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Tag: Olusola

  • Ekiti poll: Olusola’s petition’d strengthen democracy, says Fayemi

    •’He can’t get backdoor victory’

    Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has hailed the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the July 14, 2018 governorship election, Prof Kolapo Olusola, for ventilating his grievances at the Election Petition Tribunal.

    Olusola on Friday filed a petition of over 700 pages at the registry, urging the Tribunal to declare him winner of the governorship poll claiming to have scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

    But Fayemi in a statement yesterday by Director of Media and Publicity of his Campaign Office, Wole Olujobi, said the action was a welcome development to strengthen democratic practice.

    It noted it is a constitutional right of the petitioner as enshrined in the Electoral Act to do so.

    “Even though it is the petitioner’s right to seek legal redress in his complaint, it is a fact that the July 14 governorship election that returned Dr Kayode Fayemi is one of the best elections conducted by INEC in this country in which the will of the people was freely expressed through the ballot box.

    “For this reason, Fayemi won one of the best, freest and fairest elections in Nigeria as attested to by the elite election monitoring group, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), which rattled Governor Ayodele Fayose, who thereafter assembled fake observers group populated by PDP members who tried to discredit the exercise.

    “We won the election in a very free and fair manner and we have no doubt that the tribunal will find this to be the case too in theirfinal judgment.

    “Judgment on the petition will be in accordance to the law and not to the terms of the petitioner, and so Eleka cannot be a judge in this case as he sought to do in his petition.

    “Now that he has filed his petition, he should leave the tribunal to decide if he won or not and not to prejudge, as the petitioner tried to do in his complaint to the tribunal.”

    The Deputy Director General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Council, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi, has described Olusola’s filing of petition against Fayemi’s victory as an “exercise in futility.”

    Faparusi maintained that the election of Fayemi reflected the will of Ekiti people and that not even the petition filed by Olusola or any other party can upturn the verdict.

    The former House of Representatives member added that the party will assemble highly experienced legal team that would confront the PDP and its candidate and prevent them from getting victory through the backdoor.

     

  • Olusola yet to submit petition as tribunal opens secretariat

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, has not filed his petition to challenge the election result announced on July 15.

    Olusola was defeated by Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 poll.

    Fayemi polled 197,459 votes to beat Olusola, who got 178,121 votes.

    The deputy governor claimed the result was manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in alleged collusion with security agencies to favour the APC and its flag bearer.

    The Election Petition Tribunal has opened its secretariat to receive petitions from aggrieved parties that participated in the poll.

    The tribunal’s secretariat opens at the State High Court Complex, Justice Ademola Ajakaye House, State Judiciary Headquarters, Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti.

    When The Nation visited the secretariat yesterday, the Tribunal Secretary, Mr. Abubakar Sidiq, was not on seat to respond to enquiries.

    But a secretariat official, who refused to disclose his name, said the tribunal had not received a petition from Olusola, the PDP or any other candidate or parties that participated in the election.

    He said: “The secretariat of the tribunal and the workers are fully on the ground. We are ready to receive petition from any party, anytime they are willing to file.

    “We are here for them and we are waiting. But as of today (yesterday), no petition has come in.”

    Aggrieved parties and candidates wishing to challenge the result announced by INEC have 21 days from the date of the announcement of results to file petitions.

    The 21-day window is expected to close on August 3.

    The tribunal is expected to deliver final judgment 180 days from the date of filing the petition challenging the result.

  • Ekiti APC to Fayose, Olusola: accepts people’s wishes

    THE Ekiti State All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised Governor Ayo Fayose and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Prof. Kolapo Olusola to accept the wishes of people who gave their mandate to the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    The party also hailed President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC leaders for their unflinching support in bringing Ekiti back into progressives fold.

    The victory, Awe said, demonstrated the confidence and trust by “our people in the overall outstanding leadership of President Buhari’s APC-led administration”.

