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Tag: Kayode Fayemi

  • Ekiti 2018: Oni, others can’t sabotage Fayemi’s victory – Bamidele

    The Director General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organization, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) entertain no
    fear about the victory of its candidate in the July 14 governorship poll, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Bamidele said he has implicit confidence in the leadership of the party in Ekiti State, including former Governor Segun Oni and his group working for Fayemi to make the victory a resounding and collective one.

    The Director General said these in a statement from his office and signed by his Media Aide, Ahmed Salami in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

    Recently, Oni was linked to a litigation purportedly filed in Abuja seeking the nullification of Fayemi’s victory in the party’s primary on account of his failure to resign as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.

    Commenting on the event that has been causing ripples in APC, Bamidele said he has no reason to doubt Oni and his commitment to Fayemi’s victory
    in this election.

    Bamidele said: “We are not ruling out the possibility of people having some ill-feelings about certain issues in our party, but that should not degenerate to the
    level where people can act as fifth columnists in their own party.

    “Ekiti APC can’t be immuned from crisis just like every other parties because we have diverse backgrounds and our temperaments differ in the way we handle issues. Let me say this, the doors of the party are wide open to entertain complaints and trash them in the interest of everybody.

    “This is not the time to suspect anyone unduly. We should see ourselves as one big family and prevent anyone from hiding under social media to break our ranks.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Fayose will be caged on election day, says Fayemi

    “As the leader of Fayemi’s campaign for this election, we are ready to work with everybody and urge the leaders of all committees working within our campaign structures to be receptive to everybody and refrain from act that can lead to rancor and polarization before this election.

    “Dr Fayemi in his address after clinching the party’s ticket displayed humility by openly expressed his readiness to work with all groups. He later visited other 32 co-contestants for the ticket and this prevented the widely envisaged defections of bigwigs in APC.

    “We are not going into this race with divided mind. We are going into this election to win and we are rest assured that all our members will contribute to this victory.

    “We have no reason to be suspecting these men who decided to join the APC’s moving train, because our party is receptive and we have constitution that guarantees safety for all members.

    “There is no class differences in APC, you can only get that in PDP and that was why the party had always been in perpetual crisis. Our party has
    respect for everybody, regardless of whether you are old or new members.”

  • Fayemi already smelling defeat – Olusola campaign

    The campaign organization of the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Prof Kolapo Olusola has described allegations by the APC candidate,  Dr Kayode Fayemi that Governor Ayodele Fayose was compromising INEC as a function of “a frustrated desperate politician that is already smelling electoral defeat.”

    Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organization,  Lere Olayinka said it was clear that Fayemi was raising alarm to cover up his plans to manipulate himself to power.

    Olayinka,  who maintained that the PDP position is that the July 14 election must be free,  fair and transparent, added that;  “Those banking on federal might to foist themselves on Ekiti people are the ones now crying just to divert attention.

    “We have been preparing for this election since 2016 and Ishaku Abbo was engaged as a consultant since then.

    Read Also: Fayose lied on cattle colony, says Fayemi

    “Whereas,  Fayemi is just running around trying to market a battered image to the same Ekiti people that he maltreated when he was governor and did nothing when he was Minister.

    “Our question is; did we prevent Fayemi and his ilk from also engaging a consultant? Are we the ones who made them to rely solely on federal might instead of the might of God and the people of Ekiti?

    “If they are now being faced with the reality of a failed believe in federal might, shouldn’t they just accept defeat instead of this childish attempt to create a excuse for their impending electoral failure?

    “As for us in the PDP,  with the support of God and Ekiti people that we enjoy,  we are sure of wining the election in a free and fair atmosphere and we are hopeful that INEC will prove Nigerians wrong by conducting a free,  fair and credible election in Ekiti.”

     

  • Fayose lied on cattle colony, says Fayemi

    The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has debunked claim by Governor Ayodele Fayose that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Kayode Fayemi, plans to create cattle colonies across the state for cattle rearers.

    A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity, Wole Olujobi, said that Fayose’s fabrication is a rehash of an earlier online press statement traced to the governor’s media aides who have perfected the art of attributing unpopular positions or comments on public issues to innocent people.

    He said Fayemi is noted for the protection of life and property of his people as shown during his four years in the saddle of Ekiti State government.

