The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Governor Ayodele Fayose

  • ‘Why I set up NGO for widows’

    The Chief Executive Officer of Tosin Quota International Foundation (TQIF), Oluwatosin Olayiwola, has revealed why she established a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to cater for the needs of widows in the community.

    Olayiwola spoke during the official unveiling of the foundation in Lagos, recently.

    Although the foundation, which is saddled with the task of empowering widows across the country and the globe at large, has been operational since 2015, the official unveiling was not to be until recently when friends and members of the team gathered in Lagos to lend their support to the organisation.

    Addressing guests that attended the event, the TQIF boss explained how the philanthropic zeal in her was fired up.

    “There is a general saying that ‘no one has ever become poor by giving’. I have always had the passion for giving, even at a tender age, as far back as my days in the secondary school.

    “During our Community Day celebrations, every time hundreds of rich and highly placed people in the society gathered to give their millions, I would still manage to squeeze out my little savings, just to add my little part to the betterment of my community.

    “My acts of philanthropy are borne out of passion towards putting smiles on the faces of people around me in my own little way. That formed the passion for having a better platform to project this, and now the answer is Tosin Quota International Foundation.

    “In our society, the percentage of widows is on the high side. Many at times, they are dejected with no one to help or make their lives worth living. I thought of them, despite being a single lady who hasn’t even experienced the challenges of marriage. Why our focus is on the widows is to help redefine a better life they lost at the point of taking up all the family responsibilities alone,” Olayiwola said.

    She praised the immediate past Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose and other sponsors for the support the foundation received from them.

    In her reaction, a social entrepreneur and Founder of Mcfeey, Ifeoma Afiari, praised the NGO, which she described as a “great initiative”.

    “I think it’s a great initiative which makes an impact in the lives of Nigerian women, specifically the windows. It is one that brings hope, considering the culture in which we live, where being a widow is the beginning of a dreaded future. I think it’s a great one,” she said.

    While extolling the philanthropic qualities of the founder who he called his friend, the Director of Communications and Public Relations of the foundation, Ayo Alonge stressed the need for all to embrace humanitarian services.

    His words: “She (Olayiwola) is someone I have known for many years now. When she told me about her idea of ameliorating the sufferings of widows, especially aged ones among them, I was skeptical about such dream because I could readily paint a picture of the huge funds and much energy needed to be committed to such project which I regarded as a wild goose chase.

    Read Also: NGO feeds over 300 less privileged

    “But at present, she is here doing it and I am proud of the height the foundation has scaled, so far. I think she needs all the support and encouragement she can get from all quarters. By and large, she has challenged everyone to embrace selfless service to humanity.”

    The Chief Executive Officer of the foundation also briefed reporters on the next line of action for the foundation.

    According to her, the foundation will empower scores of widows who reside within the Ketu/Mile 12 axis of Lagos in December.

  • Group faults Fayose’s claim on workers’ strike

    A group, Ekiti Development Front (EDF), has faulted Governor Ayodele Fayose’s claim that the ongoing workers’ strike was instigated by the Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to distabilise his government.

    It also said Fayose is deliberately creating problems for the in-coming administration with mass recruitment to set Ekiti people against Fayemi.

    A statement on Monday by EDF Coordinator, Adeoye Aribasoye, said it is hypocritical to unjustly owe workers in excess of 10 months and still claimed that they needed prompting by Fayemi to demand for their pay.

    Read Also:Fayose: I’m fulfilled leaving worthy legacies behind

    The statement said that official records showed that Fayose had collected N43.7b in bailout in three years, N70.2b budget support facility and N51.4b Paris Club refunds in three years but diverted all to projects awarded to his friends’ companies for personal benefit besides regularly paying himself security votes in millions, noting that hungry workers in this circumstance needed no prompting to demand for their right.

    It added that Fayemi never blocked refunds by Federal Government on projects and Paris Club to Ekiti State as Fayose claimed.

    “Apart from Ekiti State, nine other states, including APC states, have similar problems collecting refunds on projects while there is no state that can claim that the Federal Government is withholding its Paris Club refunds unjustly,” Aribasoye explained.