    The Ekiti State APC Chairman, Chief Olajide Awe, in a statement yesterday, said Fayemi was chosen because he was considered by the electorate as having a proven track record of performance and integrity.

    Awe, who also congratulated the deputy governor-elect, Otunba Bisi

    Egbeyemi, expressed confidence that Fayemi would bring the needed turnaround to Ekiti State, hence he needs focused leadership to translate his dreams for the state to reality.

    He expressed the gratitude to the Ekiti electorate for voting conscientiously for the party and expressed his gratitude to the good people of the state for their impressive turnout and peaceful conduct during the election exercise.

    He, however, called for calm and appealed to the opposition parties and their candidates to accept defeat in good faith.

  • Olusola heads for tribunal to challenge result

    Defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Prof. Kolapo Olusola, said yesterday he will challenge Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi’s victory  at the Tribunal.

    He described Fayemi’s victory as “the most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history.”

    Speaking to reporters at his office, Olusola claimed he won the election with more than 70 per cent of valid votes cast and vowed to reclaim his ‘mandate’ through judicial means.

    He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) used the  federal might to pervert the electoral process, subvert the will of Ekiti people and viciously steal the “mandate’freely given” to him.

    Olusola said: “I therefore reject the falsified results being bandied by the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC)  which purportedly gave the election to the All Progressives Congress and its candidate; Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.

    “This is the most audacious electoral robbery of our recent history. It shall not stand. By the grace of Almighty God and your support, I will pursue and regain my mandate.

    “To rig this election, the APC leveraged its well-advertised but patently obnoxious and anti-democratic “Federal might” to intimidate, harass, victimize, oppress, and brutalize PDP leaders, members, and the voting public all over Ekiti.

    “This brutal and barbaric process, which started well before the election, did not spare Gov. Ayo Fayose and me; as the whole world had seen and had condemned. It is quite unfortunate that the harassment has continued even after the election.

    “On Saturday, July 14th, the security agencies and INEC upped the ante, threw all caution to the wind, went back on their promises to be impartial and to conduct credible elections; they sided with APC and Fayemi to the chagrin of our party, myself, and the good people of Ekiti State.”

    Some of the alleged infractions, Olusola promised to challenge in court include the alleged indiscriminate arrest of our party leaders and agents and the harassment and brutalization of voters on a massive scale, especially in Ado-Ekiti, Ikere and the suburbs.

    Olusola also complained on alleged giving cover, tacit as well as active support to thugs imported into Ekiti by APC to snatch ballot boxes, create confusion, cause mayhem, and drive away voters in PDP strongholds.

    He also promised to provide evidence on the alleged giving of cover to APC agents as they financially and openly induced voters and bought votes at polling stations.

    Olusola deplored alleged driving away our polling agents from collation centres and illegal seizure of documents and materials in their possession, among many other infractions.”

     

     

     

    He added: “INEC on its own part reneged on its promise to have results counted, declared, and pasted on the wall of each polling station.

    There was nowhere INEC transmitted results from the polling centres as earlier promised.

    “Ballot boxes were illegally moved to INEC offices while our agents were disallowed from following the process. INEC also allowed late voting by APC in hideouts when it was obvious the figures still would not add up after all the infractions mentioned above.

    “Still, when all of these shenanigans still failed to give them the figures they needed, they stopped the announcement of results ward-by-ward, caused a deliberate power outage at the collation

    centre, with no alternative source of power provided for a long time, and then wrote results in favour of APC and its candidate.

    “Without doubt, what has played out in Ekiti is the APC template for the 2019 General Election, where they have mapped out Rivers and Akwa Ibom as States they must capture at all costs, like they are now trying to do Ekiti.

    “It is now left for the opposition and opposition figures, most especially presidential hopefuls in 2019, to stand up to be counted in the struggle to roll back President Muhammadu Buhari’s creeping

    fascism, or throw in the towel without a fight.

    “This is not just a sad day for Ekiti but also for democracy in Nigeria. Nothing demonstrates this better than the gloom that has enveloped our dear State since they announced their convoluted

    result.”

    PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus urged Nigerians who believe in democracy and rule of law not to be deterred by “the obvious vote robbery in Ekiti State on Saturday.”

    He said  the result  would not stand the test of time.

    In a statement from his media office, Secondus said: “What I want to assure Nigerians and other lovers of democracy and rule of law is that PDP and its partners are undaunted and will not look back until this country is rescued from the hands of bad rulers”

    “I want to thank in particular the new coalition for the rescue of Nigeria, the CUPP for their support and determination to free Nigeria from the hands of APC misrule.

    “The signs are there both in the spirit and physical world that God has decided to rescue Nigeria and the journey has since begun, what we need is patience and steadfastness”

  • Fed Govt spending Abacha loot to win poll for Fayemi, says Olusola

    People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Kolapo Olusola, has alleged that the Federal Government has set aside part of the $321 million loot of the late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha for tomorrow’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

    He claimed that about $50 million of the recovered loot was ferried from Abuja in a chartered flight through Akure Airport and conveyed to Ekiti State in two bullion vans to be spent in support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    The Director, Media and Publicity of Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation, Lere Olayinka, also alleged in a statement yesterday that “preliminary findings” indicated that N2.5 billion cash was transferred by the Kebbi State Government to an account in UBA, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

    He said: “We called you here to intimate the public through your various media organisations of the movement of huge cash by the federal government to Ekiti State for the Saturday election.

    “Last week Saturday, two bullion vehicles were moved to the Akure Airport to evacuate cash brought from Abuja by a chartered flight.

    “The flight landed when it was raining and all staff of the airport were barred from going near the aircraft while the cash was evacuated into the two bullion vehicles.

    “After offloading the huge cash, the bullion van first moved to the Ondo State Government House in Akure from where they left for Isan Ekiti, the hometown of the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.”

    On the alleged cash from Kebbi State, he said: “It was withdrawn immediately and moved with a private jet to Akure.

    “Also, apart from the N2.5 billion, another $50m (about N18bn) was taking from the $321m recovered from the late Abacha family.

    “Our question is, how can a government that claimed to be fighting corruption released billions of naira from the public coffers for the governorship election of a single State? Where is their fight against corruption?”

    Olusola called on Nigerians to note this wanton looting of public fund by the APC government to fund election of its members.

    “We must tell Fayemi and his APC that the conscience of the people of Ekiti cannot be purchased and we call on the people of Ekiti to resist the planned use of stolen fund to buy their votes of Saturday,” he added.

    Olusola also called the attention of the public to alleged intimidation and harassment of PDP members by men of the Department of State Services and policemen.

    “Already, Akin Fakorede, an officer of the Federal SARS has been posted to Ekiti State, ostensibly to play the same ignoble role that he played during the Rivers State election.

    “Let me say it clearly that no amount of intimidation will scare our people away from the polling units where they will vote for the PDP on Saturday.

    “We have the people behind us and they are more than ready to give our candidate their votes on Saturday.”

  • Fayose meets pensioners, seeks support for Olusola

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Monday held a meeting with pensioners, urging them to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    Fayose and the retirees under the auspicies of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) at the parley held at the Kolapo Olusola Campaign Office in Fajuyi area of Ado-Ekiti discussed the welfare of members.

    The governor disclosed that his administration had saved another N250 million with the Ekiti State Pension Commission.

    He directed that the cash be disbursed to defray part of the eight month arrears owed the retirees before Friday, July 13.

    Fayose thanked the senior citizens for the privilege given him to serve as the chief executive for the second time, urging them to vote Olusola on Saturday.

    He said a vote for Olusola would help consolidate on the achievements of his administration, adding that his preferred successor would accord priority to their welfare.

    The governor said the financial challenges facing his administration was responsible for inability to pay their entitlements as and when due. He assured the retirees a better deal when as soon as the financial situation of the state improves.

    Some of the retirees expressed regret that their monthly pensions have become irregular.

