The Nation Newspaper

Tag: JKF

  • That JKF may succeed

    Those familiar with my writing prior to the Ekiti State gubernatorial election last year are not unfamiliar with my great admiration for former governor Dr. John Kayode Fayemi. I regard him as one of the very best to have taking to politics. I have interacted very closely with him and see him as decent, honourable, deep and hardworking. It was therefore natural that I cast my vote for him in a contest with a man I regard as the exact opposite. Following Fayemi’s defeat at the poll, I said I would refrain from assessing his successor, Ayo Fayose, until he had sat on the saddle for two years. I am not about to break that promise. Suffice to say that Fayose has not disappointed me. It is my earnest prayer that he manages to hold on for the full term to enable Ekiti people re-evaluate the men.

    After he lost the election, I knew Dr. Fayemi would devote his energy and intellect to working for  All Progressives Congress victory at the presidential election. His integrity sold him as the best candidate to conduct a free, fair and rancor-free presidential primary.  He delivered on that score. Again, anyone who understands the working of presidential politics would have realized that his performance had marked him for a high profile appointment should General Muhammadu Buhari triumph at the poll.

    Then came the permutations after the victory. Would the suave ex-governor be made Foreign Affairs minister? Or, would Gen. Buhari rather find him more suitable to biting the bullet at the Works or Power ministry. The speculations were wrong as the President chose another person like him, Mr. Babatunde Fashola as superintendent of a reinforced Power, Works and Housing ministry. Our own Kayode Fayemi was assigned to the Solid minerals ministry. I still remember the trembling voice of a young man who put a call through to me as soon as the President announced Dr. Fayemi’s portfolio. He could not believe that “one who has so much to offer could be shifted to a “dead ministry.” He then said: “Egbon, do you think this old man knows what he is doing?”

    The young man was playing the typical Nigerian. To him, there are juicy or Grade A ministries to whom those highly rated are posted. Others are “dead ministries”. It took me about 20 minutes to calm him down and explain why the best brains should be assigned to the “arid land”. There is no doubt the Mineral sector needs a man of intellectual acumen and capacity for hard work. If General Buhari wants to succeed, he also needs one with international contacts and knowledge of how the international system works.

    As the minister settles to work, I believe he needs the support of all. The President had explained his plans for the sector. He wants the sector as a major foreign exchange earner for the country. This means having a calm and sober mind; one who feels at ease doing the paper work and could quickly put together policies to help in achieving the task.

    It is, indeed, a herculean task, but I am convinced Dr. Fayemi is equal to it. He needs to pore through the existing tones of documents at the ministry, get familiar with solid minerals map of the country and locate the best hands to work with him.

    This is where the President comes in. General Buhari has to walk his talk. A ministry is as good as the attention the Chief Executive chooses to pay it, especially in allocation of resources. Until the Fashola administration in Lagos, the Environment ministry was one considered “dead”, and whoever was posted there was regarded as holding the short end of the stick. All that changed within four years.

    Good enough the Buhari administration has acknowledged that the path to a robust economy is through the Solid Minerals and Agriculture sectors. Oil and Gas are wasting assets. Until recently, Ghana had no oil. It relied on Gold, Cocoa and tourism. Cote d’Ivoire still reaps fortunes from Cocoa. Apart from tourism, Kenya relies heavily on flower export to fund her projects. At this point in time, General Buhari owes the present and future generations the responsibility of rejuvenating the Solid Minerals sector.

    As Nigerians look forward to presentation of the 2016 federal budget to the National Assembly, it is my expectation that due attention would be paid to the Solid Minerals sector. It is trite to note that there can be no output without input. The seeds sown determine how good the harvest would be. In years past, successive governments had limited themselves to paying lip service to diversification of the economy. It is now imperative. It is key to the survival of the states and national growth and development. God has been so kind that every state has deposits that could sustain it. Unless we start working on real exploitation of these minerals, more than half of the states would have to be merged within the next four years. I see Dr. Fayemi’s future in national public affairs as very bright. This is contingent on how well he discharges this responsibility. He deserves all the support he can get. For the sake of Nigeria, John Kayode Fayemi must succeed.