    The statement also accused Fayose of hypocrisy over claim that Fayemi has no right to express his opinions on some state matters after he was elected governor on July 14, 2018.

    “Let us remind Fayose that after he was declared winner in the June 21, 2014 election fraud, he started behaving like an incumbent governor by giving a counter-order urging disobedience to Fayemi’s legal curfew to curb violence over the late Omolafe Aderiye’s murder.

    “Fayose wrote to the banks to stop granting credit facility to Fayemi to pay salary while he threw all his daily needs and expenses to Fayemi after he was declared governor.

    “Fayose applied to Fayemi for a paid trip to Dubai for vacation and Fayemi released funds to him and two of his aides.

    “As if this was not enough, Fayose went to Coscharis Motors to collect a brand new bullet-proof Range Rover Jeep and a brand new power bike to serve as his outrider without following due process only to pass a bill close to N100 million to the Fayemi administration.

    “The government obliged all these in the interest of peace and smooth take-off of the new administration, but as soon as Fayose assumed office, he embarked on hostility towards Fayemi.

    “First, he recalled Fayemi’s official vehicle which by law, he was entitled to. Next he withdrew the appointments of eight permanent secretaries and other top officers who were duly appointed through a credible process and later resorted to the retirement of Permanent Secretaries perceived to be loyal to Fayemi, including sacking hundreds of workers, among whom were House of Assembly workers legally employed months before the discredited election that brought Fayose to power,” Aribasoye explained.

    The statement also reiterated earlier warnings by Fayemi that all illegal appointments and promotions of cronies by Fayose would be reviewed.

    “It is a surprise that Fayose who planned to sack 3,000 workers about nine months ago over inability to pay salary is today planning to employ the same figure composed mainly of his supporters in PDP after his crony lost the July 14 governorship election.

    “Fayose is trying to re-enact Benue State scenario in Ekiti State when the last administration in Benue recruited thousands of cronies at the tail end of the administration, and today, Governor Sam Ortom has a wage bill of over N7b, making the state to have the third highest wage
    bill in the country after Lagos and Rivers states while Benue’s monthly federal allocation is not up to N4b.

    “Benue people are now up in arms against Governor Ortom and that is exactly what Fayose is trying to do to put Ekiti people and workers in particular in trouble over unpaid salaries and set Ekiti people against Fayemi.

    “Fayose is trying to cripple the state’s economy that survives on salary payment and we wonder why a leader that is worth his name will want to fight a personal war against Fayemi in a battle that will make the entire Ekiti State people the ultimate victims,”

  • Demolition: Ekiti community seeks compensation

    Aggrieved residents of Ijoka community, Ekiti State have called on Governor Ayodele Fayose to look into their plight resulting from the demolition of their houses for road construction.

    Addressing reporters in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Westport Hotel, Lagos, Mr. Oseni Rasaki said no fewer than 142 houses were demolished by the state government.

    He noted that most of the houses belong to senior citizens, retirees and widows whose livelihood were tied to the properties, stressing that it had thrown the community into deplorable situation.

    Rasaki added that the demolition took place when negotiation with government was ongoing. He said the houses were pulled down before the 21 days ultimatum by the government.

    He said: “The people have been subjected to serious agony and hardship following the demolition of their houses. The occupants of the houses are mainly retirees, the aged and widows.

    “We acknowledged the government  plans to develop the town, this has resulted in grave pain for the people. Government programme is meant for living people.

    “We are calling on the government to come to the aid of the people by compensating them for their losses. We don’t want to put the blame on anybody, but we would appreciate government’s prompt intervention by compensating the victims.”

    He said IJoka community had become a shadow of itself, noting that visitors to the rustic town would easily observe that the residents were wailing over the demolition.

    “Although the community was earlier notified of government’s intention on the proposed road project, negotiation was ongoing among concerned parties when Ijoka was thrown into pandemonium.

    “The demolition came up less than 21 days before the expiration of the deadline. I must say it has affected the victims. Most of them may not recover from this huge loss. The irony of it is that most of the owners of the structures are senior citizens who are no longer in active service.