    “Fayemi’s position on farmers-herders clash is focussed on protecting lives and property. More lives had been lost during the Fayose administration with his hare-brained policy than it ever happened under our administration.

    Read Also: Ekiti will be great under Fayemi, say aides

    “We ensured harmonious relationship between our indigenous and non-indigenous population and there was absolutely zero tolerance for farm destruction.

    “It is to be noted that all the resources provided for security forces by Fayemi’s administration to protect farming communities particularly in Iyemero and Oke Ako axis were summarily cancelled when Fayose took over the administration of Ekiti State.”

    Counselling Fayose to direct his energies to good governance and transparent conduct of government’s affairs, Olujobi said Fayemi never spoke with any reporter anywhere on the creation of cattle colonies.

    “The false story about Fayemi talking about creating cattle colonies in Ekiti State was first published online about a month ago and it was discovered that it was orchestrated by Fayose’s media aide, who published the story on a cloned website of an online publication.

    “Adebayo Jackson in his latest press statement is just doing a rehash of a dead news item in the most hackneyed manner that Fayose’s media men have been spreading falsehoods in the media space.

    “Fayose and his media handlers have developed notoriety for reckless lies and, unfortunately, they are not ashamed of their integrity being soiled in their unedifying enterprise.

    “Honourable people that cherish their integrity would not take seriously any news items  from Fayose and his men that seek to attribute  unpopular comments on public issues to his political opponents.

    “In the last one year, Fayose’s men have been in the habit of concocting press interviews and attribute unpopular comments and remarks in the interviews to innocent people that never spoke with any reporters.

    “They did it to Fayemi’s wife when they said the woman abused President Muhammadu Buhari for not supporting her husband.

    “They did it to APC State Chairman, Jide Awe, when they concocted an interview that Awe abused Pastor Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Church of God for visiting Fayose in the Government House.

    “They also did it to APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, when Fayose’s media aide concocted a story that Olatunbosun addressed reporters where he purportedly said that Buhari’s wife was involved in Halliburton scandal and asking the woman to defend herself whereas these innocent people never addressed reporters anywhere.

    “It is a pity that the administration of our state is in the hands of the people who are a perfect match in integrity deficiency.

    “Fayose and his men have a background of infamy they are coming from and so we can understand their nuisance.

    “Fortunately, July 14 governorship election is around the corner when these  characters will be chased away from the life of Ekiti State to enable the people reclaim their land and restore their values that have been thrown into the mud by hustlers who have chosen Ekiti State as a trading post for the benefit of one man,” Olujobi said.

  • Fayemi faults Fayose’s claim on Paris Club refund denial

    The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has debunked claims by Governor Ayodele Fayose that the Federal Government is deliberately delaying disbursement of Paris Club cash to the states of the federation to hurt Ekiti State’s bid to pay workers salary.

    Fayose had said that the alleged move by the Federal Government was to incapacitate Ekiti State to pay workers salary to enable the All Progressives Congress (APC) use non-payment of salary as a campaign tool against PDP candidate, Prof Olusola Eleka, in the July 14 governorship election.

    A statement by Fayose’s media aide also alleged that Fayemi’s administration plunged the state into debt, including leaving two months’ salaries unpaid and that N35.34b was being deducted every month from Ekiti allocations to service the debt, arguing that if the governor had N35.34bn, he would not owe workers.

    But a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, faulted the claims, arguing that Fayose was using cheap blackmail to get undeserved public sympathy and support ahead of the July 14 poll and explained that Ekiti total debts while Fayemi was leaving office, according to DMO, was N18b.

    Read Also: Fayose will be caged on election day – Fayemi

    He added that contrary to claim that Fayemi owed two months’ salary, the administration owed just one month salary mainly because Fayose threatened banks not to grant Fayemi a standing facility to pay salary ahead of Abuja allocation.

    He said: “This is a cheap blackmail and characteristic propaganda by Fayose who has taken Ekiti people for fools as he often derides them among his friends; for how can one claim that N35.34b is being spent to service the debt of N18b?

    “How can the Federal Government cripple all the states because of the election in Ekiti State as if President Muhammadu Buhari is like President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that paid Ecological Fund cash to PDP’s states but refused to pay APC states?

    “How did Fayose spend the Paris Club refunds he earlier collected to pay salary but refused to pay workers?

