NIGERIA POLITICS: BETWEEN FAYEMI AND
FAYOSE
The build up to the race for whom to occupy the Ekiti
State Government House, come June 21, 2014, is drawing very near, and the
battle between the titans is already on top gear.
The state has been
greeted with incessant cases of violence between supporters of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The incumbent
governor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, assumed office on Saturday October 16, 2010,
and has been given the party’s ticket to run for a second term in office. Governor
Kayode Fayemi succeeded Engr. Segun Oni, after fighting a legal battle for 42
months to reclaim his mandate in a court injunction on October 15, 2010, at the
Court of Appeal, Ilorin, Kwara state.
On assumption of
office, Governor Kayode Fayemi outlined an 8-point agenda as the road map to
the development of Ekiti state:
·
Education and human capital development
·
Good governance
·
Health care services
·
Infrastructural development
·
Modernized agriculture
·
Tourism development
·
Industrial development
·
Gender equality and women empowerment
According to his
admirers, Governor Kayode Fayemi has touched the lives of the Ekiti people in
so many ways. Presently, all the 183 schools in the state have been renovated,
2,820 youths have benefitted from the Youth Commercial Agriculture; teachers
and students have laptop computers distributed to them.
There has been
construction of roads spanning hundreds of kilometers within the state. The Ikogosi
Warm spring has been made a sought-out-for
to tourists. The elderly in the state receive a monthly stipend of #5000.00
each; little wonder he is referred to as oko
awon arugbo (meaning old women’s husband)
No doubt, Kayode
Fayemi has laudable achievements credited to him; hence, his return to the
government house will be accepted by all and sundry.
His critics say the
education policy of merging the three universities of the state into one was
wrong of the government of the day. This they say would inhibit students from
gaining admission into any of the institutions of higher learning in the state,
thus, resulting in thuggery and other forms of social vices to those who do not
gain admission. This would also affect the allocation of funds by the Federal
government on education through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)
Former governor Dr.
Peter Ayodele Fayose, who is also the flag bearer for the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP in the June 21 election, is poised to gaining the people’s mandate.
Fayose assumed
office on May 29, 2003, succeeding Niyi Adebayo. In his own little way while in
office, Fayose touched the lives of the poor in many ways through the mobile
clinics, distribution of potable water in tankers which reduced typhoid occurrence
in the state. His admirers in no doubt say he understands the plight of the
common people.
Fayose also has
laudable achievements credited to him while in office which include construction
of classrooms and administrative blocks for the state’s school of health technology,
Ijero; lecture theatres for the then College of Education, Ikere Ekiti;
construction of roads in the state capital as well as the purchase of
agricultural equipment to boost agricultural production.
No doubt, these two
personalities have touched the lives of the Ekiti indigenes in so many ways. Following
the impeachment process by the state House of Assembly, Fayose and his deputy
Abiodun Olujimi were ousted from office on September 26, 2006 due to gross
misconduct. With this, President Olusegun Obasanjo declared emergency rule in
the state, thus, Fayose, his deputy and the State House of Assembly were
suspended.
Brigadier General (rtd)
Adetunji Olurin was made the administrator of the state between October 19,
2006 and April 27, 2007.
Although, the PDP
won the state from the then AD, but the founding fathers of the AD (CAN turned
APC) were able to cling to power again.
As the battle
between the titans draws near, the godfathers have prepared their candidates at
the shrine, with a view to defeating
the opponent at the polls.
Who will the gods anoint?
TAGS: APC, PDP, Ekiti
State, Fayemi, Fayose