    “I’m urging the government on behalf of these displaced people, to rise up to its duty by ensuring that the people have access to good life, security and all the protection they deserve.

    “Some of them have been incapacitated from the shock they suffered due to the demolition exercise. I urge the government to rehabilitate them by compensating those whose properties were demolished. This will enable them to find another means of livelihood and survival,”he said.

     

     

  • APC tackles Fayose for allowing liquidation of Gossy Water

    APC tackles Fayose for allowing liquidation of Gossy Water

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has berated the Governor Ayodele Fayose administration for failing to rescue Gossy Water from liquidation.

    It blamed the governor for allegedly creating an unfriendly atmosphere for businesses, regretting that instead of building on initiatives of his predecessors to sustain job-creating businesses, the governor allegedly created conditions that hampered businesses with attendant job losses.

    The party accused the governor of preferring to spend money on projects awarded to his friends for personal gains.

    It cited the imminent liquidation of Warm Spring Waters Limited, producers of the popular Gossy Water, as an instance of Fayose’s “callous neglect of government’s enterprises that have the potential to keep Ekiti people in jobs while spending on projects that benefit him and members of his immediate family”.

    The board of Warm Spring Waters Limited had given liquidation notice to stakeholders, citing failure of the company to pay its debts and other challenges.

    In a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the capital, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, APC said: “One major reason for the winding up of the company is the unfavourable business environment such that there was no electricity supply to the company to run effectively for three years, including the non-patronage of the company’s product by Fayose’s administration because the company was the initiative of his predecessor.

    “It is on record that the Kayode Fayemi administration provided electricity in many communities through rural electrification, distribution and repair of transformers while liaising with the power company to restore electricity in many towns.

    “Ikogosi Warm Spring Company would not have been without electricity under such an administration as it is under the Fayose administration now, resulting in huge debts overhang, which has led to its liquidation.

    “Fayose is known for abandoning revenue-generating projects of his predecessors in office. This is the same way he has abandoned the foreign exchange earner Ikogosi Warm Springs Resorts, which was developed to the world tourist standard by the Dr Fayemi administration.

    “Gossy Water is one of the surviving income-generating investments for the state government, but it is unfortunate that Fayose has again killed it with his nonchallant attitude to revenue generating investments of the state initiated by his predecessors.”

    It added: “Gossy Water was established as a joint business venture between Ekiti State Government and the blue chip conglomerate United African Company (UAC) by Otunba Niyi Adebayo’s administration.

    “The company’s product was known nationwide because Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi administrations that succeeded Adebayo fulfilled their obligations to the company, but the company is closing down under Fayose who has since ensured the liquidation of a sister investment in the same town, the Ikogosi Warm Springs and Resort, after mindless looting, leaving only its carcass.”

    The party added: “While he left money-generating investments like the Ikogosi Warm Spring Waters, Warm Spring Resorts, Ire Burnt Bricks and the Pavillion to rot away, he deliberately, through his hostile and anti-business attitude borne out of greed, caused private businesses such as Coca-cola, Ecobank, GTB, ROMACO Igbemo and the billion naira Iluomoba Plywood Industry to close shops.

    “Fayose is so insensitive and mean such that he doesn’t care a hoot about what happens to two major investments – Gossy Water and Warm Spring Resort in Ikogosi community – which launched the state to the world map.

    “Fayose is like the biblical prodigal son who has frittered away Ekiti’s commonwealth, which his predecessors worked hard to create from their visions and which they nurtured until Fayose came and destroyed all.

    “This is a tragedy for Ekiti State, which needs such investments to shore up its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and keep the people in their jobs because Gossy Water directly employed 500 indigenes and about 6,000 indirect labour force, including distributors all over the country; same with banks and other companies he drove away from the state.

    “As we speak, nobody knows the IGR profile of the state except Fayose.

    “We only hope the whole state would not go into liquidation before the dreadful and locust tenure of Fayose ends in October.”

  • Boroffice congratulates Buhari at 75, tackles Fayose

    Boroffice congratulates Buhari at 75, tackles Fayose

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Professor Ajayi Boroffice on Sunday felicitated with President Muhammadu Buhari on his 75th birthday anniversary.