    “Fayose collected a bailout of about N20b in two tranches for workers salary but  diverted all to self-serving projects having earlier taken N2b CBN small-scale business credit scheme but never release one kobo to any small-scale business owner.

    “Fayose collected N2b Ecological Fund, but for close to a year, he consistently lied that he ever collected the money, only to own up when APC approached Ecological Fund office with the Freedom of Information (FOI) instrument to get the fact, and the very week Fayose shamelessly confessed taking the money, he announced Ecological project contract totalling exactly N2b, even though up till now, there is no sign of ecological project across the state as could be seen in ecological disasters that ravaged the state.

    “Again, the governor was secretly collecting N1.3b Budget Support Facility for 14 months to pay salary but he never told workers he was collecting this money on their behalf for salary until he exposed himself when he made similar allegation like the case here that President Muhammadu deliberately withheld Ekiti State allocation.

    “After a long period of blackmail, the Federal Government responded, explaining that it withheld Ekiti cash because Fayose was illegally diverting it to other purposes, and this expose created opportunity for Ekiti workers, for the first time, to know that Fayose was collecting such facility on their behalf to pay salary but consistently diverting it illegally.”

    Olujobi also faulted Fayose’s claim that Fayemi’s administration debts service obligation was hurting the state’s capacity to pay workers.

    He explained: “DMO put Ekiti total official debts at N18b by the time Fayose started blackmailing Fayemi for plunging the state to N86b debts, and by the time Fayose later became more notorious for his lies on Ekiti debts, DMO published the debts by all the states of the federation, revealing that Fayose had borrowed N56b between 2014 and 2018.

    “Records have also shown that Fayose is presently paying N1.7b monthly in monthly salary, but still fraudulently claims that the figure remains the same as N2.6b that Fayemi was paying after Fayose removed about 40,000 names from the wage bill he inherited from Fayemi.”

    Urging Fayose to disclose the IGR profile allegedly kept in secret accounts; JKF Campaign spokesman said Ekiti people and workers in particular had become wiser after discovering that their governor had been “unconscionably running Ekiti State like a buka where accountability is zero”.

    Stressing that Ekiti people can no longer be fooled by deceits; he urged workers to insist on their salaries and should not to be deceived by an administration that sees Ekiti State as a jackpot for private comfort.

    He also urged Fayose to stop lying that he owed workers four months’ salary, asking the governor to pay six months he owed state workers, seven months for workers in tertiary institutions, local government eight months, teaching hospital seven while pensioners were owed 11 months.

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayose will be caged on election day, says Fayemi

    Says APC will restore good governance

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has assured the people of Ekiti State of adequate security on July 14 when they will go to polls to elect a new governor.

    Fayemi urged eligible voters to come out and exercise their civic rights and not to be intimidated by Governor Ayo Fayose’s alleged threats to cause mayhem on election day.

    The APC flag bearer declared that the incumbent governor will be caged on the day of election as he (Fayose) will only be allowed to vote and go back to his house in Afao.

    He said: “We will ensure adequate security for voters on election day because if you are not well protected, the election will not be free, far, credible, transparent, genuine and acceptable.

    “Fayose cannot threaten or intimidate anybody on the day of election. Fayose will only be allowed to cast his vote and he will go back to his house in Afao.”

    Fayemi who spoke on Thursday while on campaign tour to communities in Ido/Osi Local Government Area said he was on a mission to rescue Ekiti people from poverty, misery, bad governance and put the state on the path of good governance, progress and development.

    Communities visited by Fayemi include Ifaki, Orin, Ora, Aaye, Ifisin, Igbole, Osi, Ido, Ilogbo, Usi and Ayetoro where more People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and members defected to the APC.

    Read Also: End of suffering is near in Ekiti, says Fayemi

    Fayemi was joined at the rallies by the deputy governorship rally, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi; Ekiti APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe; former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye; former House of Assembly Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin; former House of Assembly member, Mrs. Bunmi Oriniowo and a senatorial aspirant, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu.

    The APC flag bearer said Fayose, his party, PDP, and the candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, have nothing to showcase in those communities in the last three-and-half years noting that the projects being enjoyed by the people were the ones he (Fayemi) executed in his first tenure.

    Fayemi said projects like civic centres, health centres, five kilometer community roads, school and hospital renovations are flagship projects that will swing votes in APC’s favour.