    They commended Fayose for the promise to commence payment on Friday, which they noted would bring relief to them.

  • Why Olusola should succeed Fayose, by lawmaker

    Ekiti State House of Assembly member Afolabi Akanni yesterday said Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola Eleka should succeed Governor Ayo Fayose for continuity of ‘good governance’ in the state.

    He warned against any indiscriminate arrest of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders ahead of the poll, saying it would be resisted.

    Akanni, who spoke on phone, appealed to voters to exercise their civic rights peacefully, adding that the only rigging can herald trouble.

    He described Fayose as a leader who has the good intention of installing a worthy successor who will promote the interest of Ekiti after vacating power.

    Akanni objected to any plan to deploy soldiers to Ekiti for electoral security, pointing out that policemen can do the job better without creating panic.

    He said: “Indiscriminate arrests may cause problem. They should not try it. It is not democratic. We members of the House of Assembly are saying no to any deployment of soldiers.”

    Akanni said the legislators are supporting the succession plan of the governor because his choice of Eleka was reasonable and logical.

    He added: “Fayose was not supporting anybody at the onset. May be, he was rooting for Kayose Oso, his friend and associate. My mind was always with the gentle deputy governor. I and Wale Ayeni from Ikere always believed that Eleka will be a worthy successor.

    “Education has improved in Ekiti because Eleka has been in charge. He is not carried away by his position. Although he is a scholar, he is full of humility. Power belongs to God. Being successful at the poll is an act of God.

    “Fayose wanted to make Pa Eleka as deputy governor. Party elders rejected him on account of his age. Then, the old man was making a call to someone. Fayose asked from him: who is the person you are talking to? Pa Eleka replied: ‘I am talking to doctor.’ The governor asked: ‘Are you ill?’ He replied: ‘My son is a doctor, a lecturer. That was how Fayose invited Dr. Eleka to be deputy governor. I know he will fulfill his destiny and become a governor.”

  • Accord suspends chieftains for supporting Olusola

    The national leadership of Accord has dissolved the Ekiti State Executive Council, led by Chief Adebola Odeoba, for declaring support for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    Odeoba and the Accord leader, Akogun Banji Ojo, were also suspened indefinitly for abandoning the party’s candidate, Chief Abiodun Aluko, for Olusola.

    Odeoba had appeared at the PDP mega rally last week where they declared support for the PDP and its candidate.

    In a letter dated 6th July, 2018 and addressed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the party set up a seven man Interim committee, led by Dr. S.O. Ogunniyi, to pilot affairs of the party in the state.

    The letter was signed by the National Chairman of the party, Hon. Muhammad Nalado and Secretary, Dr. Adebukola Abiola-Ajaja .

    Also addressing the party members in Ado Ekiti yesterday reaffirming the party’s commitment to Aluko’s candidacy, the trio of Nalado, Ajaja and the Southwest Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Samuel Babarinde, denied ever entering into any merger or alliance deal with the PDP.

    Nalado, who was represented by the National Deputy Chairman (North), Alhaji Yusuf Saulawa, said: “Surveyor Aluko remains our candidate having met all the criteria.  Those who thought they could trade with our ticket will be disappointed in the end.

     

     

     

     

  • Atiku, Makarfi, Secondus, others storm Ekiti for Olusola

    •’Pdp on mission to rescue Nigeria’

    National leaders, presidential aspirants and governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday declared the readiness of the party to retain the governorship seat in Ekiti State and displace the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Presidency.

    They sounded the 2019 general election battle cry at the mega rally in Ado-Ekiti where they rallied support for the party’s candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, in the July 14 governorship election.

    Olusola was officially presented with the party’s flag by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, at a rally staged on the highway at the foot of the new flyover in Ojumose area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    A mammoth crowd of party members, workers’ unions, students, youths, artisans, ethnic nationalities and members of the public utilized the opportunity to attend the rally.

    Former Vice President and presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said the PDP is on a mission to rescue Nigeria from insecurity and other challenges confronting it.