    In a congratulatory statement signed by his Media Adviser, Kayode Fakuyi, the senator, who is representing Ondo North Senatorial District of Ondo State, described President Muhammadu Buhari as foremost patriot and democrat.

    Meanwhile, Boroffice who doubles as the South-West zonal coordinator of the National Committee of Buhari Support Group (NCBSG) cautioned Governor Ayodele Fayose over his comment that President Muhammadu Buhari should retire from politics in 2019.

    The statement reads in part: “The advice from Governor Ayodele Fayose that Mr President should not consider seeking re-election due to age consideration should be ignored.

    “Mr President cannot be blackmailed. The reserved right of Mr President to either seek re-election or not should be respected by every Nigerian who believes in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

    “It is instructive to note that the Constitution did not impose age restriction on a President who wishes to seek re-election. Thus, if Mr President decides not to seek re-election, it will certainly not due to age consideration.

    “Indeed, advanced age is not a liability but an asset. Also, septuagenary does not in anyway suggest a chink in the armor but radiates gutsiness.

    “The South-West leadership of the NCBSG wishes Mr President many more hearty and healthy years in the service of humanity.”

  • Ekiti, Osun governorship polls hold July 14, Sept 22

    Ekiti, Osun governorship polls hold July 14, Sept 22

    Governorship polls will hold in Ekiti State on July 14 next year and on September 22 in Osun state.

    The Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) announced the dates yesterday as it rolled out the programe of activities on the elections.

    The tenure of Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose will end on October 15, 208 and Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola will vacate office after two terms November 28, 2018.

    According to the timetable released by the electoral body, a run off election, if necessary, will take place within seven days after the announcement of results in line with relevant laws.

    The timetable, signed by the Commission’s secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, indicated that INEC will  issue notice for the Ekiti election on April 4, 2018, which is not later that 90 days before the election. Political campaigns will commence on April 15 while collection of forms by political parties for issuance to candidates will come a day after.

    Political primaries and resolution of disputes arising from such is slated for 15April-14 May, 2018.

    Notice of election in Osun State will be released on June 23 while campaign for the electionwill start on June 25.

    Collection of forms for the Osun election has been fixed for June 25, while primaries and resolution arising from disputes must be conducted between June 24- July 23.

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Prince Solomon Soyebi  said INEC was guided by the  provisions of section 178(1)and (2) of the 1999 constitution as amended, and section 25(7) and (8) of the electoral Act,2010 in arriving at the dates.n

    He also  restated that the Commission’s  earlier warning to intending aspirants and their parties that the release of dates for elections did not amount to notice for campaigns for votes. He warned that parties which infringe  on provisions of the Electoral Act as amended  would be sanctioned.

    “Anybody who deviates from the Electoral guidelines by engaging in public campaign ahead  of the date for commencement of campaign is committing electoral offence and will be prosecuted.

    “All political parties and their candidates are hereby enjoined  to cooperate with us,” Soyebi said.

  • How national assembly can turn Nigerian economy around – Oloniboko

    How national assembly can turn Nigerian economy around – Oloniboko

    Oloniboko Sesan Isaac is an Oil and Gas expert with over 20years experience in the sector desiring to run as Member of the House of Representatives to represent Ekiti North Federal Constituency 2 comprising of Moba, Ido/OSI and Ilejemeje Local Government Areas of Ekiti-State in 2019.

    In this interview with Opeyemi Samuel, Oloniboko speaks on his commitment to socio-economic development as well as his idea of a better Nigeria.

    With your experience, how do you plan giving back to the society?

    I work as a developing geologist in one of the IOC’s in Lagos, I am a technocrat that has put in over 20 years working experience in the oil and gas  industry and with this experience, I am aspiring to see how I would be able to give back to my community and to my nation in the area of service. It has been in my system, it has been part of me to give back to the community.

    In my secondary school days, I happened to be one of the representatives in Ekiti Parapo College then and to God be the glory, when I was admitted into the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), I became the Chief Whip of the student representative council in FUTA and there and then we achieved quiet a lot of things like freedom of press and we were able to get scholarships and bursary awards that has never happened in history.