    He promised that all the human capital development policies like payment of monthly stipends to the aged, free health services, free education, and payment of WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB fees for pupils in public schools will return the movement an APC government takes over in October.

    Fayemi also promised more Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) assisted projects, employment through Peace Corps, Ekiti Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA), return of Core Subject Allowances and Rural Teachers’ Allowances, regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ benefits.

    According to him, a special health intervention programme for Obas and chiefs tagged “Ilera Laafin,” Local Council Development Areas, Volunteer Corps scheme, among others will return.

    He also debunked the PDP allegation that he would sack teachers and civil servants noting that workers enjoyed salary increase three times during his first tenure.

    Fayemi lampooned Fayose for owing core civil servants, local government workers and teachers between five and nine months salaries expressing regret that no worker had collected salaries meant for this year (2018).

    He said it was an act of irresponsibility and insincerity for the governor to be calling himself a friend of civil servants and teachers and still owe them arrears of salaries despite getting financial reliefs from the Federal Government.

    The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development declared that the PDP will meet its waterloo on election day as Ekiti people who had allegedly been deceived will show the umbrella party the way out of the Government House.

    He urged party members and voters to go back to their units and work noting that election is not won on the social media but at the polling units.

    Fayemi added: “Let’s deal with them (PDP) with our votes, we are going to give them a bloodied nose with our votes on July 14 because Fayemi of today is different from that of Thursday.

    “If the PDP people come here, they have nothing to campaign with and that is why they are resorting to lies but they have exhausted their lies.

    “Go to your units, vote and protect your votes. Election is not done on Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp, the votes are at the polling units.

    “APC will give a better life to our people, we have done it before and with your support, we will do it again because our legacies are all around the state for everybody to see.”

  • Ekiti 2018: Osinbajo, Tinubu, twelve governors urge residents to vote Fayemi

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged the people of Ekiti State to cast their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the July 14 governorship election.

    Osinbajo said Ekiti people stand to benefit a lot from the APC both at the federal and state levels if they elect Fayemi as their governor in the eagerly awaited poll.

    He described Fayemi as a tested politician and administrator who has acquired enough experience to manage the resources of the state and provide quality leadership.

    The nation’s number two man spoke on Tuesday at the governorship flag off rally held at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to formally herald campaigns ahead of the July 14 poll.

    Osinbajo was accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; APC National Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun; National Secretary, Mala Mai Buni and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

    The APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urged Ekiti people to elect Fayemi as their governor at the poll. He said Ekiti should not remain the lone ranger in the Southwest but should join the progressives fold.

    The APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, officially presented the party’s governorship flag to Fayemi, who was joined by his running mate, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi at the rally witnessed by a mammoth crowd.

    Oyegun also formally received the former Minister of State for Works and former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) national spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye into the APC.

    Adeyeye was joined by the Ekiti State House of Assembly member representing Ise/Orun Constituency, Mr. Adeniran Alagbada, former Special Adviser on Transportation, Chief Bosun Osaloni and other former PDP faithful into the APC.

    Governors who appeared at the rally include Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulAzeez Yari (Zamfara), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Godwin Obaseki (Edo).

    Read Also: Ekiti PDP lawmaker joins APC

    Serving ministers who stormed Ekiti to show solidarity with Fayemi are Mansur Dan Ali (Defence), Abubakar Bawa Bwari (Mines and Steel Development) and Lai Mohammed (Information and Culture).

    Also at the rally are former APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; former Ekiti State Governors, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo and Chief Segun Oni; former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    Osinbajo said: “God has chosen this lucky man (Fayemi) to bring good governance and purposeful leadership to the people of Ekiti State.

    “On July 14, don’t look elsewhere but look forward to voting APC. APC is a party that means well for the people, APC is a party of progressive people.

    “We have come here to give you a delicious soup in Ekiti; JKF (Fayemi) is that lucky man chosen to bring positive change to Ekiti.

    “On July 14, vote JKF and Ekiti will witness progress, development and good governance.

    “God has brought a blessed man, who is Dr Kayode  Fayemi. He will do Ekiti a lot of good if elected governor. He will bring development to your doorsteps.

    “On July 14, don’t look back or side way, just look forward to a good future ahead of you by voting for Fayemi. APC is a party of progress.