    Other national leaders who restated the readiness of the PDP to take over power at the centre are former National Caretaker Chairman and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi; former Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido; former Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin.

    Atiku, Makarfi, Lamido and Bafarawa addressed the rally in their capacity as presidential aspirants.

    Atiku urged the people of Ekiti to vote continuity as represented by Olusola, who is seeking to succeed his boss, Governor Ayo Fayose, in the July 14 election.

    He said: “The people of Ekiti, I have known you since 1992, all the projects completed and taken Ekiti to higher level have been done by PDP alone.

    “PDP guarantees you good hospital, road, infrastructure, education and many other dividends of democracy, it is time for you to ensure that this administration continues because that is the key to development.

    “What we are doing is a rescue mission, we will bring back peace, security and prosperity of this country. Make sure you vote and stay there till results are announced.”

    Secondus said: “The PDP is rebranded and repositioned; we are here to rescue Nigeria from insecurity, from collapse and from hardship Nigerians are presently going through under the APC government.

    “Many Nigerians are being killed in Taraba, Benue and Plateau States. How many of our people will you kill? APC and its people are not God.

    “We refuse to be intimidated, it is their style to intimidate. This country is experiencing civil war because of killing, APC is behind it, PDP will take over.

    “They have the plan to arrest our people, our members, but we will not be intimidated. The APC is broken already, the broom has scattered. We have the best candidate for this election and he will take over from Fayose to continue the development of this state.”

    Chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel said Nigerians are tired of the APC leadership and are ready to vote out the broom party.

    Emmanuel said it is only in PDP states that things are working. He  urged Ekiti residents to vote continuity and give their votes to Olusola.

    He also called on security agencies to allow the conduct of a free, fair and credible election and ensure that the votes of the Ekiti electorate count.

    Other PDP governors who canvassed for votes for Olusola include Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Mr. Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Chief Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Mr. Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Prof. Ben Ayade (Cross River), Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Mr. Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), who was represented by his deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah (rtd).

    Other prominent party leaders who attended the rally include former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; National Vice Chairman (Southwest), Dr. Eddy Olafeso, members of the National Working Committee and members of the Zonal Working Committee.

    Fayose accused the APC of planning to rig the governorship poll, but maintained that the people are ready to resist any attempt to manipulate the poll.

    He said the intimidation ahead of the election had started with the alleged closure of the Akure Airport to prevent governors and other party leaders from attending the rally.

    Fayose said: “INEC, we know your plan that you want to rig for APC, we will follow you bumper-to-bumper. We know your preloaded agenda, how you are planning to release ballot papers to APC.

    “We knew what you did in Kogi, we knew what you did in Ondo, we know your plan. Whether APC resort to violence or not, Kolapo Olusola will be declared governor-elect of Ekiti State.

    “I want to say that over 99 per cent of those who will conduct the election are not from Ekiti; youth corpers, police, INEC are not from here, leave our state alone.

    “Look at this crowd, look at this young people, if you are living in our state, this is not a hired crowd, we don’t hire crowd here, these are people living in the state.”

    Fayose added: “Since Monday, they have been arresting PDP people, they arrested three teachers. In this election, it will be 16-0, it will be 16-0 again, the 16-0 is loading.

    “I got a letter yesterday (Wednesday) that that I should come and welcome the President but I said I am not receiving the President because he has not done anything for Ekiti.

    “I want to condemn the Federal Government for what they have done; why do you have to close the Akure Airport? That is shameful, that is not patriotic, that is shameful.”

    Speaking after receiving the flag, Olusola, who was flanked by his wife, Janet, expressed confidence that he will win the election and will be declared governor-elect.

    Olusola said: “By the grace of Almighty God, we assure our leaders and Ekiti that we will sustain the good legacies of Fayose, we will improve on it and sustain the legacies.

    “I assure you of adequate security, healthcare, excellent infrastructure, civil service, education enterprises, and  exemplary leadership among others.

