This headline is borne out of the realities experienced by our citizenry through the trajectory charted by thu Pillars of Governance. Cognizant of the Then, the Now & the Future.
Mahamat Gandhi – the legendary Indian leader is forever remembered for his great achievement of attaining independence for his country from Britain without violence. Today, we recall Gandhi’s great quote: “happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
In other words, people should ensure that what they think, say or do is governed by peace. Events have since confirmed that great leaders of the world who preach peace have always been applauded.
GOVERNOR FAYEMI – A TRUE DEMOCRAT.
The Bible says, “When the righteous reign, people rejoice”. The second coming of Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the governor of Ekiti State brought a lot of succour to the people of the state. One of the qualities of a very good democratic leader is being able to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people. Apart from such leader being able to give sympathetic consideration to good, participatory governance, he should be ready to make available via implementation of viable programmes that would directly touch the lives of citizens and this should play a very critical role in advancing the people and making them happy.
Despite the hues and cries about economic recession, low allocation from the Federation account, and poor unemployment rate amongst several other factors hampering the all-round development of the State, Dr. Fayemi, an ebullient and amiable personality is not at all allowing the situation to discourage him from turning the state to a mecca of Nigeria by making use of available resources to turn the fortune of the state around by bringing about the much needed development in the state. Various achievements recorded by the administration are indicative of its preparedness to take the state to its next level of development.
Hitherto, a 4-point development blue-print that was later developed to five was presented to the people by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, which hinges the smooth running of his administration on these developmental pillars. The pillars include Governance, Social Investments, Knowledge Economy, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Infrastructure and Industrial Development.
In Ekiti State, for instance, Agriculture, which remains the main occupation of the generality of the people, provides income and employment for more than 75% of the 2.3million population. Agriculture is an important sector of the economy with a high potential for employment generation, food security and poverty reduction. Since the inception of the administration, efforts have been made to implement its agricultural transformation agenda with the sole aim of lifting the teeming population out of poverty through development of the value chain that include production, processing and marketing of major crops, poultry, fishery and involvement of youths in agriculture to replace ageing farmers. The plan of government to focus on agriculture and rural development is a sure step to reposition the state toward making it the food basket of the nation consequent upon its rich farm lands.
While the administration earmarked various sums of money for land bank development, completed the College of Agriculture, Isan-Ekiti, cleared expanse of land, renovated farm settlements and other facilities located across the state, and purchased tractors and other farm implements. The government also went into partnership with both national and international Agencies within and outside Nigeria such as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The partnership enabled the State to participate in the implementation of the FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme (VCGP). Apart from this, the Executive Council approved the clearing of several hectares of agricultural land across the state. The clearance would prepare the ground for the participation of multilateral donors that are ready to develop the sector to an enviable position.
In its bid to nurture and grow the transformational value chain in agribusiness, counterpart funds relating to externally supported agricultural projects were paid up. Such funds included the #17.6million Nerica Rice Project and the Root and Tuber Expansion Programme (RTEP). Others included that of the National Programme on Food Security, FADAMA III Project, Cassava Cottage Industry at Odo-Oro, and production of Local Development plans on various needs of farmers groups.
Other achievements of the administration in the sector also include development of various irrigation schemes across the state, establishment and regeneration of cocoa plantations in cocoa producing areas, establishment of agro-chemicals, provision of Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) Loan, and standardization of Ero and Egbe dams.
The role of infrastructure and industry in economic development cannot be overstressed as this play a vital role in growth performance of any economy. These two ingredients remain germane in growth sustenance and poverty reduction. The low level infrastructural development experienced in the state is no doubt consequent upon non-provision of take-off grant for the state by the then Federal Military Government in 1996 when it was created and this has resulted into its industrial backwardness and economic slumber.
The Infrastructural and industrial development pillar of the restoration agenda of the Fayemi-led administration, which is emphatic on poverty reduction and revenue enhancement would revisit the commercial and technical viability of all abandoned projects and schemes sighted across the state with a view to reactivate them for the benefit of the good people of the state.
The importance of good road network in an agrarian state such as Ekiti cannot be over-emphasized as this would contribute immensely to its economic development that will eventually guarantee better life condition for farmers across the state. The prioritization of roads reconstruction and rehabilitation by Kayode Fayemi-led administration is definitely for economic reason.
The 13-km Aramoko-Erinjinyan-Ekiti road would promote the popular Ikogosi Warm Spring and Gossy Water industry sited in the area as both will increase the Internally Generated Revenue of the state. The 30-km Agbado-Omuo-Ekiti; 34.4km Oye-Isan-Ayede-Ikun-Ekiti, which would aid both the Ikun Dairy Farm and the new College of Agriculture and Commercial Technology located in the area, the 25.6km Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ekiti will make rice production very easy and make the transportation of the product of Ire Blocks industry to other parts of the country not difficult; and the new 7-km Ado-Iyin-Ekiti dual carriage road, apart from changing the lot of many Federal institutions in the area, would equally put a stop to avoidable loss of lives and properties being experienced at the dangerous Akonasan bend on the old Iyin road.
Shortage of office accommodation, particularly for civil servants across the State has been a challenge to the leadership of the State. This has hampered the efficiency of the state’s workforce. The administration has no doubt done a great work in this regard. The buildings at the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES), Ministry of Works and Transportation, and the two gigantic edifices at the Secretariat are some of the examples at the credit of the administration. The Civic Centre at Fajuyi, the ultra-modern Oja Oba market, the State Pavilion, administrative blocks and Lecture Theatres at the College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan-Ekiti are all projects commenced by this administration. All these road and infrastructural projects will surely help the economic emancipation of the state.
Social Investments’ pillar involves issues such as Labour and Productivity, Pension of Civil Servants, Health, and Women Empowerment. Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s commitment to the wellbeing of Ekiti people is legendary as he has demonstrated this in the various safety nets he initiated during the JKF1. The governor has reinforced this commitment by instituting some of these social impact programmes that would bring succour to the most vulnerable segments of the society. Through the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operation, the administration has organized several orientation programmes for several categories of the youth with the sole aim of creating job and employment opportunities for them. This will also reduce the spate of criminalities in the state.
One major thing that stands Fayemi out in governance is his passion for the elderly. Fayemi will always prioritize the prompt payment of gratuity and pension allowances of pensioners and this development has no doubt endeared him to workers of all categories across the state. The governor gave reason for this priority as wanting to ensure that those who had spent their productive years serving government should not pass through any form of agony and no wonder he raised the money being put to pay gratuity by the immediate past administration from #10million to #100million every month. This is quite commendable. This and several other achievements in this area have shown the sincerity of the Governor to the welfare of the people.
With all these and several other achievements of the administration, it has shown that God placed Kayode Fayemi in the saddle in Ekiti State for the benefit of its good people and he will definitely take the state to its next economic level.
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