and professional decisions you had to make to get to where you are now?

Well, I think it’s only fair to talk first about choices made for me by my parents which had lifelong impact. For example, my strict catholic upbringing is still very impactful in my life. Two, I could have gone to high school in Ibadan where I was born and grew up but I was sent to boarding school in Ado Ekiti and this deepened my connection to my native Ekiti. My involvement in democracy and human rights activism also broadened my horizon beyond the cloistered life of an ivory tower academic and brought me in close contact with the leading lights in the human rights and democracy struggles.

Inevitably, the likes of Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Antony Enahoro, Ken Saro Wiwa, Alao Aka Bashorun, Beko Ransome Kuti, General Alani Akinrinade, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, John Oyegun became my mentors and teachers while I was in my 20s. My decision to return to Nigeria immediately after the demise of General Sani Abacha and the establishment of the Centre for Democracy and Development also brought me in contact with policy makers and politicians early on. So, all of these personal and professional decisions must have contributed to my life’s journey so far.

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Waiting for October 16 congratulations, to Governor Emerge. with due respect to APC AND TO THE ONE WHO OWNS THE TICKET (MR - KAYODE FAYEMI)

Afropolitico Dec '17
The bribery allegation
There had been allegations of bribery at the recently held PDP convention in Abuja but the talks have been bandied in hush tones until the recent outburst of the Ekiti APC .
Olatubosun said: “Just last week, he robbed members of his party who were delegates to PDP convention by collecting $10,000 on behalf of each of the 92 delegates but gave each delegate a pittance of N50,000, while their counterparts from other states went home with $10,000,” the statement read.
“This is the same way he denied taking N2 billion Ecological Fund for a very long time until APC approached Ecological Fund Office in Abuja to confirm the status Ekiti State’s entitlement and three days after he confessed taking the money.
“He announced the award of exactly N2 billion even though up till now, there is no ecological project he executed with that money and the result is what we saw early in the year when floods ravaged several parts of the state. ”
The governor’s mouthpiece, Lere Olayinka , is yet to respond to the allegation levelled against the governor by the state’s opposition party.

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links The governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose , has been accused of collecting the sum of $10,000per delegate but ended up paying N50,000 to each delegate at the Peoples Democratic Party national convention in Abuja.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state accused the governor of shortchanging delegates while claiming the funds were bribes for the delegates to vote for some candidates.
In a statement on Monday, December 18, 2017, the spokesman of the APC in Ekiti , Taiwo Olatubosun, made the allegation.
The delegates
A total of 92 delegates represented Ekiti State and the delegates, according to the statement from
APC , were said to have been directed to vote for
Uche Secondus, winner of the chairmanship election, and some other candidates.
However, all the 92 candidates were alleged to have only been paid N50,000 each by the governor, who was at the convention with his supporters and the state’s delegates.

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Aspirants who had earlier picked the forms include former governor of Ekiti state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the special adviser to the president on political matters, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu; former member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele; Sen. Ayo Arise; former Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile; Dr Makanjuola Owolabi; Senator Gbenga Aluko; Bamidele Faparusi and Debo Ranti Ajayi.

Others include Barrister Victor Oladele Kolade; Chief Oladiran Barnabas Adesua; Bimbo Daramola; Kola Alabi; Captain Sunday Adebomi; Muyiwa Coker; Otunba Yinka Akerele; Chief Dele Okeya; and Mrs Christina Yaya-Kolade among others.

The screening of aspirants would take place from April 23 to April 25, while the screening appeal holds from April 26 to April 27.

According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the minister of mines and steel, Kayode Fayemi, officially notified the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and governors elected on the platform of the party of his intention to contest the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti.

Premium Times reports that Fayemi, who is the immediate past governor of Ekiti state, gave the notification on Thursday, April 12, after a tour of local governments in the state.