    I could vividly recollect while I was in FUTA, and Ekiti State was created then, we led the first set of delegation to the then Governor and the Military Administrator of the Ekiti State we engaged him on the need to get bursary across to the students and we were successful. As a leader then, we were the first set of people who were able to get bursary, because it was N500 then from Ekiti State to all Ekiti students schooling all over Nigeria.

    Since then it has been in me to give back to my community and as a person, I rose to the cradles, grew up in Ido Ekiti my university was in Akure, every other thing put together; I am an holistic person who see things holistically, who see things the way it suppose to be so that the community can benefit from what we have on ground, thank you.

    How do you see this as a Call to service?

    At this level with my technical exposure as a technocrat based on experience, based on age and exposure, I am competent to vie for the office or to be a Rep member at the Federal House of Representatives come 2019. This aspiration has been in me as far back as 2011, I was a party man then, moving from ACN to APC.

    I approached my constituency because you don’t stay in Lagos and say your are vying, I am from Ido-osi, and it is one of the Local Government that constitute Ekiti North Federal constituency 2, we have Moba, we have Ileje-Meje and we have Ido-osi and in those constituencies we have about 32 wards, and there and then I was able to meet with all the Chairmen of my ward in my local government and I told them this is my aspiration, this is what I want to do for you, I want to go and represent you the way others have not done before, I tried then but it didn’t work out; that was when my elderly colleague Baba Robinson got the post and as a party man you stay within your party to make sure you build the party.

    Build experience to make sure you are able to deliver as the time comes. Recently I approached them and told them I still have a lot to offer based on my experience, based on my exposure; you know like I said before I have been out of this country on different trainings, and when you are on a technical training in such manner, you are not just focusing on the trainings because you are meeting people from different environment and different climes and you are trying to understand how things work on their side, those are the things I have in my memory in my capacity, in my capability to be able to go to the Federal House of Representative in 2019 and deliver the dividends of democracy to my people.

    What’s your dispostion of present political dispensation?

    I must be frank with you, the present National Assembly is doing their best, but for now their best is not enough to pull Nigeria out of the present economic situation we have found ourselves, and they can still put more effort. Recently we have seen quite a lot of bills that has been passed and if those bills find themselves into the economy of Nigeria, if their impact is felt, Nigeria will come out of this present economy imbroglio and we would put our feet in the committee of nations in the world.

    They are quite a lot of very intelligent people in that house, when I listened to their open discussions in the senate on Channels I know we have quite a lot of intelligent people who can push positions in that place, they need to up their game; they need to do more, of course they are trying but they can still do more.

    If someone like me coming from the oil industry, from energy and environment find myself in the committee on energy in the house, you should expect constructive contribution that will make sure that our oil industry in Nigeria would be one of the best in the world, and to make sure that a lot of youths are engaged because one thing I have realised in recent time is that there are quite a lot of young guys coming from other countries to come and work in Nigeria; why don’t you have more guys in Nigeria going out there to work as experts because when you work as expert you make yourself internationally marketable and you will be called everywhere to come and work and with that we are trying to reduce some level of unemployment in the system. We have the capacity; we have what is needed to equip those guys so that they also can be experts the way also experts are working in Nigeria.

    Kindly brief us on your developmetal agenda?

    As far as we are concerned today in Ido-osi, our major hold is agriculture, however on the other hand there are quite a lot of things that have fall into place. I was discussing with a colleague recently that as far as that local government is concerned it is possible to venture into quarry. The federal government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has recently approved and funded the construction of a lot of rail lines.

    If you see where rail-lines are constructed you will see very viable granites that are used in the rail construction. It is just for investors coming in and it is just for us to approach our leader who is the present minister for mines and mineral development because they are the ones that grant license for quarry; it is just to sign a memorandum of understanding that I would be able to supply you a tonne of granites.

    Imagine if they are getting that tonne of granite like let say 10,000, and say because of what we have, we have the raw materials and using all the facilities we have presently in Ido-osi, I am telling you Ido-osi alone will be able to supply all the granites that are needed for all the construction of all the rails we have in Nigeria, and you know the level of employment that will generate, and the level of engagement it will generate for the youths in my community.

