ADL Nigeria

06/03/2022

BAO 2022

13/02/2022

Ekiti people will not regret electing me as governor says Oyebanji

12/09/2021

As of today, I have written the story of my life in different shapes and ways. Who am I to you? Happy Sunday to you all.

04/05/2021

....And finally, it's 's Day….

"I told God everyday that if He let me make it, I would tell the world it was all Him"- Steve Harvey

Today, I stand on the edge of a new frontier - the frontier for a new beginning, having looked back to assess all the favour and blessing of Allah in my life.

Today is a day to tell the whole world is all Him.

Today, I am a different person doing small things in a great way to impact the people around me.

All praises and adoration are due to Him who has kept and sustained me with His provisions till this day.

Oh Lord, I thank thee for your kindness over me and my family. I will forever be grateful unto thee.

Thank you for all the great and good people you have blessed me with. Space will not permit me to list all of them but you know them all. Thank you for my adorable wife and children. Thank you for giving me a great and loving family, friends, associates, and colleagues. They've all provided the wings through which I flew to my new age.

This is just a new starting point, I believe in your promise for a better future.

Happy birthday to .

21/04/2021

Ruben Abati Wrote:

"There is also Kayode Fayemi, the current Governor of Ekiti State. Some people tell me he is the man to look at if the APC zones the Presidency to the South West. Like Amosun, he has been Governor twice in his state of birth. Like Vice President Osinbajo, he is well educated. He has also been a Minister of the Federal Republic in charge of Mines and Steel Development. He can write, talk, and hold his own in international circles. He has a Ph.D in War Studies. And Nigeria just happens to be at war. He is also the only one who does not have the kind of baggage that the others carry on their backs like the curse of Atlas. Fayemi has not said he wants to be President, but there are persons pointing in his direction. I tell them he is my friend and brother and that he has one of the best wives anyone can get who will make an excellent First Lady for Nigeria. In Ekiti State, he has put up a great performance."

08/04/2021

Today, after the handing over of Arinta Water Fall by the Ekiti State Government to a private investor. Arinta Fall is a serene environment located at Ipole Iloro Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Another giant steps by the JKF government.

07/04/2021

ADL-NIGERIA AM UPDATES – April 7, 2021

COVID-19: Saudi Arabia to Reject Pilgrims Not Vaccinated https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/07/covid-19-saudi-arabia-to-reject-pilgrims-not-vaccinated/

You’re not elected to complain of ex-leaders, CAN tells Buhari https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/07/youre-not-elected-to-complain-of-ex-leaders-can-tells-buhari/

WAEC releases 2021 exam results with 30.11% pass https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/07/waec-releases-2021-exam-results-with-30-11-pass/

Despite Meeting with FG, Poly Lecturers Continue Strike https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/07/despite-meeting-with-fg-poly-lecturers-continue-strike/

Union Shuts Down FCTA, Insists Perm Sec Office Illegal https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/07/union-shuts-down-fcta-insists-perm-sec-office-illegal/

Covid-19 COVID-19: Saudi Arabia to Reject Pilgrims Not Vaccinated April 7, 2021By Fatoba Ifeoluwa0 comment Saudi authorities said yesterday that only people immunised against Covid-19 will be allowed to perform the year-round Umrah pilgrimage from the start of Ramadan, the holy fasting month for Mus...

05/04/2021

Our laws are so fragile and weak to address our present insecurity situation across the country. There is the need to urgently take harder measures against all criminal tendencies arising every day across the land irrespective of tribes or religious colouration. If this is not done, it will continue to allow criminals to eternalize their acts.

02/04/2021

ADL-NIGERIA AM UPDATES – April 2, 2021

Easter Celebration: Police deploy 2000 personnel in Kwara https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/02/easter-celebration-police-deploy-2000-personnel-in-kwara/

FG extends NIN-SIM linkage by one month https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/02/fg-extends-nin-sim-linkage-by-one-month/

FG threatens NARD as doctors begin strike after agreement https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/02/fg-threatens-nard-as-doctors-begin-strike-after-agreement/

Controversy as Customs invade Lagos market, cart away rice, money https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/02/controversy-as-customs-invade-lagos-market-cart-away-rice-money/

Your report on Lekki shootings misleading, Falana tackles US https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/04/02/your-report-on-lekki-shootings-misleading-falana-tackles-us/

Local News Easter Celebration: Police deploy 2000 personnel in Kwara April 2, 2021By Fatoba Ifeoluwa0 comment The Police Command in Kwara has deployed 2000 personnel to ensure a hitch free Easter Celebrations in the state. The command’s spokesman, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, made this known in statement is...