    “Let us vote for APC in this election. APC will help Ekiti to develop, because the PDP has outlived its usefulness.”

    Tinubu said change is needed by Ekiti people noting that the Land of Honour should not be excluded from the broom revolution sweeping across Nigeria.

    He described Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as the Red Card to be shown to the PDP at the governorship election.

    Tinubu said: “This is the only place where change is necessary now, this is the broom revolution. Raising the broom is not enough, what is your value of coming here if you don’t have PVCs?

    “If you really want progress, what is the essence of you staying here from morning till now without having PVCs.  Ekiti won’t go back to sadness and poverty.

    “The PVCs represent your red card on the day of election. I want you to give PDP a red card on the day of election.

    “We have been giving PDP yellow cards all this while but on the election day, we are giving them the red card.

    “We took Fayemi to the federal level, he was Minister where Osinbajo is Vice President but Ekiti is now a lone ranger.

    “This is your son, we have taught him, he is a friend of the President. We are going to do the election together

    “He now understands the game. I want you to vote him 100 percent on July 14.”

    Oshiomhole said: “We thank God that we have swept them away. I was on my way here from Edo in 2014 when Fayemi was seeking reelection when the PDP stopped me at Benin Airport, even as a sitting governor. PDP was known for abuse of power and their days were gone.

    “Ekiti is the most educated state in Nigeria and I knew you voted for Fayemi in 2014, because Ekiti has highest pupil enrollment in schools then and I know that a state that is highly educated like Ekiti could not have voted for a roadside banana eater.

    “On July 14, it is one man, one vote, one woman, one vote. Your votes will count this time. Nobody will tinker with it”, he said.

    The Chairman of the National Campaign Council and Kebbi State Governor Bagudu, said Nigeria has been in safe hands since 2015 when President Buhari and Osinbajo took over, urging Ekiti to join the moving train in this coming election.

    “If Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Plateau and Kebbi could embrace APC, Ekiti must do same, because we represent progress.”

    Governors Amosun, Aregbesola, Bello, Ajimobi, Ahmed, Akeredolu and Bagudu, who also spoke urged the electorate to vote Fayemi to bring unprecedented progress to the state.

    Fayemi said he was humbled by the gesture of solidarity from the party’s leaders urging Ekiti voters to sweep away a “useless government.”

    Fayemi while addressing supporters promised that all the programmes initiated by his administration but abrogated by the present government will be restored in the interest of the populace.

    He said: “They (PDP) said they want continuity, is it continuity of lack, continuity of poverty, continuity of 419, continuity of bad governance, continuity of suffering, continuity of non-payment of salaries, continuity of our pupils paying taxes in schools?

    “The Youth in Agriculture, Youth Volunteer Scheme, the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency, Social Security Scheme of the Aged, both in Commercial Agriculture, Local Council Development Ares, Peace Corps and other landmark programmes will come back.

    “Governor Ayo Fayose said he wanted continuity, I know Ekiti won’t subscribe to continuity of poverty, wanton neglect, fraud and pauperization of our people in the name of governance.

    “By God’s grace July 14 is our date with destiny, a day PDP will be totally obliterated, a day that suffering will stop.

    “We will reclaim our land, its day decency, discipline, decorum and good essence of democracy will return to our land.”

    Former Ekiti State Governor Adebayo said the INEC won’t listen to plea by some groups that the federal government should not deploy soldiers and police for the election.

    Adeyeye said PDP is dead in Ekiti as many of its chieftains and members are defecting to APC on daily basis.

    He said: “PDP is dead in Ekiti, it will never rise again, it has been uprooted and we will set it on fire. A lot of PDP members have defected to APC.

    “This is the Deputy Leader of the Assembly joining APC; four years ago, that thief is shouting 16-0 but he neglected those who made it possible.

    “We have visited eight local government areas, PDP members are decamping every day and when the President comes here, all of them will show up because there is nothing like PDP again in Ekiti.”