    These are the things that kept crossing my mind and I believe with good leadership in Ekiti State, good leadership in Nigeria we would be able to get the youths of Ido-osi employed, and with that there would be reduction in restiveness. Another thing that I am looking at is the way at which drug proliferation has continued in that area is unprecedented.

    If our youths are engaged, if they are re-oriented they do away with those things then you can engage them. They are quite a lot of artisans in Ido-osi who can do their work without being engaged in criminalism, they are a lot of guys who are fashion designers, who are masons and bricklayers and those who construct aluminium windows. Those guys can be fully engaged, and when they are engaged, criminality is reduced; guys are employed even if they decide to go to school, then there is a better chance for you to make sure that you are somebody in life. Give you agood career talk on courses to do, even the courses that people think they are irrelevant; there is no course as far as this country is concerned that is not relevant, it is a function of the person that is doing it and the eagerness and the effort one has put to what he is doing. They would be relevant, they would be useful and the community would be less restive, you can’t eliminate criminalism, but you can reduce it drastically and before you realise people who are still interested in doing crime would withdraw their selves and the community will be free and we will be part of the system that we want to represent.

    Putting Ekiti in perspective, what do you think?

    Well to me as of today, the present administration of his Excellency Governor Ayodele Fayose has not lived to people’s expectation because I remembered quite a lot of things he said he would do while vying for the post in 2014, today they still remain a mirage. Based on my discussion recently, it is not Kebbi State that should partner Lagos State in rice production; Ekiti State has older history of rice production compared to Kebbi.

    We produce rice in Igbemo, while I was growing up in secondary school I was doing my holiday job in rice farm, because they are quite a lot of rice farms and the birds are there to disturb; yours is to be there during the day and dislocate those birds. Imagine if Lagos State had partnered Ekiti State in rice production, I cannot imagine the volume of money that will be in Ekiti State now.

    Last week about 70 trailers of rice came from Kebbi State into Lagos State and even if those bags of rice are sold for N6,000, imagine the volume of rice that will come to Lagos from Ekiti, it should not be Kebbi partnering Lagos, or Lagos partnering Kebbi. If the administration we have has taken agriculture with all seriousness, with all concern, Ekiti State by now should be smiling.

    Look at the development in Taraba State, Taraba State has irrigation but they are making fruits like lettuce, cucumber, carrots and many other fruits and they are bringing them to Lagos for quick market and then you realise the volume of money in Kebbi, Taraba and Adamawa now. Ekiti state is in the best position; it is on the pedestal and has a better advantage to bring those things to Lagos than those areas because the distance between Lagos and Ekiti is 3 hours.

    Imagine if 70 trailers of rice are coming from Ekiti bringing rice to Lagos, my people in Ekiti will be smiling now but it is not the order of the day. Federal government has silos in Ekiti, it is for Ekiti to make us of the opportunity by going into agriculture and fill those silos.

  • Fayose’s aide warns Ekiti CNPP against blackmail

    Fayose’s aide warns Ekiti CNPP against blackmail

    The personal assistant to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on General Administration and Stomach Infrastructure, Mr. Sunshine Anifowose has described the media report authored by the Chairman of the State Chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Mr Tunde Ogunlola that himself and seven other aides and associates of his boss are security threat, as unfounded, baseless and unsubstantiated.

    In a statement personally signed by Anifowose and given to our correspondent in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, he alleged that Ogunlola was instigated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to issue the statement just to rubbish the recent statement credited to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South West, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo that Ekiti State has the lowest crime rate in Nigeria.

    Anifowose who described himself as a responsible man from a reputable family, said unlike Ekiti under the immediate past Governor, Kayode Fayemi that witnessed about ten political killings and violence, the state under his boss, Fayose, has been very peaceful and orderly, just as recently posited by the Nigeria Police.

