The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fayemi

  • APC leaders give Fayemi N7.5m to buy forms

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Ekiti Southwest Local Government of Ekiti State have bought governorship nomination and expression of interest forms for Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    They surprised the ex-governor with the gesture in Ilawe-Ekiti, the headquarters of the council, during a meeting with delegates, where he sought their support ahead of the May 5 primaries.

    Led by the party Chairman for Ekiti Southwest Ward 2, Ilawe-Ekiti, Mr. Augustine Akingbade, the leaders presented Fayemi with a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) cheque of N7.5 million to buy the forms.

    They said the gesture was their contribution to Fayemi’s resolve to rescue Ekiti from what they called “bad governance” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.

    Fayemi, who was moved by their action, expressed appreciation to the leaders and promised to justify the confidence reposed in him.

    An APC governorship aspirant is expected to pay N5.5 million for nomination and expression of interest forms to the purse of the national secretariat and another N2.5 million to the state chapter as party development fund.

    All is set for Fayemi’s declaration at the state APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti tomorrow.

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi declares tomorrow

    •Writes APC leaders, monarchs

    Ex-Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has notified the national and state leadership of All Progressives Party (APC), elders of the party, prominent citizens and monarchs of his intention to run for the July 14 governorship election.

    Dr. Fayemi, the minister of Mines and Steel Development, in a letter he signed, said his public declaration for the poll would come up at a rally in Ado-Ekiti tomorrow.

    He addressed the letter to the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, traditional rulers in Ekiti State, his colleagues in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), former and serving governors elected on APC platform, as well as prominent sons and daughters of Ekiti.

    Fayemi, on April 2, hinted of his plan to run for the primaries at the quarterly meeting of Ekiti APC leaders at his Isan Ekiti country home.

    Ahead of tomorrow’s declaration, the minister had undertaken a tour of the 16 local governments where he met council and ward executives, as well as party elders.

    The tour, which kicked off on Monday in Efon Local Government, ended in Oye Council yesterday.

    Fayemi said in the letter that his decision to contest the primary election was informed by the need to join other patriots to rescue the state from the grips of insensitive and incompetent PDP administration, which had plunged the state and its people into misery and poverty.

    Said he: “My mission in public life, which has always centred on transforming the material conditions of our people, has always revolved round these three imperatives – breaking the yoke of ignorance that keeps our people down; liberating them from ill-health and other limitations that restrain them from achieving their potentials; and breaking the stranglehold of poverty, which keeps people from living full creative lives.

    “In practical and policy terms, this for me has always meant prioritising social investments in education, health care and other social interventions that reduce the cost of living, while raising the quality of life.

    “Public office is too serious to be left to charlatans. When men and women of good conscience, committed to the ideals of social justice and the common good, turn away from politics, we pave the way for unprincipled opportunists to take power.

    “My convictions about how much more is possible in Ekiti stem not from any sense of entitlement, but from a sense of service, of obligation and from my belief that posterity has positioned us for such a time as this.

    “There is much we have to repair and redress in Ekiti before we can go forward.”

    The minister’s central message at the meetings dwelled on the need for APC members to unite, in order to defeat PDP on July 14.

  • Why Fayemi should not run

    The first duty of a man is to think for himself” -José Martí

    In his classic, A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches, Martin Luther King Jr. writes: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

    The above buttresses the points I am going to make here regarding the controversies surrounding whether or not John Kayode Fayemi, immediate past governor of Ekiti State and currently the Minister of Solid Minerals, should throw himself into the ring to vie for the governorship slot in the coming election in the state.

    I have never doubted the quality and competency of Fayemi to govern Ekiti State again and again.  I write as someone who admires Fayemi and thinks he has had a distinguished career in the Nigerian politics. He was certainly my choice in 2011. I also believe he has done an excellent job.

    But I have been particularly concerned about the timing. I see Fayemi as deeply soaked in hostilities this time around and a lot of arrows darted towards him and his ambition to govern Ekiti again. And I see Fayemi as too suave and too strategic but too naïve to face the attack. I therefore strongly wish he doesn’t swim against the tide this time.

    With disquieting attention, I have read a lot of pro-Fayemi declaration articles, luring him to declare and run for the election. While the intention here is not to dwell on the combative nature of those articles, I must confess however, that they all lack the required conviction. I find all of them to be of the cuff.