  • JKF: One great term deserves another

    JKF: One great term deserves another

    The most memorable moments of life’s varied encounters sometimes come without a force or fanfare. But as events unfold years later, we come to recognize their landmark nature and what truly defined them. Such was my first chanced meeting with the former governor of Lagos State, the icon of democracy, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It remains an unforgettable scenario which was replicated later with the current, highly resourceful governor of Ekiti State, the ‘Land of Honour’, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

    For the former, waves of nostalgia feather me back to 1993.One can still vividly recall that I was just settling down at The Guardian under the tutelage of one of Nigeria’s finest sub-editors of his generation, Gbenga Omotoso. It was during one of the most turbulent periods of the nation’s chequered political history with the crude and callous annulment of the June 12 presidential election, adjudged to have been freely and fairly won by Chief M.K.O Abiola (of blessed memory).

    It was on my assignment to cover the post-election crisis that trailed the annulment by the famed military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, IBB when I first encountered the Asiwaju, one of the pillars of the struggle to actualize that mandate. Back then however, his compelling political pedigree and persona were yet to unfold like the colourful flower’s petals to the sun’s glorious rays before he slipped into exile, to the United States during the Abacha regime‘s dreaded military dictatorship.

    Still, he was elected and sworn in as the governor of Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence, in 1999 I elected to watch his government from a distance. That was, until the charm of his then Chief Press Secretary, Segun Ayobolu drew the attention of notable journalists to his government. Coincidentally, media missiles were then flying all over the political sphere; mostly to ascertain what form and shape his government would take as the take-off itself was up against the clouds precisely in the first six months. But it was not long before he exhibited a master stroke with the whirlwind of a media tour.

    On that momentous occasion, he looked relaxed with a wan smile playing around his lips as he gave details of his master plan to institute enduring structures in Lagos State. Good enough for his administration some six months later his promises had started bearing fruits. What with massive infrastructural development in the critical areas of road construction, education, primary healthcare delivery and the transport sector. With them came free eye screening project, LASTMA and LAMATA just to name a few. The rest, as they say is history.

    Incidentally, a similar scenario was about playing itself out in my encounter with the current governor of Ekiti state, JKF. First, was the opportunity for me to gain from his fecund mind as one enjoyed reading his thematically relevant and thought-provoking essays in the African Guardian where he had worked briefly. That was before one’s professional ship of journalism safely berthed there. Subsequently, I got more acquainted with him when he became a major fighter in the pro-democracy group. That was during the desperate struggle to find answers and validate the June 12, 1993 election impasse.

    Worthy of note was the fact that he was the brain behind the immensely popular Radio Kudirat that sent shivers down the spine of late General Abacha’s military monstrosity. All because of the implicit trust the western world reposed in him, JKF became the dependable link between it and the pro-democracy activists. It is on record that twice he was offered huge sums of money in hard currency, surreptitiously to play the Judas and thwart the collective will of Nigerians and twice he rejected the lure of the lucre which he considered evil.

    On this score, I had no hesitation in throwing my weight behind him when he took the bold decision to throw his hat into the gubernatorial ring of his state. But in a similar vein to the encounter with the Asiwaju, I waited, patiently for two years to critically assess the political situation in Ekiti if he would match words with action. Specifically, in line with the promises he had made during the electioneering campaign and the well articulated Eight-point Agenda.

    Now, some three years on, JKF has indeed, walked the talk; making my generation proud to be associated with a performer-per-excellence. In a paradigm shift from the average Nigerian politician angling for power only for self aggrandizement he has directed the tool of governance to be more people-oriented. From massive infrastructural development through truly free education and human capacity development policy to modernizing agriculture, health care services, industrial development to opening up the beautiful tourists’ attractions for the entire world to see and gender equality, JKF has become the agent of change.