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi slam Fayose for owing Ekiti monarchs arrears

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has promised to end the sufferings being experienced by the people of the state under the administration of Governor Ayo Fayose.
    Fayemi accused Fayose of inflicting hardship on the various segments of the population including workers, school pupils, parents, business owners transporters and traditional rulers.
    He revealed that apart from workers owed arrears of between five and nine month arrears of salaries, Fayose is also allegedly owing traditional rulers five month arrears of allowances.
    Fayemi also berated the governor for refusing to disclose the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) since coming to power in 2014.
    Speaking during a special interview programme on Voice 89.9 FM Sunday night, Fayemi said Fayose had no excuse to be owing workers noting that N253 billion has accrued to the Ekiti treasury apart from other financial reliefs from the APC federal Government.
    A vote for the APC ticket, according to him, is a vote for commitment to the positive transformation of Ekiti, experience in governance and connection with Abuja to influence development in favour of the state and its people.
    Fayemi promised to expand the scope of his eight-point agenda to launch Ekiti on the path of development again regretting that the state has retrogressed under Fayose’s watch as the governor has discarded human development policies of the preceding government.
    He regretted that Fayose allegedly played politics and denied Ekiti the opportunity of accessing funds meant for rice production by the Federal Government despite the fact that an Ekiti indigene his (Fayemi’s) former Commissioner, Mr. Jide Arowosafe is in charge of the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
    Fayemi stated that states like Kebbi, Jigawa and Ogun had benefited from noting that Ekiti would have used the funds to develop rice production in Igbemo-Ekiti and other rice belts in the state.
    The APC flag bearer also debunked the allegation of the PDP-led government that he is seeking a return to power to revenge against workers saying he is on a rescue mission and not on vengeance mission against anybody.
    He said: “On what basis should I come on a vengeance mission? Nobody has offended me, the secret of June 21st 2014 is quite open to us all. We all know of Capt. Koli, Koro (Obanikoro) and few others.”
    Criticizing Fayose for alleged anti-people policies, Fayemi said: “You refused to pay teachers for ten months but you are saying ‘we may not pay your salaries but the man coming wants to sack you.’
    “During Fayemi’s (first) administration, no final year secondary school student paid WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB fees but now, pupils from primary to SS3 students are now paying taxes.
    “He called teachers to the Government House sometime ago and a woman among them told him the truth. My government didn’t charge any pupil or student a dime.
    “We ran a qualitative, free and functional education while I was the governor. Pupils now pay tax, pay for SSCE, no more free JAMB forms. Ekiti now has the lowest enrollment in Education in Southwest as it is today which is strange to us all.
    “We didn’t owe workers monthly salary except for September 2014 and this was because the (then) incoming government approached our financial institutions and opted to halt our arrangements.
    “We had regular training and re-training for workers in Ekiti, we paid core subject allowances, rural allowances to teachers, car loans, housing loans to our workers.
    “I heard that all what I did for Obas have been stopped, in fact, our Obas are being owed five months salaries. Did all these happen when I was in government?”
    Fayemi added that Fayose’s alleged harsh and unfriendly policies have driven investors away with many businesses closing down leading to loss of jobs.
    “Our administration revived Ire Burnt Bricks Industry, brought back Ikogosi Warm Spring, enterprise grew in Ekiti during my time. When I came in, the only two prominent hotels were Pathfinder and Fountain and there was deluge of people coming.
    “I spoke with all these people and they brought their investment here but when I left, they all regretted but today, GTB is gone, Coca Cola is gone, Ire Burnt Bricks is struggling and Gossy Water is dead because Fayose’s government is anti-investment.
    “IGR rose to N600m before I left office as we declared what came in monthly but no one has heard of Ekiti IGR since I left.”
    Fayemi said all what he did with Ekiti funds during his first term in office are there for all to see as his government paid stipends to aged people, youth volunteers, constructed roads, palaces, markets, civic centres, town halls and other key projects.
    He assured that the APC administration apart from putting an end to the suffering of Ekiti people will execute policies that will boost their standard of living.

  • Fayemi slams Fayose for owing Ekiti monarchs Five months arrears

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has promised to end the sufferings being experienced by the people of the state under the administration of Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Fayemi accused Fayose of inflicting hardship on the various segment of the population including workers, school pupils, parents, business owners and traditional rulers.

    He revealed that apart from workers owed arrears of between five and nine month arrears of salaries, Fayose is also allegedly owing traditional rulers five month arrears of allowances.

    Fayemi also slammed the governor for refusing to disclose the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) since coming to power in 2014.

