GOVERNOR FAYEMI OF LESS THAN 40 MONTHS AND HISTORY. By Adebayo Segun.
“Good governance depends on ability to take responsibility by both administration as well as people. …”
The purpose of this independent opinion is not to ignite public debate nor to criticise but to take holistic view of the administration and possible legacy to behove us in less than forty months from today and making suggestions on the need for the present administration to among other reasons to as matter of urgency:
(i) constitute high power economic and investment advisory Committee team
(ii) need to establish a fifty (50) years economic and investment roadmap for Ekiti to gradually take the State out of one of the poorest to one of the vibrant and economic self sustained
(iii) need for constitution of Ekiti Advisory Governance Council etc.
The coming on board of His Excellency, Dr. Fayemi as the Executive Governor of Ekiti and the timing has been a blessing to our dear State. Within his limited time as the governor, a lot of changes has happened to our psyche especially with his renewed efforts to restore our much eroded core values under the last administration which concentrated on stomach infrastructure as their core pursuit agenda.
According to National Bureau of Statistics, Ekiti of about three million population ranked among the highest incidence of poverty as at 2018 and has about 28% unemployment rate. Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Ekiti contributed less than 18% to the total revenue of the State while monthly allocation and other supports like budget supports, foreign aid, loans etc take larger part of available funds for development resultant of which is the infrastructure deficit gap and lack of adequate industrial economic activities to shore up the internally generated revenue to meet up with her demands and this has been a major challenge to each successive past administrations that must be critically looked at if the present administration is ready to make everlasting impact in the State.
Agriculture is the main occupation of our people in Ekiti which provides income and employment for more than 75% of the population. The State is also a civil service State which received one of the lowest allocations from the Federal Government in the country, yet requires about 3b monthly to service the about 30000 civil servants.
To take Ekiti out of economic and financial circle of doldrums, a pragmatic insightful and futuristic approach must be taken. The long time plan for economic, political and social emancipation of the State must be considered with an iron cast structure in sustaining compliance by each successive administrations irrespective of their political affiliations.
In doing the above, setting up of an economic and investment advisory committee to identify in a long term of minimum of fifty (50 years) economic roadmap leading to making Ekiti one of the best not the poor is imperative.
- ECONOMIC AND INVESTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
This high power professionals from different relevant fields of life will be able to identify in the areas of agriculture, Mineral Resources exploration, Tourism, Education, Commerce and Industry, Oil & Gas, Power, Infrastructures, Human Capital Development etc and advise the areas of comparative advantages suitable for the State to which we can concentrate and maximize the gradual process of taking the State out of one of the poorest.
This Committee will among other things also draw out an implementable timeline broken down to 4years, 8 years, 12 years, 16years etc within the fifty years plan on the gradual implementation of the roadmap.
- EKITI GOVERNORS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Development has often eluded our dear State like others due to inconsistency in the follow of on developmental projects by each succeeding administrations primarily due to lack of advisory backbone to keep each incoming government of an existing long term development roadmap.
Constitution of respectable people of ‘timber and calibre’ people of impeccable characters who can leave above sentiment and pettiness of political affiliation comprising all the former indigenous governors of the State, their deputies, respected first class traditional rulers representing each of the three Senatorial Districts, Retired Chief Judges, respectable and reputable captains of industries from the State etc
The primary objective of the Committee which is in advisory in nature is to constantly monitor, update and remind each successive administrations of the long term economic roadmap of taking Ekiti to one of the best economically self sustainable within a certain targeted period.
The opportunities for infinite possibility to achieve the objectives exist no matter what age we are, with the less than forty (40) months left of the administration of Dr. Fayemi, the present administration is at liberty to lay a solid foundation for the economic freedom of our dear State by writing his name in gold in the hearts of the present and coming generations by laying a last longing solid foundation for the pragmatic economic emancipation of our dear State by the setting up of the above two committees.
Ekiti is destined to be great, and it shall be great.