    He made history as the first governor in Nigeria to sign into law the Freedom of Information (FoI) Law on Monday, July 4, 2011.This was to set the template to ensure that government business is conducted with the desired probity and accountability.

    In the area of infrastructural development there are various road construction going on in towns, villages down to the remotest settlements parts of the state. This was attested to during his recent tour across the local governments to commission one project or the other. Not too long ago he commissioned ten major roads totaling 103 km in fulfillment of the promise to make the state accessible by motorable roads by 2014.

    To exhibit the human face nature of his administration, it is a notable fact that Ekiti state is also the first in the country to practically demonstrate a welfare scheme for the aged as the indigent elders are receive N5,000 monthly. Only recently, the federal government keyed into it by expanding the programme to reach selected women in the state. After one year of receiving the stipend they could be offered soft loans to start their businesses. This is commendable and should be emulated by other state governments in the country.

    His imprint in the area of education would remain an enduring legacy. Said he: “The entirety of the programme is about quantitative and quality education from primary to secondary schools. And this is all encompassing involving the students, the teachers, the parents, the corporate and civil organizations and the public. It also involves good infrastructure, the conducive environment and every other value that can aid development in the sector. So, in Ekiti state, no student is asked to pay a kobo as school or whatever fee.”

    Similarly he stated that: “Many dilapidated school buildings which had not been touched for 40 years are being demolished and rebuilt with work at completion stage in various public schools.”

    Not left out is the health sector. For instance, he has commissioned a health centre at Ido Ile and a Skills Acquisition Centre at Iropora Ekiti which were carried out under the State Community and Social Development Agency. There is a regular health monitoring of the citizens through medical check ups which are free in addition to the cancer centre built in memory of the late deputy governor of the state.

    The governor also commissioned five water treatment plants at Ipole Iloro, Efon, Ido Ile, Okemesi and Mary Hill Ado Ekiti as part of people-oriented projects scheduled to mark the second anniversary of his administration. It is geared towards providing potable water to at least 80 per cent of the state population by 2014. In a complementary gesture, all the four dams in the state would become functional as a bulk of the 2014 budget is to be earmarked for the delivery of potable water.

    To up the ante in the tourism sector, the popular Ikogosi Warm Spring has been upgraded with requisite infrastructural development to make it a tourist‘s haven, as some cultural festivals are being rejuvenated to enhance the industry.

    To boost the capacity of the power sector, the people of Odo Uro, a community in Iyin Ekiti are delighted as the governor commissioned a rural electrification project. The work done involved about 0.1km Inter Town Connection (ITC), 1.8km Township Distribution Network (TDN), a 300KVA transformer and street lighting.

    Indeed, if leadership entails the unfailing elements of vision, the uncommon capacity to identify the most pressing needs of the led majority and provide them, the courage to do the right thing at the right time and of course, being a beacon bearer to show the people the way out of the long, dark tunnel of poverty and apathy, Fayemi is an epitome of it all. Having proven his mettle so far, one great term deserves another.

  • JKF: One great term deserves another

    JKF: One great term deserves another

    “Others say it cannot be done. But go ahead and do it!
    That is the stuff history makers are made of.” Anonymous

    The most memorable moments of life’s varied encounters sometimes come without a force or fanfare. But as events unfold years later, we come to recognize their landmark nature and what truly defined them. Such was my first chanced meeting with the former governor of Lagos state, the icon of democracy, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It remains an unforgettable scenario which was replicated later with the current, highly resourceful governor of Ekiti state, the ‘Land of Honour’, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

    For the former, waves of nostalgia feather me back to 1993.One can still vividly recall that I was just settling down at the Guardian Newspaper under the tutelage of one of Nigeria’s finest sub-editors of his generation, Mr.Gbenga Omotosho. It was during one of the most turbulent periods of the nation’s chequered political history with the crude and callous annulment of the June 12 presidential election, adjudged to have been freely and fairly won by Chief M.K.O Abiola (of blessed memory).

