On October 15, 2018, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi was sworn-in as the fourth democratically elected governor of Ekiti State, a mandate to pilot the administrative affairs of state for another four years. Since Fayemi’s assumption of office, the ugly narratives of governance had been changed as it is unarguable that the previous administration mindlessly bastardised and balkanised the core values that Ekiti is known for. Governor Fayemi must have had in mind when he posited that his government will restore Ekiti’s values, and this he has effulgently done to a commendable extent as it is evident in the way and manner in which he is aggressively retooling the administrative incongruity that he inherited.
Fayemi as an academic scholar gave an executive order abolishing education levies imposed by Fayose. Technical education received a boost by receiving $3m from the World Bank under the IDEAS Scheme for the three technical colleges in the senatorial districts i.e through the foreign development agency. The long abandoned Ekiti State College of Medicine became full-fledged by the accreditation of the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council. He gave scholarship to Ekiti indigenes in Law School. He restored free education programs in primary and secondary public schools, and paid a total sum of 250 million naira for WAEC fees for SS3 students in Ekiti in 2019, and this was again replicated in 2020. He has continued to give 200 million naira loan facility to Ekiti State teachers, as he gives a monthly contribution of 100 million naira to Ekiti State pensioners.
Fayemi’s administration has not only made special intervention efforts in the state comatose education system but ensured that 2000 units of twin chairs and lockers; 550 students laptops to aid e-learning; 8120 units of pupils’ desks and benches; 3978 units of teachers tables and chairs; 2982 units of students lockers and chairs; 250 cartons of 60 leaves exercise textbooks; 1100 set of drawing boards and t-square packets of blue biro; 2000 cartons of white chalk; 9600 pieces of pupils attendance register; 9600 pieces of teachers Class Diary; 1808 pieces of Teachers’ Time Table; 30000 pieces of Library Resource Materials for primary schools; 30000 pieces of Library Resource Materials(mixed) for Junior Secondary Schools; 12000 pieces of different of charts for Junior Secondary Schools have been delivered and distributed.
The government has also procured about 100 units of HP desktop computers for public schools(All-in-one) with e-learning software; antivirus(S-user); Wi-Fi; panel racks; computer tables/chairs; inverter (Skyrock luminous) 3.5kva; (Skyrock 200ah-12v) and solar panel(24v/150watts)/ generator(Fireman Eco 10990ES7kva; 220 units of plastic round table and chairs; 5 units of Merry-go-round for physical education; 600 units of building blocks; 300 units of counting cards/bgas; 550 units of Oxford mathematical sets; 3300 units of counting phonics book 1&11; 1800 units of Jolly Phonics Teachers Guide; 1500 units of anti-corruption materials; 1500 of Integrity Codes; 1500 units of Integrity Made Easy; 100 units of mathematical teaching kits for Junior Secondary Schools, and 60 units of Science and Laboratory Equipment for Junior Secondary Schools have been delivered and distributed.
Hon. Engr. Bamidele Faparusi midals touch has changed the narrative of the derelict state of social amenities as the ministry supervises the 251 kilometre Third Urban Water project in Ado-Ekiti; the ministry has taken the delivery of 1.4billion naira of pumps and machines at Ero Dam; 300 million naira delivery of pumps and machines at Egbe Dam in Gboyin Local government; three major water works have been rehabilitated; small water schemes carried out at Erijiyan-Ekiti, Ipole-lloro, Oke-Imesi- Ekiti, and ldo-lle.
The ministry through the World Health Organisation has launched Open Defecation Free campaign with a target of about 140 communities as beneficiaries. On power supply, the ministry sometimes ago signed an MoU with Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, so as to improve on the capricious power supply in the State, and efforts are actively on to build Transmission Lines and Substations which are to be built in Ijesa-Isu and Itapaji, respectively. MoU had also been signed with some power developers. Power supply had been restored to Ikogosi, Erijiyan, and Ipole-lloro as they have been reconnected to the national grid after four years of protracted darkness. On the internet penetration, IPNS is in partnership with the state government as other industrial players are involved in the digitalisation of the State economy.
And if the fiscal recklessness of Fayose’s government is anything to go by, the present government in the State should be handicapped in terms of infrastructure and development because the State was heartlessly pillaged beyond measure. Not minding all of these, the governor rolled up his sleeves and invoked on his administrative ingenuity to right the wrongs and damage done by Fayose. Today, Ekiti is lucky to have governor Fayemi at a time when the State was administratively haemorrhaging and asphyxiating profusely, and Ekiti got two when they actually bargained for one just as the governor’s wife keeps succor to the downtrodden, raped, have-nots, aged, hospitalised, homeless, orphans, disabled, and abandoned. With a co-pilot like Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Ekiti is blessed to have the duo at this material time when despondency engulfed the administrative stratosphere of the State.
Politically, there is an urgent need for Governor Fayemi to mend fences with the displeased and short changed, and the recent political appointments done in the State went far in pacifying various individuals who felt sidelined. The governor should also bear in mind that a particular senatorial district had been marginalised in producing governor, and this should be keenly considered in his succession plan because there is no success without successor.
In Nigeria today, Fayemi’s influence cuts across party, region, and ethnic lines as his toweringly indestructible profile keeps soaring like eagle, and this necessitates his need for national future assignment. And a cursory peep into his profile will validate his competency for the number of office in Nigeria. Fayemi as an activist was the founding Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, CCD; he served as an Adviser on Transitional Justice, Regional Integration, Constitutionalism, Security Sector Reforms, and Civil-Military Relations to various governments, multilateral institutions and development agencies.
As an erudite scholar he has lectured in Africa, Europe, America, and Asia; he holds degrees in History and International Relations, and a PhD in War Studies from King’s College, University of London, UK. He is a fellow of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan. His research and policy development interest include Democratisation, Constitutionalism, Security Sector, Governance, Civil-Military Relations, and Regionalism in the Global Context; Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI); governor of Ekiti between 2010-2014 and chaired the APC National Convention Planning Committee in 2014, which was adjudged to be the most transparent in Africa.
– Ipoola is a public affairs commentator