    Running for office for the right reasons is critical, not only to gain support but also to win.  The questions agitating the minds of some of us include, but not limited to the following: what other factor can be pushing Fayemi to run other than to finish what he called an Unfinished Business? Why can’t he pull up one of the people he had mentored and back him/her up with all the resources at his disposal? What is he finding so attractive in the state pilloried by Fayose that he is ready to spend all his life savings to want to return to the seat? How will he take a defeat at the primaries? Will he still remain a party leader? How will he take another defeat by Fayose at the election proper? What will he be doing differently should he eventually get there?

    We now live in an extraordinary moment for democratic government, where confidence in the honesty of political leaders is seemingly at an all-time low. By announcing that he will declare for a second term in the coming election, Fayemi has reduced his status from that of a leader of the party in Ekiti to that of an aspirant, like others. And he should not think he would be accorded the same respect he was being accorded years ago or would have been accorded if he had not thrown himself into the ring.

    Fact of the matter is that revenge against the incumbent, because “he did something to me so I’m going to beat him” is not a good reason to begin running for office. Revenge is a horrible reason to run, no matter how bad the opponent is. Make sure there are other motivations that drive you. And this, we haven’t seen in the Fayemi’s renewed ambition. He should also not run because he thinks he can win, having, in his words, installed all the excos there from the ward to the state level. It is important that he should have a chance of success and carry all of us along ab initio. But having to run because he thinks he has an upper hand to force-feed everyone to win is an invitation to failure.

    Fayemi should realise that 2018 is not 2011. Then, he was a dyed-in-the-wool Tinubu protégé. Today, he has fallen out of favour with Tinubu, while Tinubu has suddenly renewed his political strength. Or can anyone tell us when Fayemi last attended any of Tinubu’s functions? During his days as a governor, Fayemi would play a key role in organising the Bola Tinubu colloquium, which friends and loyalists of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) put together annually. But not in the last two years. He has been consistently absent at every of Tinubu’s events.

    Whether or not that presents a problem is a different matter. The obligations of being a Tinubu friend or loyalist are not comparable to being a governor of Ekiti State after a rough rider like Fayose in terms of the demands placed on the office holder. There is no reason to think that someone not backed by a Tinubu or any of the party leaders in the Southwest could not carry out the duties required of them. But this matters a lot in determining who flies the flag of the progressives. Be it now or in the time of Awo, it is held that if you are too big to follow, then you are too small to lead. Loyalty matters a lot.

    Of course, one does not need to be a legal expert to see that a Fayemi candidacy will cause a great sore and it will attract a lot of legal maggots towards APC. So, why must we take this risky path that will greatly bruise the party and reduce its potency towards the July 15 governorship election? We will then be left with little or no room, should a speedy trial be allowed and Fayemi fails to convince the court as to why he wilfully disregarded the law passed by the lawmakers during his time as a governor. I am not also sure that the angst of the people, for no apparent reason, has subsided against Fayemi.

    And do we still have the same strength to cross all the legal hurdles we crossed between 2011 and 2014, at a highly prohibitive cost? Then we were the complainant, now we are likely to be the defendant. After three and a half years fighting through the legal system, the appeal court sitting in Kwara State eventually on October 15, 2010 declared Fayemi the duly elected governor of Ekiti State, marking the end of Olusegun Oni’s administration as the then governor of the state. Has the camp of Oni forgotten this?

    From the national level, is the party any ready to back us up to fight a war of blame, where we will be pelted with mudsling and our white and transparent clothes become soiled? Why should it be Ekiti again? Who is going to commit his resources this time around? Where are those strong warriors who fought side-by-side Fayemi in the trench for the three and a half years? Is the former governor and solid minerals minister’s ambition that vital to our success at the polls to want to lose another set of arms and limbs?

    Dipe, journalist and political analyst, writes from Ado Ekiti.

     

  • Fayemi set to change game in Ekiti

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is set to join the governorship race in Ekiti State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that his entry into the race may alter previous calculations by other aspirants.

    The waiting game has ended. The suspense is over.

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development and former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is set to join the governorship race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He told reporters in his Isan-Ekiti country home that he was throwing his hat into the governorship ring. But, he said he would declare his intention at a later date.

    The minister had earlier hosted the quarterly meeting of APC stakeholders at his Eyiyato residence. The meeting was attended by party officers from wards, local governments, senatorial districts and the state. He hosted them in his capacity as the state party leader.