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The party said it could not afford to wait for another four years in the fridge, allowing the state Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose the free will to continue to dominate the state’s political space.
The State Acting Chairman of the party, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye, said this in Ado Ekiti during a visit of the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, led by its Chairman, Sam Nwaoko to the APC’s State Working Committee members.
Olaleye said the party will put its house in order and connect with all the critical stakeholders like the artisans, teachers, market men and women and political and opinion leaders to make the dream a reality.
“We are determined to win the coming election. We will use every legal and constitutional means; adopt the right strategy to win the July 14 governorship election. We can’t wait in the fridge for another four years. One year is too long a year to be wasted in the life of a politician, let alone another four years.
“We know that the coming year, I mean 2018 will be challenging for the SWC because our governorship aspirants will play and do their own things, the state government too but we shall overcome.”
Olaleye, who lauded the Correspondents for being apolitical and fair in their reportage, advised media practitioners to allow the opposition have its say about how the people are being governed.
Nwaoko assured the party that media practitioners in the state shall continually embrace the principle of fairness to all parties as the 2018 governorship poll gathers momentum.
The Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel advised the party to be receptive to criticisms from the media, saying; “this remains the only way the country can get it right in all facets.

I believe what our present , president is doing is for the betterment of all Nigerians . I want u all to know for just a person to change this country that's has been ruled by embezzlers for decades I think it can't just change just with in a blink of an eyes even if he promised to give us a better life we should be patient enough every country started from somewhere this time we should support him not accuse him of not doing well cause he is trying just like everyone remember he is a human being like us just the post that differentiate him from us we are educated enough we have our eyes to see the mess the past govt has put us into let's be supporting because it for us as one it

ABUJA – A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Ejike Njeze, has President Muhammadu Buhari had been vindicated by the outcome of the November 18 governorship election in Anambra state which was won by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) incumbent governor, Willie Obiano.

Njeze, a close ally of President Buhari and a member of his delegation when he visited the South East recently, said the fact that Obiano won with a landslide showed that the President’s promise and commitment to free and fair elections across the country were in good faith.

Anambra election results
Willie Obiano
The APC chieftain said this in Abuja on Monday while reacting to the outcome of the recently concluded gubernatorial polls in Anambra.

Recall that prior to the election, a group of Anambra state elders under the aegis of ‘Concerned Anambra State Leaders’ wrote an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari alleging plans by his party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise the outcome of the state’s election.

“Information at our disposal show that the APC has perfected plans to use the security agencies like the police, DSS, army and civil defence to submit double results sheets in place of the original and authentic result sheets collated from the polling booths at the ward levels to the INEC, which in turn will accept them, and discredit the duly certified copies from their officers in the field,” the letter stated.

President Buhari pushed back against the comments, when he assured the Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership last Wednesday in Enugu that the Anambra Election would be free and fair.
Njeze said that President Buhari has shown once again that he is a defender of democracy and the rule of law.
He said: “The outcome of the Anambra election shows that President Buhari is committed to the statement he made during his inauguration in 2015 in which he told Nigerians he ‘belongs to everybody and belongs nobody.’

“Obiano’s landslide victory clearly shows that the President has been vindicated. He is not a partial, parochial, and unfair leader as insinuated in some quarters.
“From the results of the election, it can be seen that if President Buhari wanted to interfere in the outcome of the election, all it would have taken was for him, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of State, to issue instructions to certain individuals and the APC candidate, Tony Nwoye, would have been returned winner and governor-elect as was the norm in previous administrations.

“But, the President provided a level playing ground for all the candidates and political parties and also charged INEC and the security agencies to be as neutral as possible in the conduct of the election. That< I think he deserves kudos for.”

Speaking on the President’s visit to the Southeast, Njeze said it was a positive development for the country in all ramifications.

According to him, the visit speaks volume as it practically demonstrated that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable and that the President remains the father of all Nigerians and not just an ethnic group or members of a particular political party

Tinubu: Jonathan’s govt won gold medal in corruption — money ran away faster than Usain Bolt

November 16 2017

Bola Tinubu, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said the Goodluck Jonathan administration won a gold medal in corruption.

According to Tinubu, money “ran away” from Nigeria’s coffers faster than Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt during the last administration.

Tinubu said this on Thursday while giving a keynote speech at the presentation of ‘Making Steady, Sustainable Progressive for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity: A mid-term scorecard on the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’.

The book presentation held at the state house conference center, Abuja.

