Criticism,” a thinker once claimed, “makes one not to remain complacent,” noting: “You are growing when people criticise you.” This, to Adewale Adeoye, former CNN African Journalist of the Year, now Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Affairs to Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, has been a major impetus for the administration..
He made the position known in a chat with The Nation.
Adeoye explained the government’s disposition to the opposition when his attention was drawn to the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had been accusing it of non-performance.
His response: “Opposition drives us to improved performance in Ekiti. It will deepen democratic discourse if we have a viable and truthful opposition. In our case here, we have a rabid and blind opposition that always shoots before thinking of its target. They are lazy, they cannot do research; they just write and send statements to the media. They are a group of people who want political power for the sake of it. When Dr Fayemi was with world leaders in the US, they said he sneaked out of the country and was arrested for money laundering. Even in propaganda, there are rules.
“When you consistently tell lies, you diminish the philosophy of opposition and reduce your political party to a group that acts only on base instinct. Ekiti deserves credible opposition, not the kind we have in the PDP. Unfortunately, the party suffers credibility crisis everywhere. Despite the colossal failure of the party in the South West, it is surprising that the party is not ashamed to come out and talk of political power. All they want is to ‘capture’ the South West, but they are not ready to labour for it. They want to use brute force and lies. This is not a good legacy for the democratic culture. But we are not impervious to constructive criticism.”
Replying the few who would not see anything good in the performance of Dr. Fayemi after two years in the saddle, Adeoye said laughing: “Majority of the people can see and feel the amazing impacts of the government. When you want to build a house, you need a master plan, unlike past regimes which ruled by trial and error. Our master plan for the transformation of the state was the eight-point agenda. No aspect of governance is left untouched. One of the first steps was to lay the basis for transparency and fiscal responsibility in governance. That was responsible for the Freedom of Information Law in Ekiti, the first state to domesticate the law in West Africa. With that, you can now access any information you want on how the business of government is done. This is an enduring landmark, the best way to empower the people and make them relevant in the political and economic context. Over 100 schools are being renovated in one fell swoop. In the second phase, almost all the secondary schools in the state would have been touched. Within the framework of the limitations imposed by the Nigerian garrison structure, what we have in Ekiti and most states of the South West states is amazing.”
Sharing with the public, more of Fayemi’s concrete achievements, he said: “They are legion. We are constructing five-kilometer roads in all the local government areas of the state. You must have seen the changing face of Ado-Ekiti, the upcoming street lights, the beautification and the reclamation of the floundering environmental heritage of Ekiti State. Most of the roads of the former regime did not last more than three to four years, now we are building them. That was what Chief Obafemi Awolowo thought us to do. The Ilawe-Igbara-Odo and Igbara-Odo-Ikere Roads, the Ado-Afao Road, the revival of the Ire Brick Industry, and the world-class Ikogosi Warm Water Tourist centre are among the projects.
“Days back, the governor commissioned a world-class civic centre and there was the launching of the Samsung Engineering Centre, a conscious attempt to revive the dwindling fortunes of the artisan culture which is a key element in national economy. We also have the social security fund for the elderly and the free health programme for vulnerable groups. There are many more.”
“The government appears to have challenges with workers and teachers in the state,” he was reminded. He responded sharply, saying: “Well, there is no irredeemable problem with teachers, or even the entire workforce. The governor is committed to improving the education sector from primary to secondary school in the state. Sometimes, people may ignorantly but honestly resist a new idea simply owing to lack of understanding or due to political influence from external forces.”
“Some people may reject a policy that will benefit them when they take only an eye view of it. The few who object to the idea of the needs assessment and capacity building for Ekiti teachers may not immediately realize the damage such a decision will cause. The needs assessment, the governor has said it over time, will not lead to retrenchment. Several teachers have also taken the examination and to my knowledge, no one has been sacked. In all, the teaching profession is a formidable institution that Dr Fayemi will continue to cherish, being a teacher,” he added.