    The Easter meeting was strategic. It was full of drama. Party members  attested to the fact that Fayemi “spoke like a real politician for the first time” by chanting some political slangs and sending a warning signal to Governor Ayo Fayose and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) about his rediness to bounce back.

    The way and manner Fayemi spoke made the crowd to request him to declare his ambition. But, the minister, who did not want run foul of the law, only gave a hint.  He said he will wait until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blows the whistle.

    Fayemi said he will defeat Fayose and his preferred candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    He warned Fayose not to attempt to remove or destroy his campaign posters and billboards as he is doing to other opposition contenders.

    But, asked to make a ctegorical statement, Fayemi said he will first visit the party secretariat when the  umpire lifts ban on open campaign.

    Fayemi explained that the pangs of poverty, frustrations and misery of Ekiti people, and not his personal ambition, have motivated him to join the race.

    Whether Fayemi would run or not has become a big issue for long. Party members, ostensibly promoting the ambition of other aspirants, accuse him of “selfishness,” saying that it was morally wrong for him to seek the governor’s seat again.  They said Fayemi should “stay in Abuja” and allow the emergence of a new face as the flag bearer.

    But, others see nothing wrong in Fayemi’s ambition. They are of the opinion that he has the constitutional right to contest, having done one term, which ended in 2014.

    The second school of thought believes that “there is no morality in politics” and that every aspirant who shows interest should be allowed to  test his popularity on the field and woo delegates at the primary.

    Fayemi told reporters: “Do you need a rocket scientist to tell you that I am running? I was very clear that I am a process person. I am not going to jump the gun because there are rules and guidelines for electioneering.

    “The body that is responsible for that has stated the obvious when you can actually start campaign. The fact that people are actually flouting the guidelines is a fault of INEC and INEC is not taking them up on it.

    “That is my own attitude to it and at appropriate time, I will tell my party because this is purely a party matter. It is not a public matter yet.

    “So, I don’t really understand the level of curiosity; whether I am running or I am not running. I am very clear that what we have in this state today is not what this state deserves.

    “I have always been very clear that whatever it takes constitutionally, legally and legitimately to put our party in office in October 2018, we will do as a party.

    “I have also gone ahead to say this meeting is our usual gathering; it is not a place to declare the intention to run, but as to whether I am running or not, I am running.

    “That is not debatable. But, I am a process person, I am not going to flout the law. You will know, you will all be invited when I decide to formally declare within the ambit of the guideline issued by INEC.”

    Also reacting to the allegations that he would not get the votes of Ekiti workers, especially teachers, because he had dealt with them in his first term, the debt profile of Ekiti and the abandoned projects.

    Fayemi said: “I dealt with teachers very well and they never experienced the kind of positive support from any government as they did when I was in office.

    “For the first time in the state, teachers had their salaries raised three times within the period of three years. And for the very first time in the whole of Southwest, Ekiti teachers benefited, and I hope they are still benefiting, from a rural teachers’  allowance, which is twenty five percent of their salary.

    “They also benefited from core subject allowance, which is another 25 per cent of their salaries. So,  50 percent of their basic salaries come to them as allowances, if you are teaching a core subjects teacher like English, Mathematics and Integrated Science or if you are serving in a place like Isan-Ekiti, which by our definition is rural area, you get an additional stipend because you are not in the city.”

    Reacting to the White Paper issued by the Fayose government, which  banned him from holding public office for 10 years, Fayemi said the said White Paper cannot stop his ambition, describing the document as the final result of months of political witch-hunting by the Ayo Fayose administration that cannot stand the test of time.

    “Regardless of whatever anybody may think, I know I am eminently qualified to contest the election. If I am not qualified, I would never have come to tell you I want to contest

    “Most of the negative things Fayose and his government said or alleged of me were deliberately concocted out of malice to either malign my character or score cheap political goal but the truth will always prevail.

    “Same goes for the manipulated debt profile of the state which was a clear case of exaggeration and distortions

    “Can you imagine, Fayose said he issued White Paper banning me from holding public office, but today, I am giving him red card. By the end of the gubernatorial poll, we will know who is right between the two of us.”

    Fayemi expressed gratitude to party leaders, led by the APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, for their sacrifice in keeping the party together.