    It was on my assignment to cover the post-election crisis that trailed the aforementioned annulment by the famed military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, IBB when I first encountered the Asiwaju, one of the pillars of the struggle to actualize that mandate. Back then however, his compelling political pedigree and persona were yet to unfold like the colourful flower’s petals to the sun’s glorious rays before he slipped into exile, to the United States during the Abacha regime’s dreaded military dictatorship.

    Still, he was elected and sworn in as the governor of Lagos state, the Centre of Excellence, in 1999. I elected to watch his government from a distance. That was, until the charm of his then Chief Press Secretary, Mr.Segun Ayobolu, drew the attention of notable journalists to his government. Coincidentally, media missiles were then flying all over the political sphere; mostly to ascertain what form and shape his government would take as the take-off itself was up against the clouds precisely in the first six months. But it was not long before he exhibited a master stroke with the whirlwind of a media tour.

    On that momentous occasion, he looked relaxed with a wan smile playing around his lips as he gave details of his master plan to institute enduring structures in Lagos State. Good enough for his administration some six months later, his promises had started bearing fruits. What with massive infrastructural development in the critical areas of road construction, education, primary healthcare delivery and the transport sector. With them came free eye screening project, LASTMA and LAMATA just to name a few. The rest, as they say is history.

    Incidentally, a similar scenario was about playing itself out in my encounter with the current governor of Ekiti state, JKF. First, was the opportunity for me to gain from his fecund mind as one enjoyed reading his thematically relevant and thought-provoking essays in the African Guardian where he had worked briefly. That was before one’s professional ship of journalism safely berthed there. Subsequently, I got more acquainted with him when he became a major fighter in the pro-democracy group. That was during the desperate struggle to find answers and validate the June 12, 1993 election impasse.

    Worthy of note was the fact that he was the brain behind the immensely popular Radio Kudirat that sent shivers down the spine of late General Abacha’s military monstrosity. All because of the implicit trust the western world reposed in him, JKF became the dependable link between it and the pro-democracy activists. It is on record that twice he was offered huge sums of money in hard currency, surreptitiously to play the Judas and thwart the collective will of Nigerians and twice he rejected the lure of the lucre which he considered evil.

    On this score, I had no hesitation in throwing my weight behind him when he took the bold decision to throw his hat into the gubernatorial ring of his state. But in a similar vein to the encounter with the Asiwaju, I waited, patiently for two years to critically assess the political situation in Ekiti state if he would match words with action. Specifically, in line with the promises he had made during the electioneering campaign and the well articulated 8-point Agenda.

    Now, some three years on JKF has indeed, walked the talk; making my generation proud to be associated with a performer-per-excellence. In a paradigm shift from the average Nigerian politician angling for power only for self aggrandizement, he has directed the tool of governance to be more people-oriented. From massive infrastructural development through truly free education and human capacity development policy to modernizing agriculture, health care services, industrial development to opening up the beautiful tourists attractions for the entire world to see and gender equality, JKF has become the agent of change.

    He made history as the first governor in Nigeria to sign into law the Freedom of Information (FoI) Law on Monday, July 4, 2011.This was to set the template to ensure that government business is conducted with the desired probity and accountability.

    In the area of infrastructural development there are various road construction going on in towns, villages down to the remotest settlements parts of the state. This was attested to during his recent tour across the local governments to commission one project or the other. Not too long ago he commissioned ten major roads totaling 103 km in fulfillment of the promise to make the state accessible by motorable roads by 2014.

    To exhibit the human face nature of his administration, it is a notable fact that Ekiti state is also the first in the country to practically demonstrate a welfare scheme for the aged as the indigent elders are receiving N5,000 monthly. Only recently,the Federal Government keyed into it by expanding the programme to reach selected women in the state. After one year of receiving the stipend they could be offered soft loans to start their businesses. This is commendable and should be emulated by other state governments in the country.