    “Ours is a divine agenda.  It is a divine mission with divine agenda it cannot be conquered by APC. Congratulations Ekiti, your governor elect is talking.”

  • My plan for Ekiti, by Olusola

    Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Prof. Kolapo Olusola has unfolded his six-point agenda to reporters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA was there.

    What is your six-point agenda all about?

    The SHIELD Agenda is continuity agenda. I am part of the Fayose administration and I have inputs into some of the policies. By the grace of God, the coming one (government) we are looking forward to, we will improve on the existing one and do better by the grace of God.

    The SHIELD Agenda, the first letter “S” stands for Security, Sustainable Human Development and Social Welfare. The goal is to have a secured environment, we will ensure adequate security of our people and their property. You cannot have a good environment or an enabling environment without putting in place adequate security measures. You cannot develop agriculture without putting in place security measures that are meant to protect the farmers, investors and tourists from dangers arising from activities of evil men. So, putting in place adequate security measures and deploying ICT is one major area of focus in my agenda, which by the grace of God, I believe will successful. We also have sustainable human development. The word sustainable simply refers to what you can do presently that will not jeopardize the future generation. Presently, serious effort is being put in place when you talk of human capital development. We are talking about giving opportunity to workers, giving opportunity to Ekiti people to get properly trained and also to enable them acquire skills that will make them productive in whatever they are doing. The focus, this time around, will be on civil service, teachers and workers in different sectors. We are in the era of ICT. There is a need for continual capacity building development of the workforce in such a way that it will improve their productivity and effectiveness on their jobs and to give them opportunities to improve academically and professionally. Social welfare, we will put in place measures that will take care of the needs of the vulnerable segment of the population. Stomach infrastructure goes beyond giving out mere rice or food materials, we are talking about programmes that will empower the less privileged, empower the poor. We are talking about people living with disability; there is going to be a special commission that will definitely focus on the needs of the people living with disabilities.

    What about other programmes?

    Then we talk about healthcare; presently, we have identified the gaps. Most of our health centres are not in very good condition especially in the very remote areas. Yes, Ado, Ikere, Ikole and other local government headquarters, comprehensive health centres there are in good condition but if you go to remote areas, you discover that most of those health centres are in dilapidated condition. So upgrading these health centres and giving them the needed facilities is going to be a major concern that is being addressed in our agenda. And also the establishment of cottage hospitals, some of the health centres can be upgraded to cottage hospitals. We want a situation in which some of our consultants in the teaching and specialist hospitals can be drafted to these health centres in the rural areas to consult once or twice in a week on specific days. There is need for upgrading of some facilities in our teaching hospital, for instance the MRI machine. We should also not overlook the welfare of workers in the health sector if given the opportunity in the next administration. Talking about infrastructural development and industrial development; we have a vision of dualising some roads in each of the local government headquarters. Presently this administration has been able to do eleven and the basis of this continuity agenda is that being part of this administration, we will carry these projects forward and complete them and do more of inter township roads by the grace of God. But importantly, we are going to focus on rural roads construction because this has to do with our efforts in developing agriculture and tourism.

    If our farm settlements are not accessible, it will be very difficult for farmers to bring their produce out of the farms to the markets. We are going to deploy resources to construction of rural roads if elected, we have done a lot in the present administration on intra and inter township roads but we are going to work more on rural roads in the next administration. Still on infrastructure, we are going to build on what the present administration has done on urban renewal because if you are going to attract investors, there is need to change the face of the state capital and local government headquarters. On rice mills, we will encourage investors to establish them because you cannot talk of investment without regukar power supply, power supply system is not encourarging. That is why we are going to encourage organisations dealing with independent power projects, to come in and establish industrial hubs and centres. You talk of “E”, education; education is our pride and heritage in Ekiti State and that is why we describe ourselves as Fountain of Knowledge. Unfortunately, when this administration came into office, education was at the lowest ebb, our performance was at the lowest ebb and thank God, we are able to turn things round and we are now doing well. But then there is still a gap and the major gap is lack of ICT being deployed in our schools. Apart from sustaining what we have on ground, we will apply ICT to turn things around. Digital training will be given to teachers and students. “L” stands for learning and governance. We are going to provide qualitative and development-oriented leadership. Our government will involve workers in decision making process and we will make core civil service more functional. The last letter “D” stands for Development of Tourism and Agriculture. Most of our youths are unemployed and one of the ways we can get them off the streets is to involve them in agriculture, mechanized farming and assist them with inputs. Ekiti has signed an Memorandum of Understanding with Lagos State for rice cultivation. About 10,000 hectares of land that will engage about 9,000 youths. Talking about Tourism, the previous approach was wrong, we are goint to partner the private sector that can turn around our tourism belt. It’s not out of place to have Tourist Bus Stops around the state.