    He said the quarterly meeting was not an avenue to declare governorship ambition but to rejoice together in the spirit of Easter and deliberate on ways to move the party forward.

    Fayemi called for unity among party members to ensure victory at the poll. He appealed to those he may have wronged in the past to forgive him, adding that he has forgiven those who offended him.

    He said: “We have been holding this quarterly meeting, this is not the first time but this meeting is different. The reason why it is different is that we are celebrating Easter and the last one we held was during Christmas.

    “This is Easter. Ekiti is about to resurrect; peace, jobs, food and other good things are coming back to Ekiti.

    “When we called this meeting, some has been insinuating that it will be used for declaration of ambition. I am a party leader, I am a party leader and I don’t violate party rules and it is not out of fear.

    “If Fayemi says he is ready to do something, he will not do it secretly. I will come to the party secretariat, I will come there and tell our leaders elected to run the affairs of the party.

    “INEC has just released election notice. They said public campaign begins in Ekiti State on April 14. Let us wait till then, whether we are sure of ourselves or not, we will know then.

    “I am a member of the government. I will not violate the constitution. I will not violate the Electoral Act. I follow due process. When the time comes, I will enlist your support.”

    Fayemi added: “The most important task for us is to regain our rights that were wrongfully taken away from us.

    By the grace of God, all those LCDAs are coming back and all of you will go back to represent your people.

    “We created EKSTMA, Peace Corps, Social Security stipends for the aged, youths in commercial agriculture, youth volunteer scheme, we constructed roads, markets, hospitals, palaces, town halls and we paid bursaries. Where are all these again?

    “The money coming to Ekiti now is double of what we received when we were in government and there is nothing to justify what the present government is receiving.

    “They are using thugs to intimidate our people and somebody said yesterday that he has a White Paper but I have a Red Card. We will know which is more potent between a White Paper and a Red Card.

    “For our red card to be effective, we must be disciplined; some of us talk as if they are spies in our party to allow these impostors in government to wreak more havoc.

    “There is nobody that has been privileged to head a government that will not offend people. I have learnt my lessons since I left. Those that I offended, I beg you to forgive me and those that offended me, I have forgiven you.

    “Whoever that our party elects as candidate,we should all support him because we must take that Okebareke (Government House) back. The most important task to me and true progressives is that we must take over government in Ekiti.

    “Party members desist from abusing themselves, whoever you support, you are free to advertise your candidate. Don’t run down other aspirants; tell others what your candidate will do for the people,

    their children, youth and others.

    “Ekiti election will not be won on Twitter, WhatsApp or Facebook, it will be won at the polling units, election will not be won on the social media because the election oracle (Ifa) is at the polling units.

    “When the primary comes up on May 5, Chief Oyegun swore to us that there will be no rigging at the Ekiti APC primary and it will be peaceful, transparent, open, free and fair.

    “You saw the Lagos APC presidential primary that I presided over which brought President Buhari to power. After the Ekiti primary, whoever emerges will be candidate.

    “Spread the gospel that this is what they said at Isan. Your PVC in one hand, your Red Card in the other hand. We don’t warn our primary to be crisis-ridden, we are ready to support the winner.”

    The entry of Fayemi into the race  is expected to change the complexion of the battle for the party’s ticket.

    Fayemi has advantage of being a serving minister and a friend to many of the APC governors. But, other aspirants are expected to give him a run for his money. The element of surprise cannot be ruled out in a shadow poll.

    He is expected to slug it out with his predecessor, Chief Segun Oni; former Deputy Senate Chief Whip Gbenga Aluko; Presidential Adviser on Political Matters Senator Babafemi Ojudu; former House of Representatives members Hon. Bimbo Daramola, Bamidele Faparusi and Opeyemi Bamidele; Dr. Wole Oluleye, Chief Diran Adesua, Hon. Femi Bamisile, Ishola Fapounda, Yinka Akerele, Muyiwa Olumilua, and Mr. Kola Alabi.

    The leaders of the APC have a tough assignment on their hands to ensure a free and fair shadow poll and prevent a post-primary crisis.

     

  • I will run for governor, says Fayemi

    •To declare when INEC lifts ban on campaign

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has finally broken his silence on his perceived governorship ambition.

    He said he would run for Ekiti State No.1 seat, but would visit the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to declare his ambition from April 14.

    Fayemi said the declaration will be made once Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifts ban on campaign.

