[size=18pt] What we want from Fayemi, by Ekiti residents [/size]


He has spent just a couple of days in office, yet residents of Ekiti State are already compiling a long list of demands for their new governor, Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi. Fayemi, a native of Isan-Ekiti and an alumnus of the prestigious Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, was the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the April 2007 governorship election in the state. He was sworn in as governor on Saturday after a 42-month battle to regain his mandate.


_{Dr. Fayemi and his wife}

The Appeal Court in Ilorin had on Friday sacked the erstwhile governor, Mr. Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP and named Fayemi as the rightful winner of the governorship polls.

An unusually boisterous breeze swept through the streets of virtually every town, village and hamlet in the state as news filtered in last Friday that Oni’s three-and-a half-year controversial regime had been terminated by the court.

Wild and spontaneous celebrations erupted at Ado-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, Ikole-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, Omuo-Ekiti and, indeed, all Ekiti towns and villages even as the aides and appointees of the former governor scurried out of Ado-Ekiti.

And as Nigerians await the dawn of a new era in the much traumatized state, Ekiti residents are appealing to their new governor to repair many of the ills foisted upon them by the past regime.

They are sad over the glaring infrastructural collapse in Ekiti even as they urge the new governor to start work on the road network in the state as soon as possible.

Chief among their demands is the immediate resumption of construction work on the abandoned Ado-Ifaki Road.

The past governor, according to Ola Ojo who resides at Opopo-Gbooro in Ado-Ekiti, “suddenly woke up one day on the wrong side of the bed, ordered bulldozers to the road and started demolishing buildings, deceiving all of us that he wanted to repair and expand the road. But years after the infamous act, the long stretch has become an eyesore. He destroyed shops, offices and people’s homes, but he did absolutely nothing thereafter. Many people have relocated since because buildings close to the road are now coated with dust. Our dear governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, should start work on that road without delay.

“The past administration was bereft of ideas, probably because nobody voted them in. They were behaving as if they were not responsible to anybody. They made millions of people sad and they didn’t care what happened to anybody. I cannot count the number of people that have died on this road. My own uncle also lost his life. Governor Fayemi should come to our aid.”

Many people in the state are also sad that getting to Ekiti from any part of the country has become a Herculean venture under Oni’s watch. Virtually all the roads that lead to the state are in a terrible state of disrepair. The Esa-Oke-Efon-Alaaye Road through Aramoko to Ado-Ekiti, the main artery leading to the state, has become an eyesore, just as the Ogotun-Igbara-Odo-Ilawe Road.

“The argument that the former governor gave was that many of the roads were owned by the federal government. Unfortunately, that was no excuse. How many times has President Jonathan travelled on this road? Instead of staying in Ekiti and fixing the problems, Segun Oni was always flying to Abuja doing only God knows what.

He was spending more time in Abuja than Ekiti. Yet we were always reading in the newspapers that they were building roads. How can you be building roads only on the pages of newspapers? Nobody saw any roads. One wonders why the late Yar’Adua or President Jonathan never came to Ekiti to commission anything. That is why I’m appealing to the new governor to start fixing Ekiti roads as soon as he settles down in office.”

Peter Ajayi, an Ekiti indigene based in Lagos said he has stopped driving to Ekiti because of the condition of the road. According to him, each time he visits Ekiti, he spends a fortune fixing his car.

“These days, it’s much cheaper to board a commercial bus. That is why we are appealing to Governor Fayemi to please help fix the roads. Oni isn’t necessarily a bad man, but he surrounded himself with people bereft of ideas,” he said.

Apart from roads, residents of the state want the new governor to pay attention to workers’ welfare. According to many residents, workers in the state civil service had a raw deal in the hands of the past administration. Workers’ salaries and entitlements were not paid for months, while interests on loans secured by workers many years ago were suddenly jerked up by the government. The people are optimistic, however, that the governor, with his rich academic and administrative pedigree, would soon right all the ills of the past three years.



http://odili.net/news/source/2010/oct/20/504.html

My peple have talked their own o.

Fayemi, it is up to you to listen

What I personally want is for Fayemi to rid Ekiti state of mallams and their cows. Last time I went home, those things were just walking freely

Ileke-IdI:

My peple have talked their own o.

Fayemi, it is up to you to listen

What I personally want is for Fayemi to rid Ekiti state of[b] mallams and their cows.[/b] Last time I went home, those things were just walking freely

No offense, they were only trying to increase the population of Ekiti

Anyway, I do not buy this "free" education of Mr. Fayemi! I beleve gone are those days any government promises free this free that without telling us how much it will cost us and how it will be paid for! This free free mentality is what has bankrupted the UK! Better to build 21st century schools and provide high calibre teachers then ask the parents to pay VERY little than provide free school with 18th century facilities! By the way is education free in Lagos which is surpose to be the richest state in Nigeria?

Is there some sort of Ekiti online message board or mailing list that is well-frequented? We sorta need all hands on deck here, now is the time to brainstorm for how to raise the money to get these things done.

Also, I second the mallam/cattle issue. Get the heck out of my state. Add nothing of value and just eat up farmed crops and cause trouble.

DapoBear:

Is there some sort of Ekiti online message board or mailing list that is well-frequented? We sorta need all hands on deck here, now is the time to brainstorm for how to raise the money to get these things done.

Also, I second the mallam/cattle issue. Get the heck out of my state. Add nothing of value and just eat up farmed crops and cause trouble.

Guy you have to deal with it as they are in almost all the southern states

DapoBear:

Is there some sort of Ekiti online message board or mailing list that is well-frequented? We sorta need all hands on deck here, now is the time to brainstorm for how to raise the money to get these things done.

Also, I second the mallam/cattle issue. Get the heck out of my state. Add nothing of value and just eat up farmed crops and cause trouble.

dude are you not happy that these cattles are in Ekiti? Atleast you would have enough people do register in the forthcoming Electon registration exercise or is that not what they do too in the north

Omo_Tier1:

dude are you not happy that these cattles are in Ekiti? Atleast you would have enough people do register in the forthcoming Electon registration exercise  or is that not what they do too in the north

I see that your nerves are still having a hard time "connecting the dots"

Omo_Tier1:

No offense, they were only trying to increase the population of Ekiti 

Anyway, I do not buy this "free" education of Mr. Fayemi! I beleve gone are those days any government promises free this free that without telling us how much it will cost us and how it will be paid for! This free free mentality is what has bankrupted the UK! Better to build 21st century schools and provide high calibre teachers then ask the parents to pay VERY  little than provide free school with 18th century facilities! By the way is education free in Lagos which is surpose to be the richest state in Nigeria?

As you can see, the article says nothing about "Free education", we know what we want and we've stated it.
Everything else will fall into order.

DapoBear:

Is there some sort of Ekiti online message board or mailing list that is well-frequented? We sorta need all hands on deck here, now is the time to brainstorm for how to raise the money to get these things done.

Also, I second the mallam/cattle issue. Get the heck out of my state. Add nothing of value and just eat up farmed crops and cause trouble.

No, I dont think so. We have an EKITI PARAPO organization, my mom is in it. But by the way they coordinate themselves, I doubt I trust them to do anything worthwhile.

@Ileke-IdI

I am not against fayemi nor am I in support of him, however I am of the candid opinion that it is high time our so called 'progressive' leaders not only tell us what they are going to do but also let us know how much it will cost us! Just telling us this and that is free doesnt add up in today's world. And that is why there is the saying: "every freebie has a freegiver behind", by the way what is the IGR of Ekiti and what is her monthly allocation from FG? what has Ekiti got she can show case to the world? just curious,