    His imprint in the area of education would remain an enduring legacy.Said he: “The entirety of the programme is about quantitative and quality education from primary to secondary schools. And this is all encompassing involving the students, the teachers, the parents, the corporate and civil organizations and the public. It also involves good infrastructure, the conducive environment and every other value that can aid development in the sector. So, in Ekiti state, no student is asked to pay a kobo as school or whatever fee.”

    Similarly he stated that: “Many dilapidated school buildings which had not been touched for 40 years are being demolished and rebuilt with work at completion stage in various public schools.”

    Not left out is the health sector. For instance, he has commissioned a health centre at Ido Ile and a Skills Acquisition Centre at Iropora Ekiti which were carried out under the State Community and Social Development Agency. There is a regular health monitoring of the citizens through medical check ups which are free in addition to the cancer centre built in memory of the late deputy governor of the state.

    The governor also commissioned five water treatment plants at Ipole Iloro, Efon, Ido Ile, Okemesi and Mary Hill Ado Ekiti as part of people-oriented projects scheduled to mark the second anniversary of his administration. The aim is geared towards providing potable water to at least 80 per cent of the state population by 2014.In a complementary gesture, all the four dams in the state would become functional as a bulk of the 2013 budget is to be earmarked for the delivery of potable water.

    To up the ante in the tourism sector,the popular Ikogosi Warm Spring has been upgraded with requisite infrastructural development to make it a tourist’s haven, as some cultural festivals are being rejuvenated to enhance the industry.

    To boost the capacity of the power sector, the people of Odo Uro, a communtiy in Iyin Ekiti are delighted as the governor commissioned a rural electrification project. The work done involved about 0.1km Inter Town Connection (ITC), 1.8km Township Distribution Network (TDN), a 300KVA transformer and street lighting.

    Indeed, if leadership entails the unfailing elements of vision, the uncommon capacity to identify the most pressing needs of the led majority and provide them, the courage to do the right thing at the right time and of course, being a beacon bearer to show the people the way out of the long, dark tunnel of poverty and apathy, Governor Kayode Fayemi is an epitome of it all. Having proven his mettle so far, one great term deserves another.

  • JKF at 48: The music has just begun

    JKF at 48: The music has just begun

    In a recent encounter with journalists during an inspection of projects in some parts of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Governor Kayode Fayemi was asked how he manages to raise funds for the numerous projects his administration is undertaking in the state. The reporter had asked the question upon realising that the Operation Renovate All Secondary Schools in Ekiti (ORASE), which led to the renovation of the 183 public secondary schools in the state and the purchase of 40,000 units of furniture for teachers and students cost the state a whopping N2.5billion.

    For a state that is ranked number 35th on the federal allocation ladder and gets a little above N2billion monthly from the federation purse, the reporter’s concern seems apt, especially given the fact that the comprehensive renovation of public schools and the computer-per-child initiative of the administration are running side by side with other projects.

    When the journalist was told that the state would soon commence the comprehensive renovation of all hospitals and primary health care centres in the state beginning from January, he simply retorted: “Your Excellency must be a magician!”

    Fayemi had politely told the reporter that the passion to see poverty and sickness banished from the state and the determination to make the Ekiti the number one destination of choice for business and leisure remain the vital tonic that drives the developmental agenda in Ekiti and provides the creativity that unlocks the required funds. What perhaps is unknown to the journalist is the fact that JKF, as Dr Fayemi is popularly called, remains one of the few leaders in the country who view their call to serve as a privilege and therefore put in everything to ensure that they leave a legacy.

    Caroline Mcloughlin, Executive Director of the Washington-based Centre for Visionary Leadership, vividly captures the essence of visionary leadership in one of her works. According to her, “Visionary leaders are the builders of a new dawn, working with imagination, insight, and boldness. They present a challenge that calls from the best in people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose. Their eyes are on the horizon, not just on the near at hand. They are social innovators and change agents, seeing the big picture and thinking strategically.”