    The minister, who was in office between October 2010 and October 2014, said interest in the race was not debatable, but he won’t flout the law by declaring his intent when INEC was yet to lift ban on campaign.

    The ex-governor, who addressed a briefing on his ambition at his Isan-Ekiti country home yesterday, said everything constitutionally, legally and legitimately possible would be done to ensure an APC victory at the poll.

    He said: “Do you need a rocket scientist to tell you that I am running? I was very clear that I am a process person, I am not going to jump the gun because there are rules and guidelines for electioneering.

    “The body responsible for that has stated the obvious when people can start campaign. The fact that people are  flouting the guidelines is a fault of INEC and the electoral body is not taking them up on it.

    “That is my own attitude to it and at the appropriate time, I will tell my party because this is purely a party matter, it is not a public matter yet.

    “So, I don’t really understand the level of curiosity whether I am running or I am not running. I am very clear that what we have in this state today is not what this state deserves.

    “I have always been very clear that whatever it takes constitutionally, legally and legitimately to put our party in office in October, we will do as a party.

    “I have also gone ahead to say this meeting (held on Saturday) is our usual gathering; it is not a place to declare the intention to run, but as to whether I am running or not, I am running.

    “That is not debatable but I am a process person, I am not going to flout the law. You will know, you will all be invited when I decide to formally declare within the ambit of the guideline issued by INEC.”

    Fayemi earlier hosted party leaders from the ward to state levels to a quarterly meeting on Saturday, but did not publicly declare intent to run for governor at the gathering.

    He said at the meeting: “INEC has just released election notice.

    They said public campaign begins in Ekiti State on April 14. Let’s wait till then, whether we are sure of ourselves or not, we will know.”

    At the meeting, Fayemi said he had learnt his lessons following the loss of power to Governor Ayo Fayose in 2014.

    He implored those party he offended to forgive him, saying he had forgiven those who offended him.

    The minister said leaders had assured him of a transparent, free and fair primary election, adding that the winner will be supported to win the main election.

    He said Fayose can’t threaten him with White Paper, noting that he has a red card to show him at the election.

    Fayemi urged APC members to hold their red cards in one hand and permanent voter cards in the other hand.

    He appealed to supporters of governorship aspirants to stop running down others on the social media, urging them to market their principals.

    The minister stressed that election is not won on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, but at the polling units.

  • Ekiti poll: Waiting for Fayemi

    In this piece, Adegboyega Ajayi, examines the preparations for the governorship elections in Ekiti State and contends that the likely entry of Minister of solid Minerals and Steel Development Dr. Kayode Fayemi may change the political calculations.

    It is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends and it is just as wrong, or even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State  are currently working at cross-purposes. This may spell doom for the party and lead to another abysmal outcome in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. The APC in Ekiti state is blessed with all shades of characters, out of which about forty (40) individuals have shown or declared interest in contesting the primary election of the party, to choose its flag bearer. The fact that APC has this array of eminently qualified personalities vying to fly the flag of the party is an impressive blessing. Unfortunately the APC in Ekiti state seems to be at a loss on how best to manage this blessing. There is nothing wrong in having many aspirants within a party. It’s absolutely good and healthy for the party members to be presented with various options to pick from. However, it is absurd, barbaric and counterproductive for the various aspirants for the party’s ticket to engage in or encourage campaign of calumny against one another. Unless something is done quickly to caution the gladiators and tame some foot soldiers (attack dogs) of the aspirants, the party will move towards imminent but avoidable implosion and perdition in Ekiti State.

    There is urgent need for a paradigm shift for the aspirants and their foot soldiers. Rather than talking about their common enemy (the PDP) and / or programs of their principals, majority of party faithful derive pleasure in talking negatively about other aspirant(s) perceived to be the threat to their principals’ ambition. The focus was on Chief Segun Oni at a time. There was nothing they didn’t say about the man before and after his official declaration. At different times, Senator Gbenga Aluko, Rt. Hon. Femi Bamishile, Senator Babafemi Ojudu and others were at the receiving ends of the unnecessary and fruitless attacks. Dr. Kayode Fayemi is currently at the center of the storm. He has not been spared for a moment since the news of his anticipated declaration broke out. It is worrisome that the APC members could devote so much precious time,  energy and resources to destroy and decimate fellow aspirants within the same party. If by sheer luck you win the primaries and pick the ticket, do you expect those you (or your proxy) have decimated to rally round you at the general election? If providence gives the person you (or your proxy) decimated victory, how would you come out to market and campaign for such person?