    Speaking during a special interview programme on Voice 89.9 FM Sunday night, Fayemi said Fayose had no accuse to be owing workers noting that N253 billion has accrued to the Ekiti treasury.

    A vote for the APC ticket, according to him, is a vote for commitment to the positive transformation of Ekiti, experience in governance and connection with Abuja to influence things in favour of the state and its people.

    Fayemi promised to expand the scope of his eight-point agenda to launch Ekiti on the path of development again regretting that the state has retrogressed under Fayose’s watch as the governor has discarded human development policies of the preceding government.

    He regretted that Fayose allegedly played politics and denied Ekiti the opportunity of accessing funds meant for rice production by the Federal Government despite the fact that an Ekiti indigene his (Fayemi’s) former Commissioner, Mr. Jide Arowosafe.

    Fayemi stated that states like Kebbi, Jigawa and Ogun had benefited from noting that Ekiti would have used the funds to develop rice production in Igbemo-Ekiti and other rice belts in the state.\

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Election ‘Fire’ will consume Fayose, says Fayemi

    The APC flag bearer also debunked the allegation of the PDP-led government that he is seeking a return to power to revenge against workers saying he is on a rescue mission and not on vengeance mission against anybody.

    He said: “On what basis should I come on a vengeance mission? Nobody has offended me, the secret of June 21st 2014 is quite open to us all. We all know of Capt. Koli, Koro (Obanikoro) and few others.”

    Criticizing Fayose for alleged anti-people policies, Fayemi said: “You refused to pay teachers for ten months but you are saying ‘we may not pay your salaries but the man coming wants to sack you.’

    “During Fayemi’s (first) administration, no final year secondary school student paid WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and JAMB fees but now, pupils from primary to SS3 students are now paying taxes.

    “He called teachers to the Government House sometime ago and a woman among them told him the truth. My government didn’t charge any pupil or student a dime.

    “We ran a qualitative, free and functional education while I was the Governor. Pupils now pay Tax, pay for SSCE, no more free JAMB forms. Ekiti now has the lowest enrollment in Education in Southwest as it is today which is strange to us all.

    “We didn’t owe workers monthly salary except for September 2014 and this was because the incoming governments approached our financial institutions and opt to halt our arrangements.

    “We had regular training and re-training to workers in Ekiti, we paid core subject allowances, rural allowances to teachers, car loans, housing loans to our workers.

    “I heard that all what I did for Obas have been stopped, in fact, our Obas are being owed five months salaries. Did all these happen when I was in government?”

    Fayemi added that Fayose’s alleged harsh and unfriendly policies have driven investors away with many businesses closing down leading to loss of jobs.

    “Our administration revived Ire Burnt Bricks Industry, brought back Ikogosi Warm Spring, enterprise grew in Ekiti during my time. When I came in, the only two prominent hotels are Pathfinder and Fountain and there was deluge of people coming.

    “I spoke with all these people and they brought their investment here but when I left, they all regretted but today, GTB is gone, Coca Cola is gone, Ire Burnt Bricks is struggling and Gossy Water is dead because Fayose’s government is anti-investment.

    “IGR rose to N600m before I left office as we declared what came in monthly but no one has heard of Ekiti IGR since I left.”

    Fayemi said all what he did with Ekiti funds during his first term in office are there for all to see as his government paid stipends to aged people, youth volunteers, constructed roads, palaces, markets, civic centres, town halls and other key projects.

    He assured that the APC administration apart from putting an end to the suffering of Ekiti people will execute policies that will boost their standard of living.

  • Ekiti 2018: Bamidele named Fayemi’s campaign DG

    Former House of Representatives member, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, has been named as the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Ekiti State.

     

    The APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, announced the appointment at a news conference in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday shortly after the party inaugurated the State Campaign Council.

     

    The State Campaign Council, he said, will work with the National Campaign Council headed by Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu to achieve victory for the party at the July 14 poll.

     

    Chairmen of the various committees in the State Campaign Council include Otunba Niyi Adebayo (Finance) Hon Femi Bamsile (Mobilisation Committee), Mrs Bisi Fayemi (Women Committee), Hon Omowumi Ogunlola (Welfare and Protocol), Mr. Biodun Fasakin (Legal Committee), Mr. Taiwo Olatunbosun (Media and Publicity), Mr. Alaba Abejide (Contact),

    Dr Bayo Orire (Health), Mr. Femi Ogundare (Youth), Group Capt. Ropo Ayegbusi (Security) and Chief Awe (Special Purpose).