27/03/2021

“I am considering finishing well in Ekiti in 2022. I have a job. Frankly, I am eternally grateful to Ekiti people for giving me the opportunity to govern the state twice and I still have a lot to deliver on that agenda."

“So, the future will take care of itself. I have no means of knowing what is going to happen but for me, the certainty is that I am the Governor of Ekiti State and that term expires in October 2022. That is the job I have for now,” Gov. Kayode Fayemi.

24/03/2021

Ekiti First Lady Pays Medical Bills of Shot SS3 Female Student

As a way of giving the family succor, the Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has paid the medical bill and expressed readiness to take responsibility for other treatments that would be required for full recuperation of the SSS 3 female student, Ayomide Daranijo, who was shot by an unknown gunman a couple of weeks ago.

The 15-year old Ayomide, who is now receiving medical treatments at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti, was shot at Basiri junction in February 2021 while preparing to board a motorcycle to her home.

An aide to the governor's wife, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, disclosed to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday that the First Lady had indicated interest to help the 45-year old victim's mother and single parent, Mrs. Omolayo Daranijo.

Lawal added that the woman had been located based on the First Lady's directive, taking cognizance of the pathetic scenario the victim's mother painted that the family could not shoulder their daughter's medical bills and that responsible Nigerians should rescue her from the debt burden.

The distraught Mrs. Daranijo, had while relaying her pathetic circumstance said: "The operation and post-surgery treatments, as well as drugs, would gulp as much as N500,000 to keep Ayomide on her feet, which I couldn't afford due to the poor economic situation as I unilaterally cater for four children as a single parent.

"The family is hugely indebted to EKSUTH and we are still buying drugs. A medical expert said we will spend close to N500,000 before she can be fit to return to school. Where would I get such money with my present situation?", she asked.

But he assured that the First Lady would not only pay Ayomide's medical bills but would also support the family financially to be able to meet their economic needs.

Lawal stated that Mrs. Fayemi bemoaned that the incident had deprived Ayomide of completing the ongoing registration for the 2021 West African Examinations Council(WAEC).

"After reading the interview granted by Ayomide's mother to newsmen last week, the governor's wife, Erelu Bisi immediately took interest in the young girl, who was shot by criminal elements.

"Owing to the passion the First Lady has for people and their penchant to help the needy, they immediately directed me to locate the family, which I did.

"The motive behind the instruction that I should get the family is to pay the medical bill already incurred, look at the possibility of giving the victim sound and reliable post-surgery treatment, and to help the mother, who unfortunately is a single parent", the first lady's aide stated.

The First Lady's Aide added that he had on behalf of the first lady approached the EKSUTH management and expressed her readiness to defray the outstanding bill.

"We even learned there were other pending operations to be performed on her. The Ekiti First Lady has directed EKSUTH to handle that while she would pay the bill.

"The utmost interest of the governor's wife is for Ayomide to return to her feet sound and health so that she can proceed with her education", Lawal stated.

08/03/2021

International Women's Day 2021: Celebrating a woman that has made a huge difference in womanhood.

By

From being an efficient wife and mother to running many advocacy campaigns for women, launching many initiatives, and many more, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has many proven achievements as one of the greatest women that ever lived.

Today is International Women's Day which is observed to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Every year, the day is observed on March 8 with the purpose to support a platform that helps forge positive change for women. I am bold to say therefore that the First Lady of Ekiti, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi deserves to be celebrated.

To many women, she is a savior, and when it comes to listing inspirational women, she will be counted amongst the first rows. Erelu has inspired many and motivates many younger ladies to live up to their billings and become persons who can 'choose to challenge' the world.

Erelu Bisi Fayemi is a living example of a woman who has greatly impacted the world around her and made a huge difference in philanthropic work. She is no doubt one of the many women who have challenged the world and stood against all the odds to prove their potential.

