Is Fayemi walking the talk in Ekiti?

KUNLE ODEREMI examines steady efforts at opening up Ekiti State for transformation by the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi in the face of harsh socio-economic realities prevalent across the country.

PENETRATING the skyline of Ibadan is the imposing 25-storey Cocoa House completed in 1965. Previously called Farmers’ House, the amazing structure is among the enduring and timeless legacies of the first generation of politicians that managed the resources of Yoruba land in the First Republic.

Another timeless monument of that nostalgic period is the Government Secretariat Complex in Agodi, also in the Oyo State capital which, till date, remains the footprint of a resourceful, purpose and visionary leadership. Similar great strides of that era cut across public utilities and infrastructure designed to unlock the potentials of the citizens, but which, sadly, have suffered a reckless abandonment in the hands of successive leaders.

In Ekiti, the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is upbeat in his determination to bequeath legacy projects. Recently, he unveiled many of such timeless ones as he celebrated his ‘steady strides’ in impacting lives positively in the last two years of his second coming as the state chief executive. These monuments include the Phase 5 of the state secretariat; asphalt plant; dairy farm, water works/projects, model colleges, roads and modernhealth facilities across the three senatorial districts of Ekiti.

It is recalled that the main opposition PDP had described the administration in its first year in office as a “colossal failure with no visible achievement to showcase.” But the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) quickly pooh-poohed the PDP allegations, describing them as a concocted falsehood and monumental conjectures, assuring that Fayemi would not be distracted by the ranting of paranoid people with appetite for  bare-faced lies.

Somehow, that ennobling era of solid infrastructural outlay and erecting structures that can standing the test of time is steadily on course in Ekiti. The effort is not only about continuity in governance and programmes of his predecessor, but it is also about propagating the culture of discipline in the deployment of scarce public resources. In the trajectory of the defunct Western Region, the administration of Governor Fayemi is focused on real and concrete infrastructure, which he used the occasion of his second year in office to showcase in the quest to make Ekitithe veritable model in transformation, infrastructure and development. A few examples will suffice.

Located on an expansive land in the heart of the state capital, Ado Ekiti is the ultra-modern market that comprises lockup shops and open stores, all designed to rev the engine of economic growth and unleash the immense business opportunities of the largely civil service cum agrarian state also famous for academics.

Popularly referred to as Oja Oba or Erekesan, the market is meant to serve as the major catalyst to buoy the economy of the business district and beyond, given its modern facilities, including 234 open shops, 738 lock-up shops, two restaurants, two banking halls, two warehouses, police post,  clinic and an expansive parking lot, aside giving the landscape an enhanced aesthetic value, An elated Governor Fayemi described the market as “befitting the state capital,” adding that it was part of the fulfilment of his administration’s Urban Renewal policy started during his first term in office. His administration, he said, had replicated the market projects in every local government headquarters in the state to make commerce conducive for buyers and sellers and boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). He added: “This project was conceived to make trading conducive, I expect our traders who display their wares on the road to move in to decongest our road. I enjoin market women to make use of this market and plans are afoot to engage professional facility managers to maintain this market.

For the Ewi, Oba Adejugbe, the market was a legacy for his kingdom and thanked the governor for keeping his promise to complete it. Waxing philosophical, the monarch stated: “Man proposes but God disposes. I want to thank you (Governor Fayemi) especially for the pronouncement that there will no abandoned project in Ekiti State again. This is wonderful; no government can complete all projects whatever party that is in power because when projects are completed, Ekiti people will benefit from them.” The Iyaloja of Ado Ekiti who is also the president of Market Women Association, Chief Waye Oso, was equally said the governor rekindled the joy of traders for giving them a befitting place to showcase their goods and transact business.

The governor, who also inaugurated two of the newly built model colleges, said the schools were initiated to decongest public schools in the state capital and to open up new settlements to economic and Infrastructural development. DrFayemi, elucidated that the schools named after the distinguished sons of the state: the late Senator Ayo Fasanmi; renowned historian,  Professor  BanjiAkintoye;  Professor David Oke and Chief DejiFasuan, were part of the multifaceted efforts put in place to achieve a pupil-friendly environment that would encourage school-age children. He disclosed other pragmatic steps taking by his government to boost education and buoy confidence in the players include payment of all outstanding counterpart funds running into N7 billion to Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC) from 2015 to 2019,  provision of instructional materials to schools, payment of regular running grants to all public primary and secondary schools; massive reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure and construction of new buildings and the provision of conducive teaching and learning environment. DrFayemi said: “It gladdens my heart and I am fulfilled that in Ekiti State, our administration has never hidden its plans to make public schools attractive.  With this, we now have public schools that can compete favourably with the best in the country, and indeed, our new model colleges are the ones to beat around here. All these are in fulfilment of our promise to provide functional and qualitative education in Ekiti State.” The eldest son of the late Ayo Fasanmi, Justice Obafemi Fasanmi, in an emotion-laden speech expressed gratitude to the governor for naming the school after his father, describing the action as a great honour.

Another major stride by the government in its path of walking the talk mantra is the establishment of an asphalt processing plant. Procured to improve infrastructural outlay of the state, the plant will enable the government embark on more frequent road maintenance and improve development across Ekiti. The 20-tonne per hour plant will enable the state Public Works Corporation (PWC) repair some of the failed portions of Ado Ekiti township roads and other critical arteries in the state, and with time, the government said, it would expand the plant to a 100-tonne asphalt plant to supply contractors handling various road projects in Ekiti  and contractors in neighbouring states. According to Governor Fayemi, the government will no longer contract out all road maintenance works as the Public Work Corporation (PWC) is now better equipped to carry out road maintenance as it is currently rehabilitating township roads and fixing drains in the capital city. Decrying the failure of his predecessor to deploy the equipment when he left office in 2014, the governor said the situation led to the loss of some crucial parts of the machinery, which his administration had just procured. He noted: “The brand new equipment was just parked at the old Direct Labour Office even some of the items got lost. We were even lucky to retrieve the remaining equipment after four years of abandonment. Now we came back and we contacted the original equipment manufacturer and procured the items that got lost and now get it back to use.” Fayemiannounced his plan to construct ring roads totaling about 111km to serve as exit alternative roads for Ado Ekiti, which he described as a growing urban city. The ring roads, according to him, will link the proposed rail project, the knowledge city and the airport. He also gave indications that the state government would revisit Omisanjana-Ajebamidele road which was abandoned midway as soon as state resources improve.

Instructively, the second coming of Governor Fayemi has enabled him to stick to his vision and mission encapsulated in some of his projects and programmesthat were abandoned by the last administration. That goal informed the re-launching of the social security scheme for the elderly, also known as OwoArugbo, which evokes passion among the citizenry, particularly the elderly people. Under the scheme introduced in 2011, about 20,000 elderly were paid N5, 000 monthly. At the re-launching of the scheme, the governor said: “It was the first of its kind in sub-Sahara Africa. It attracted criticisms and commendations alike. I am glad that many, including the Federal Government, have taken a cue from us in the realisation that social security for the vulnerable segment of our population is the way to go. It is on the premise to cater for our people that made social investments to be one of our five-point agenda. To expand and make the scheme better than it was during the first term, we are now in partnership with the World Bank in carrying out this laudable programme. This partnership dated back to our first term in office, when we commenced the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO). Through YESSO, a single register of poor and vulnerable households was created from a survey of communities across the 16 local councils, using internationally accepted standards of poverty indices.”

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