    The statement reads: “Acting the already prepared script of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, one Mr. Tunde Ogunlola, who claimed to be the Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State, on Saturday the 9th of June, 2016, in a petition dispatched to the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim and the Director General of the Directorate of State Services, DSS, Alhaji Lawal Daura, described my humble self, Sunshine Anifowose and seven other aides and associates of the Governor as threat to the security of our dear State.

    “As long as i would have loved to ignore this imaginary tale, however, the concerns so far shown by my friends and family members’ within and outside the shore of Nigeria necessitated this rebuttal.

    “I want to say explicitly for posterity, that firstly, this accusation against my esteemed person is an outstanding lie from the pit of hell. This is an attempt to tarnish my irrefutable integrity. Let me say for the sake of emphasis that i am a responsible man from a reputable family.

    “I am known for zero tolerance for gangsterism, hooliganism and violence. I have never been arrested by nor detained by or at any police formation in the country neither have i ever been charged to any court for any crime or been remanded in any prison custody within or outside Nigeria.

    “I want to put it to Mr. Tunde Ogunlola and his paymasters that their latest petition is a satanic attempt to rubbish the statement credited to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of South West, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo on June 1st  2016 as published by virtually all Newspapers in Nigeria that Ekiti State, under the leadership of my boss, Dr. Peter Ayo Fayose, has the lowest crime rate in Nigeria.

    “I say without gainsay that we in the Fayose’s political camp align ourselves with the position of DIG Adebanjo on the state of security in Ekiti State. It is on record that ever since Fayose became Governor 30 months ago; our state has not witnessed any political killing neither has any opposition gladiator or member been attacked, assaulted or molested by any agent of the incumbent for political reason.

    “Also, compared to other states of the federation, our state has the lowest cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in Nigeria. Also, violent demonstrations and communal clash are not synonymous to our state.

    “I therefore advice the police and DSS to place APC leaders, especially, Tunde Ogunlola, the state publicity secretary of the party, Taiwo Olatunbosun and their cronies in Ekiti on security watch because from our past experience, their modus operandi is that they always accuse people of whatever evil plans they plan to perpetrate.

    “I reiterate the fact that Gov. Fayose is the father of all in Ekiti at the moment. He respects the Elders, the traditional institutions and the rights of the people to associate. When Fayemi was to be made Minister, Fayose called on Senators from Ekiti State to ensure that he’s cleared without any hindrance.”

    Anifowose said that despite the barrage of insults being passed against Fayose daily on Social Media, Newspapers, TV and Radio by some APC Governorship Aspirants and their supporters, the Governor has refused to be provoked.

    The Governor’s aide stated that opposition members have been coming to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital to hold rallies even against the electoral law without being attacked.

  • Photo: Fayose’s outfit on May day

    Photo: Fayose’s outfit on May day

    The Workers’ Day in Ekiti State which took place inside the main bowl of Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti recorded poor attendance as many workers stayed away from the event.

    Related Post: Hunger in Ekiti Civil service: I will pay if… – Governor

    A side attraction was Governor Ayodele Fayose’s appearance at the annual gathering of civil servants.

    See photo below:

  • Ekiti APC hails Buhari’s return from medical trip

    Ekiti APC hails Buhari’s return from medical trip

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has expressed delight over President Muhammadu Buhari’s successful medical trip to London.

    It said Buhari’s return has vindicated its claim that the President was not terminally ill as being portrayed in some quarters opposed to the anti-corruption war of the APC-led Federal Government.

    It also expressed appreciation to Nigerians who offered prayers and good will in the quick recovery of the President.

    In a press statement in Ado-Ekiti on Friday by Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party also apologised to Nigerians on the role played by Governor Ayodele Fayose in making himself the “prophet of death” while the President was abroad tending to his health.

    “We have been vindicated in our claim that Fayose was a mere attention-seeker in his relentless death wishes and several social media news items he promoted suggesting that President Buhari was terminally ill on death-bed.

    “With the President’s safe return after failure of Fayose’s evil wish primarily propelled by his serial crimes against the law of the nation, the governor has been put to shame with Buhari’s arrival hale and hearty on Friday.

    “We also commend the Presidency and the President for not dignifying Fayose with a response when he cynically requested Buhari to call him to prove that he was alive,” Olatunbosun said.