The former Lagos governor said Boko Haram would have taken more territory and more lives would have been lost to insurgency if Jonathan had remained in power.

“The prior government used the public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves,” he said.

“So much money grew feet and ran away faster than Usain Bolt ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.

“One minister and her rogues’ gallery picked the pocket of this nation for billions of dollars. While poor at governance, these people could give a master thief lessons in the sleight of hand. In governance, they earned a red card but in corruption l, they won the gold medal.

“It was not that our institutions had become infected by corruption. Corruption has become institutionalised.”

Tinubu said the war on corruption has been won as President Buhari has set an axe to “the root of this dangerous tree”.

“We have much to do to combat this disease. Not only must we track down the takers. In the long term, we must review the salaries of public servants and create universal credits for our people to reduce temptation,” he added.

reaching the peak of a goal isint the achievement but the leason learnt and the struggle in it is the greatest thing we can ever achive (APC):CHANGE 🙏

APC is still inform please be their for us we love u all and i laugh at something reall funny like been a president in Nigeria hmmm fayose lets wait and see and watch this exicting movie EKITI STATE

sometimes we should be mindful of our speech no matter what position we are or find out self in thank God we can see things clearly and u know what I mean if u don't I would make it clear ere people saying they are part of the Niger delta avengers should be careful expecialy people saying they are part of them because they want to go for a post in the federal you know who I mean but please be real and for real.president Buhari has said anybody that form alliance with them would be seen as a terrorist and a traitor to Nigeria so I advice you should stop thinking halfway if you think negative also think positive before saying it out

good morning too all and every member of the APC have a nice and a blessed day ahead pur dream shall become reality our staying alive shall bring change peace and good fortunes to Nigeria amen

Ekiti state youth emerge EYE for APC

I would say in ekiti state University. Today students aren't happy with the results or facts. That the present govt in Ekiti state and the vice-chancellor wants to emerge another person as the winner of the election in Ekiti state University. The student has taken that pain to vote for their rightful candidates and yet this people that is governing us wants to change the rightful candidate to theirs which i would say its in possible at this junction this is the truth that) all student knows that the real winner is (Advice) and he is with almost 3,000 votes and the candidate of fayose is in person of (Ajiro) he has nothing more than 1,100 votes the difference is clear all the student knows the winner so i think you people up their should stop this favouritism. Lastly i would say with no doubts and no regret Everybody knows when governor fayose was elected as the winner that they didnt swore him in as the governor of ekiti state but he swore him self in as the governor forcefully and people recognice that so if you people prove to be sturborn i would say history would repeat its self

I would say in ekiti state University. Today students aren't happy with the results or facts. That the present govt in Ekiti state and the vice-chancellor wants to emerge another person as the winner of the election in Ekiti state University. The student has taken that pain to vote for their rightful candidates and yet this people that is governing us wants to change the rightful candidate to theirs which i would say its in possible at this junction this is the truth that) all student knows that the real winner is (Advice) and he is with almost 3,000 votes and the candidate of fayose is in person of (Ajiro) he has nothing more than 1,100 votes the difference is clear all the student knows the winner so i think you people up their should stop this favouritism. Lastly i would say with no doubts and no regret Everybody knows when governor fayose was elected as the winner that they didnt swore him in as the governor of ekiti state but he swore him self in as the governor forcefully and people recognice that so if you people prove to be sturborn i would say history would repeat its self

I believe we should help our self in Ekiti state dont let people tell u what is not true believe their lies more than their own truth. In ekiti ere we should be mindful of the way the present govt do their things we see and ear the truth but. Because of the little things this people in the govt give us we sell the right of our vote i believe we should now face the reality of life we are seeing things for our self no salary payment still yet embezzling and luting our money saying. He wants us to have an overhead bridge. Have we asked our self why. People teacher, lecturals and others too are facing too much cause they work to earn money but this govt puts our people effort in vain and put their selfishness first. I. Believe ekiti state hasn't. Moved forward from were it is. But lets me tell you all in ekiti see the reality is this the kind of govt u want in ekiti the govt of the (pdp). I believe its time for us to make a right choice

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Ekiti state youth emerge EYE for APC