    Mcloughlin’s definition, no doubt, encapsulates those key attributes that have marked JKF as an innovative leader with a great ability to inspire others and an insatiable appetite for setting and attaining developmental goals. Through a combination of forceful imagination, prudent spending, compassion for the led and placing much premium on the concept of doing development with the people, JKF has, in the last two and a half years, been able to launch the state on an irreversible path of development.

    In theory, JKF has espoused the concept of good governance and the concomitant empowerment of the citizens as well as the strengthening of the institutional framework at the various lectures and discussion groups he has participated locally and at the global stage. In practical terms, he demonstrates this in the running of the affairs of Ekiti State by laying emphasis on key elements of good governance, including accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness, responsiveness, the rule of law and forward vision.

    JKF stated this much in his most recent publication – “Reclaiming The Trust.” He admits that what he has brought into governance in the last two years is the kind of trust that is based on and compels competence, openness, concern and reliability. “Trust is a public good; we cannot do great things collectively without trust. But trust has to be earned,” he stresses.

    Within two and half years, Fayemi has been able to place Ekiti on the centre stage by re-awakening the Omoluabi concept in government and laying a solid foundation on which a more prosperous Ekiti would be built. The Social Security Benefit Scheme which pays monthly stipends to indigent elderly citizens of the state; the computer-per-child initiative, where each student in the public secondary schools gets a solar-powered lap top computer are first of its kind in the country. The massive investments in industrial, infrastructure and tourism development in the state as well as diverse youth and women empowerment programmes in an atmosphere devoid of the brigandage and violence of yesteryears have greatly enhanced the profile of the state.

    Perhaps this explains why the rain of endorsements of his person and leadership style continues to pour in torrents since the September 18, 2012 endorsement by a former Nigerian Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule, at the Leadership Awards in Abuja and that of the 26 Pan-Yoruba groups under the auspices of the Oodua Nationalist Coalition (ONAC) in Ibadan, recently.

    As JKF turns 48 today, the question is no longer about what he is capable of doing as a leader. For he has been able to demonstrate his capability as an imaginative leader. Rather, the question will be about what he would not do as a leader. Regarded in some circles as ‘an activist in government’, many believe that his past has adequately prepared him for the present and the future.

    John Kayode Fayemi was born on February 9, 1965 into the family of the late Chief and Mrs. Francis Falade Fayemi. A native of Isan-Ekiti in Oye Local Government, he had his elementary education in Ibadan before attending Christ’s School, Ado- Ekiti for his secondary education between 1975 and 1980.

    He received his first degree in History and Politics from the University of Lagos in 1985, a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), in 1987 and a doctorate in War Studies from the King’s College, University of London, England in 1993, specialising in civilian-military relations and defence planning.

    Prior to his active involvement in politics, Dr. Fayemi  was the pioneer Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa.

    Dr. Fayemi was a Georgetown University Leadership Fellow in 2000 and a Senior Visiting Fellow in African Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA in 2004. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan and was on the Adjunct Faculty of the African Centre for Strategic Studies, National Defence University, USA, between 2001 and 2005.

    He was a member of the Governing Board of the Open Society Justice Institute, New York and African Security Sector Network. He was Technical Adviser to Nigeria’s Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (known as the Oputa Panel) and also served on three Presidential Advisory Committees on Conflict Management and Security Sector Reform; NEPAD and the Millennium Development Goals under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

    An advocate of true federalism, Fayemi has written and lectured extensively on governance and democratisation. He is also a recipient of several awards, fellowships and grants, including the Ford Foundation grant on the Special Initiative on Africa and the Macarthur Foundation research grant. He was named Governor of the Year, 2011 by the Leadership Newspaper.

    With forty and eight fruitful years in the kitty, the music has just started for Fayemi, the one Ekiti people love to call ”Ilufemiloye “.

     

    •Oyebode is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekiti State.