    How do you hope to fund your projects and policies in the face of low Internally Generated Revenue?

    If we have more industries here, some of those industries will employ people, they will pay tax, with the establishment of more industries, it will have direct effect in terms of improving the IGR of the state. If you have good infrastructure in place, it will help improve the IGR of the state. I am aware there are organisations providing funds for some of these projects you are talking about.

    Looking at technical education, currently, there is a World Bank grant. We may not be able to complete all the technical colleges but when we complete that, we will apply for more grants from the World Bank to complete others. On funding of projects, the state government may not have capacity to do everything but we may work on partnership with some of these agencies. We have Rural Access Mobility Programme of the World Bank, all we need to do is to showcase what we have done and key into what they have for us and through that we are going to get some funds to implement these projects.

    How do you hope to address the problem of inadequate number of teachers in public schools to make your education agenda succeed?

    We have identified the problem and that is why out of the new workers we are employing, a good number of them will be teachers, especially primary school teachers. So many teachers have retired, we have shortage of teachers in primary schools. SUBEB has made an appraisal of what is going on which they have submitted to us. This time around, the teachers we are going to recruit will be teachers that are ICT compliant. The issue of competence should be addressed from the recruitment stage and then you give them environment they will continue to improve themselves. So, we are addressing the problem of inadequate number of teachers.

    What plan do you have in your agenda for women and widows?

    Women will be part of governance and decision making in the state, we will give women their right of place in the coming government.

    Presently, we are doing a lot to encourage women in this administration and the SHIELD Agenda is a continuity agenda. There are so many policies we are implementing which are carried into the agenda. About women, we will empower women economically and to be self reliant. The issue of upgrading our health centres, the focus there is women because maternity centres will be improved to deliver better services because the women are mostly attended to there. Talk about girl child education, mentoring scheme and of course and establishing of guidance and counseling and referral centres are being constructed by this administration and we will put them into full use in the next administration. Some key officials of this government are women like Secretary to the State Government, Commissioner for Works, so there is continuity.

    Ikogosi Warm Spring was up and running when this administration came in, but it is no longer running. What went wrong and how would you revive it?

    May I correct one impression, there is a difference between Ikogosi Hotels and Ikogosi Warm Spring. The last administration spent over N1 billion to renovate Ikogosi Hotel there bur as an expert in building construction, if you go there now, you will discover that a cosmetic approach was adopted in construction of those buildings. Go there now, you see termites affecting the roof. This is because right from the beginning, if you have done proper site investigation and proper soil test, a termite infested soil, if you don’t start in a right way you will not get anything good out of it. So, the construction of the hotel was not properly done. The warm spring and Gossy Water is being run by UAC and they discovered they are not making profit. It was not the state government that shut the place down, the company running the place was not making profit there. But I keep saying this, that holistic approach was not adopted in developing that place. If you want to develop Ikogosi Warm Spring them develop Arinta Water Falls, the whole of that place forms a tourist belt. Another problem that affected Ikogosi was the issue of power, running on generators is not easy and it affected the Ire Burnt Bricks in which O’dua Investment has the substantial share there. It was the issue of power, when we address the issue of power, so many problems will be addressed as well.