    In the build up to the 2016 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the state APC experienced something similar to what is currently going in Ekiti state. Some of the  aspirants were at each other’s neck. The foot soldiers of various camps engaged in whatever means (right or wrong) to market and promote their principals. The present Ondo state governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was one of the most widely criticized aspirants during the campaign for the Ondo state APC primary in 2016. The campaign of calumny against him was so high that at a time he was not rated among the three top likely winners of the primary. However, before things got out of hands the aspirants came together under the name of “APC Aspirants Forum” and with the backing of the party leaders in the state, called all camps to order.

    Where there is no law, there is no crime! The Ondo state APC and the aspirants collectively signed an MOU with strong warning that no party member must engage in campaign of calumny or disparage any aspirant. The focus of each camp then was on the common enemy (the PDP) and what you are bringing on board (your program) as an aspirant. This helped to restore sanity to some levels because “at his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” This is one major reason all the aspirants congratulated the eventual winner of the Ondo state APC primary election, immediately he was proclaimed winner. Though one or two later recanted and withdrew their congratulatory messages.

    Someone said there is nothing progressive about the APC. As libelous as this may sound, the attitude of the party faithful is giving credence to that assertion, as currently seen in Ekiti State. It is a common knowledge that the PDP-led government in Ekiti state have left no stone unturned in its quest to discredit and rubbish Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his government. There is nothing new about the antics of the PDP. As a matter of fact it should be expected. What’s disheartening however is the attitude of the APC toward the incessant attack on Fayemi. I am yet to see where Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Abiodun Olujimi, Dr. Dare Bejide and Barr. Owoseni Ajayi or their supporters openly castigate Dr. Fayemi or celebrate his persecution by the state government. Unfortunately where or when people celebrate, promote or publicize the persecution of Dr. Fayemi you will always find APC members at the forefront.

    Dr. Kayode Fayemi seems to be enjoying free publicity at the moment because some aspirants (and their followers) talk about him more than their agenda for Ekitikete. Imagine about thirty (30) different camps (aspirants and followers) talking about an aspiring aspirant across the length and breadth of Ekiti state simultaneously.  His posters were torn and defaced within twenty-four hours they were pasted whereas some posters have been out unnoticed and untouched for months!! Who is afraid of Fayemi?  Those who are not publicizing or celebrating Fayemi’s persecution are also guilty of keeping quiet when they should be speaking out to defend him. How can we call ourselves progressives if we can’t defend our own. You may not like Fayemi, you don’t have to like him, but the fact remains that he was an APC governor and currently an APC minister. An attack on him is an attack on the APC family, especially in Ekiti state. We should not allow personal ambition to becloud our sense of reasoning. We should be progressive in thoughts and deeds.

    APC lost to the PDP in 2014 because as at the time the election came up, the APC in Ekiti state was in total disarray. Even though Fayemi was the governor then, a tree does not make a forest. We should be together in victory or loss. I am sure, had it been he won the election, most of the negative stories being said about him now may not surface. Therefore rather than trading blames and polarizing the party further, we should work on how to unite the party. There is no aspirant on the field today that can singlehandedly defeat the PDP without the support of the other aspirants. If you win the primary by disparaging other aspirants, can you win the general election alone? The youths should wake up to their responsibilities because they are the biggest losers, should APC lose to the PDP this year. As at today, without prejudice to other aspirants, there are three major camps viz:  Kayode Fayemi, Segun Oni and others within the Ekiti state APC. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, like most of the other aspirants, have little or nothing to lose, should APC lose to the PDP. The losers are the common party faithful who have been in the cold for four years. Can they afford the cold for another four years? This is another reason we should stop taunting anybody that he or she can’t win general election. The combined strength of these various camps is enough to dislodge the PDP but can the camps ever work together? They have no choice. They either work and stand together or sink separately.