     

    Fayemi revealed that the flag off rally will be held on June 19 by the party’s national leadership while the final grand rally has been slated for July 10 to be led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

     

    He added that many bigwigs in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will defect to APC in the course of the electioneering.

     

    The APC flag bearer said the campaign will reach all the 130 towns and villages in the state to sell the party’s development agenda to the electorate.

     

    Fayemi, also used the forum to debunk a story in a national newspaper (not The Nation) that Bamidele has been flown to the United Kingdom for post-surgery treatment.

     

    The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development disclosed that he was with Bamidele in Lagos till 1.00 am on Sunday where he is recuperating from the wounds received at a shooting incident at the party secretariat on June 1.

     

    Fayemi explained that Bamidele had been nominated for the position of campaign chief before the shooting incident and would remain in that position despite his present condition.

     

    “We thank God that those injured during the last (shooting) incident are recuperating well and I want to emphasize that Hon. Bamidele is in Nigeria, he has not gone anywhere.

     

    “Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele is still with Nigeria, I was with him this morning and he is fast recuperating well.

     

    “He is well and recuperating and anytime he decides to leave Nigeria, we will share the information. He intends to be in Nigeria until the times he decides to leave.

     

    “Hon. Bamidele has accepted to be the Director General of the Campaign and in his absence (for now), the Deputy Director General will carry on with the work in collaboration with the party.”

     

    Fayemi disclosed that the full campaign of the APC commences on Monday with a visit to Ekiti East Local Government Area noting that house-to-house and unit-by-unit canvassing had begun earlier.

     

    He added that his team has been meeting with various interest groups like market women, core civil servants, teachers, artisans, private sector, youths, students, election observers, among others.

     

    Fayemi disclosed that another team led by the deputy governorship campaign, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, has been meeting with traditional rulers seeking their support for the APC ticket.

     

    While noting that there is a lot of interest in the Ekiti poll, Fayemi said he and his team had met with representatives of the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Election Situation Room.

     

    He said: “We have an intelligence that some individuals were planning to cause mayhem in the course of the electioneering but expressed confidence in the security agencies to deal with any situation that may arise.”

     

    Fayemi gave a commitment on behalf of his party to run a peaceful campaign while calling on security agencies to protect party members against any form of attack.

     

    He added: “Security agencies met with our chairman and chairmen of other parties and we have furnished them with the intelligence of a plot to wreak violence.

     

    “We believe our security agencies will do everything possible to prevent outbreak of violence. During our campaigns, we will continue to receive members from the opposition party (PDP).

     

    “Senior figures (In PDP) will keep decamping to our party and we will continue to receive them. It will be clear to you that by the time the process ends, no one will be left in the PDP.

     

    “As far as we are concerned in APC, we remain united and intact and every aspirant has donated one thing or the other including vehicles and their men to the campaign.”

     

    Earlier, the APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, promised to give the State Campaign Council and its various committees maximum support to achieve victory.

     

    Awe urged party members to go to all nooks and crannies of the state to sell their candidate to the electorate.

  • Fayemi hands over ministry to Acting Minister

    Dr Kayode Fayemi, the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, on Wednesday officially handed over the leadership of the ministry to the Minister of State, Alhaji Abubakar Bwari.

    Kayode handed over documents in his custody in Abuja, to enable Bwari to execute the functions of the ministry appropriately.

    According to him, much is still needed to be done to make the sector a mining destination.

    He commended the acting minister who served as minister of state under him, saying that his support and wise counsel helped in moving the sector forward.

    Bwari appreciated the minister for time spent together, adding that both of them served in oneness, unity and understanding.

    Read Also: Updated: FEC bids Fayemi farewell

    “There were no grudges between us when we were serving together; that is why we were able to move the sector forward.

    “I want to use this opportunity to apologise to Fayemi, in case I had offended him at the course of performing our duties together.

    He said that Fayemi did his best at the local and international levels to move the sector forward and also impacted greatly in the lives of the ministry’s staff.

    Mr Zubairu Abdulahi, the Director of Human Resources who spoke on behalf of the directors in the ministry, wished the outgoing minister well in his future endeavours.

     

    NAN