Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has revealed that controversy and toughness, traits he possesses as a leader and politician among other uncommon features characterising his administration, have remained catalysts to his performance which have widely been adjudged laudable by his many admirers.
The governor spoke on Saturday through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Idowu Adelusi.
He went down memory lane, and compared his performance as second term governor of the state with past governors and administrators since the creation of Ekiti in 1996 and recalled that 11 governors, including himself, had steered the ship of Ekiti with none measuring up to him in performance:
“Ekiti was created 20 years ago. It is the only one among the states created at the same time that is yet to have either airport or airstrip. Still, the opposition does not see this as minus for the state. I don’t know how to play politics with development of the state. To me, Ekiti first. The dirty politics here is responsible for Ekiti having almost 11 governors as opposed to Ebonyi with 4 since 1996. During my first tenure, the opposition said there was no need to dualise roads of the state capital, everybody is enjoying it today.”
He said his immediate predecessor, Dr.Kayode Fayemi (now Minister of Solid Minerals Development)’s achievement in four years were only three projects; the new government House, which he said now amounts to an elephant project, the uncompleted civic centre and uncompleted state Pavilion, which he said gulped huge state resources without any concrete use for the people.
“My priority is to leave Ekiti better than how I met it. What I did during my first tenure are those visible things in the state today. I may be tough, I may be controversial, but all these are catalysts to my performance. I built the first governor’s office, dualised roads of the state capital, constructed roads in all nooks and crannies of the state, put on ground many structures for use of the state. I always scored the first position in development of the state”, he said.
Alleging that Fayemi left the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) worse than he meet it, Fayose, who also reeled out more of his outstanding contributions to the development of Ekiti, while speaking about the 20th anniversary of the state coming up on October 1, dismissed those who criticise him adversely as detractors.
“I have transformed the palace of Ewi. There can’t be two palaces. I am building the first flyover. There cannot be need for another flyover in the next 30 years. I am building new king’s market (Oja Oba). Traditionally, there can’t be two king’s market. Dualisation of roads is ongoing in the local government headquarters. My detractors know what I am made off and are disturbed by my landmarks, that is why they will always concoct lies to distract me, or slow me down. I am not a rookie, I am a second term governor, very experienced and learned in grassroots politics. If it is not photocromic, it is soldier used to rig. If it is not Dasuki money today, perhaps tomorrow, they will fabricate many unimaginable lies. They said building flyover is a waste, how many vehicles ply Ekiti roads. Similarly, they criticised my plan to build airport for Ekiti to the extent of poisoning minds of the land owners against our good intention.”
Fayose further explained why he has taken up some major developmental projects for which he is been criticised.
“I am a visionary leader. I don’t wait until there is need for anything. I always plan for the future. Is it when there is gridlock in Ado Ekiti before we build flyover? Must there be fire incident before you have fire service station?. I thank the Almighty God for bringing me back as Ekiti State governor and unto Him I give all glory for the landmark projects I have done in the state,” he said.