    Whoever is good enough to win the primary can as well win the general election if, and only if, the other aspirants put the interest of the party above personal interest and rally round him for the good of all. However, where personal interest override party’s interest, what happened in Ondo state may repeat itself in Ekiti state. In Ondo state, leaders (national and state) openly worked against the party’s interest but in the end, the common interest prevailed. Unfortunately in Ekiti state we don’t have a Jimoh Ibrahim to do the hatchet job for us. Therefore, we must approach the battle united or else our loss at the poll will signify direct entry to perdition for Ekiti state APC. If Fayemi (or any other aspirant) wins the primary and the other camps refuse to support and work for his victory at the gubernatorial election as being tauted in some quarters, thereby leading to another success for the PDP. The biggest loser wouldn’t be Fayemi but the Ekiti state APC and the common man that wants or desires change.

    The leaders (national and state) should call all aspirants and their followers to order. The intraparty wrangling must end. Each time you disparage an aspirant, you are indirectly putting the APC at a disadvantage, should the person you are disparaging win the primary. You are equally hurting the APC the more because the person you disparaged may not support you at the general election, should you win the primary. The more the merrier. You should focus on your aspirant and his ambition and leave the other aspirants alone. If you are not sure your aspirant can win the primary don’t invest your energy on destroying another aspirant whose chance intimidates yours. Let’s act and work together like  real progressives, if indeed we are progressives. Your personal interest, aspiration and ambition shouldn’t jeopardize the party’s success. May the best man win the primary of the APC and may the wish of God prevail in Ekiti state. United we stand, divided we fall.!

    • Ajayi, an APC chieftain, sent this from Ikoro-Ekiti.

     

  • Fayemi preaches love, tolerance at Easter

    As Christians in the country celebrate Easter, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has urged them to focus more on love, unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, which he said were the hallmark of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and panacea for the nation’s challenges.

    Congratulating Christians for the successful completion of the Lenthen season, a 40-day period of  40 fasting and prayers which climaxed in the Easter celebration, Fayemi  urged them to always uphold the virtues of love and sacrifice which he said are the central message of Easter.

    In a goodwill message signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the minister urged them to make ample use of the opportunity provided by the Easter season for sober reflection, and to emulate the sacrificial nature of Jesus Christ who laid down his life for the salvation of mankind.

    While urging the people to celebrate with moderation, Fayemi asked them to spend quality time with family members and friends, reflect on developments in the country and the world at large and pray for peace and progress.

    “Aside taking time off to reflect and pray for the peace and progress of the country, it is also a time to resolve within ourselves to become agents of peace and progress,” the Minister said.

    He urged Christians and adherents of other religions to continue to live in peace and harmony with one another. This, he said, would put the country on the path of  peace.

    “The teachings on being our brother’s keeper is even more apt now,” he said.

    “We should demonstrate it through conscious effort at living peaceably with one another, regardless of religion or tribe.

  • Local refining: Fayemi, Kachikwu for conference

    Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, have been named as participants at the 2018 Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Conference and Exhibition.

    The two-day event, organised by business sustainability outfit CSR-in-Action, will hold in Abuja on May 21 and 22 May.

    SITEI 2018, themed ‘Using Extractives Technology to Promote Local Refining by 2019: A Sustainable Approach’ will feature over 30 seasoned speakers drawn from the sector, including over 500 senior executives.

    According to CSR-in-Action, it will focus on “the need to identify and promote areas in which extractive players within Nigeria may facilitate multi-sectoral collaborations to develop, adopt and promote technologies that will lower their running costs, increase profit margins, encourage transparency, curb capital flight, enable growth of the local economy, and reduce environmental degradation and social menace.”

    CSR-in-Action Chief Executive Officer and Co-Convener of SITEI, Bekeme Masade, stated that this year’s event is geared towards enhancing the use of technology in the sector as well as forging lasting partnerships.

    Masade said:  ‘’Creating awareness for the need to promote the  use  of technology in the extractive sector, as well as identifying possible partnership opportunities available in the extractive, science, technology, and communication industries, are at the centre of the conference.”

  • Reps, Fayemi clash over Ajaokuta concessioning plan

    • Buhari urged to intervene

    • N2b vote for concessioning ‘intact’

    The House of Representatives has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, from concessioning the Ajaokuta Steel Complex pending its review order.

    The lawmakers said the stop- order was in the interest of the economy and the anti- corruption fight of the government.

    The Reps, after passing  a vote of no confidence on Fayemi,  resolved to tighten the noose around  the Minister by expanding the mandates of its Ad-hoc Committee investigating   the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    The legislators promised to introduce a Bill to Provide for the completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company and also to Prohibit the Concessioning thereof prior to its completion.

    The ad-Hoc Committee was also mandated to inquire into why Fayemi engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) in auditing Ajaokuta Steel Complex, without due process.

    The Committee would add to its reponsibility by inquiring into the nature of the conflict of interest that may have arisen on account of the Minister appointing a firm,, Greenwhich Trust Limited, to serve as Transaction Adviser for Ajaokuta, without due process.

    The House emphasised that it had become important for the Ad hoc Committee to ascertain whether Fayemi has pecuniary interest in appointing a technical audit firm for the company.

    Following the vote of no confidence passed on Fayemi and his deputy for shunning the House two weeks ago, the Minister had vowed that the Federal Government would not spend any more of its resources on the 98 percent completed Steel Complex but concession it to a private company for completion.

    However, at plenary yesterday while debating a motion on Ajaokuta sponsored by Ahmed Yerima (APC, Bauchi) and 24 others, the lawmakers were in unison that the Federal Government should complete the construction of the steel complex before considering its concession to the private sector.

    Fayemi and Hon Abubakar Bawa Bwari, have  however faulted the position of the Lawmakers on Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    They said they have not contracted any transactional adviser for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company, as being asserted by the House.

    They said the ministry had not spent a dime from the N2.096billion appropriated by the House for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company in the 2017 Appropriation Law. They were concerned that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to an issue that has not even arisen

    In a statement, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Olayinka Oyebode, said it could be deduced from the Reps Resolution to stop the planned concessioning of the steel company that they have grossly misunderstood the Ministers and other stakeholders working with the Ministry on this exercise.

    In view of this and the need to set the record straight for the sake of the general public and the investing community, it is important to state as follows:

    • The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has not contracted any transaction adviser for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company, as wrongly asserted by the House.
    • The process for the appointment of a Transaction Adviser is on, but cannot be completed until it gets the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
    • The Ministry has not spent a dime from the N2,096,500.00 (Two billion, ninety six million, five hundred thousand naira ) appropriated by the House for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company (in the 2017 Appropriation Law).
    • The mediation process that led to the amicable settlement of the legal encumbrances on Ajaokuta Steel Complex has not ended. There are still a few more steps to be taken as outlined in the terms of (out of court) settlement. And the Ministry is following up on this.
    • It is also important to state that no one has been hired.
    • We find it rather worrisome that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to an issue that has not even arisen.
    • The Ministry remains committed to making Ajaokuta Steel Plant function effectively, convinced that steel remains the most important engineering material and backbone of industrialisation in any economy.

     

     

     

  • House of Reps goofed on Ajaokuta – Fayemi, Bwari

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, on Thursday faulted the position of the House of Representatives on the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

    The duo said they have not contracted any transactional adviser for concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company as wrongly asserted by the House.

    They also said the ministry has not spent a dime from the N2, 096,500.00 appropriated by the House for concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company in the 2017 Appropriation Act.

    They said it was rather worrisome that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to non-existing matter.

    The ministers made the clarifications in a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media to the minister, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode.

    The statement said: “The attention of the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, has been drawn to the debate by members of the House of Representatives on the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, where the House adopted a resolution to stop the planned concessioning of the steel company.

    “Whilst the ministers are convinced the Honourabe members mean well as patriots concerned about an important national asset, it is also a fact that they have grossly misunderstood the ministers and other stakeholders working with the Ministry on this exercise.

    “In view of this and the need to set the record straight for the sake of the general public and the investing community, it is important to state as follows:

    • The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has not contracted any transactional adviser for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company, as wrongly asserted by the House.
    • The process for the appointment of a Transactional Adviser is on, but cannot be completed until it gets the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
    • The Ministry has not spent a dime from the N2, 096,500.00 (Two billion, ninety six million, five hundred thousand naira) appropriated by the House for the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company (in the 2017 Appropriation Law).
    • The mediation process that led to the amicable settlement of the legal encumbrances on Ajaokuta Steel Complex has not ended. There are still a few more steps to be taken as outlined in the terms of (out of court) settlement. And the Ministry is following up on this.
    • It is also important to state that no one has been hired.
    • We find it rather worrisome that the House of Representatives could devote an entire day to an issue that has not even arisen.
    • The Ministry remains committed to making Ajaokuta Steel Plant function effectively, convinced that steel remains the most important engineering material and backbone of industrialisation in any economy.