In line with the theme of this year's International Women's Day celebrations: Women in leadership:
Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world: It is good to say that Erelu Bisi Fayemi is one of the women that stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis. As the wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Erelu as an articulate organizer, mobilized food items and several cash gifts as palliatives to thousands of vulnerable people across all the sixteen local government areas of Ekiti State during the covid-19 lockdown.

As a foremost and exemplary leader in the face of the covid-19 crisis, she also provided cash backing to support hundreds of women whose businesses were badly affected due to the pandemic. Erelu regularly spends a fortune on women's health care and well-being. During her 57th birthday last year, which fell within the heat of the covid-19 lockdown, Erelu visited the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital where she paid millions of naira as hospital bills on behalf of patients who could not afford their hospital bills. She also distributed hundreds of gift items to nursing mothers within and outside the hospitals across Ekiti State.

Her prompt leadership roles in bringing relief to many households, aged people, and individuals during the covid-19 pandemic know no bounds. No doubt, Erelu is the salt of the earth and the brimming light around the world of women. There is therefore no better day to celebrate an icon such as this than on this occasion of International Women's Day.

, a Development Journalist, writes from Ado Ekiti

02/03/2021

Erelu's act of benevolence touches another patient at EKSUTH

This is Mrs. Daramola Folakemi, she was admitted at EKSUTH where series of surgeries were carried out on one of her legs. After being treated and discharged, she could not be released immediately to go home until she settles her bills of N580, 000. She cried for help from good Samaritans to be able to pay her bill as it was very clear her family could not muster out the bills.

The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Her Excellency, Erelu Bisi Fayemi was hinted by Hon. Bunmi Akanbi-Awotiku about her case and she immediately dispatched one of her aides, ADL to confirm her case. Upon his findings and clarifications from relevant authorities in the hospital, it was confirmed that the patient has been stranded for weeks over her inability to settle her hospital bills amounting to #580,000.

Erelu was full of compassion for the young woman and she ordered the immediate payment of the bill so that the woman can be discharged. This afternoon, as Mrs. Daramola was being finally discharged, another sum of N50, 000 was handed over to her for her upkeep at home.

Mrs. Daramola was full of praises to God for this benevolence act of the First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi. She prayed to God to continue to bless her and her family.

23/02/2021

ADL-NIGERIA UPDATES – February 23, 2021

UNICEF Orders 4m Doses of AstraZenecaVaccines for Nigeria https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/unicef-orders-4m-doses-of-astrazenecavaccines-for-nigeria/

Uzodimma, Okorocha Turning Imo into War Zone, PDP Alleges https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/uzodimma-okorocha-turning-imo-into-war-zone-pdp-alleges/

Report: 20% of Lagos, Enugu, Nasarawa Residents Infected with COVID-19 https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/report-20-of-lagos-enugu-nasarawa-residents-infected-with-covid-19/

N’Assembly Promises Approval for Extra Budget to Fight Insecurity https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/nassembly-promises-approval-for-extra-budget-to-fight-insecurity/

Sylva: FG Will Make Gas Alternative Energy for Industries, Transportation https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/sylva-fg-will-make-gas-alternative-energy-for-industries-transportation/

Tambuwal Assents to Sokoto Hisbah Commission Bill https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/23/tambuwal-assents-to-sokoto-hisbah-commission-bill/

Covid-19 UNICEF Orders 4m Doses of AstraZenecaVaccines for Nigeria February 23, 2021By Fatoba Ifeoluwa0 comment The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has placed a purchase order for four million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to be supplied to Nigeria. The Execu...

22/02/2021

ADL-NIGERIA UPDATES – February 22, 2021

Behold; Faces Of Abuja NAF Plane Crash Victims https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/behold-faces-of-abuja-naf-plane-crash-victims/

NAFDAC Threatens Closure of 16,000 Water Factories https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/nafdac-threatens-closure-of-16000-water-factories/

Plane Crash: Buhari condoles with NAF, victims’ families, orders investigation https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/plane-crash-buhari-condoles-with-naf-victims-families-orders-investigation/

You Have Failed as Commander-in-Chief, PDP Tells Buhari https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/you-have-failed-as-commander-in-chief-pdp-tells-buhari/

Tinubu is the Best Man to Succeed Buhari, Says Adeyeye https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/tinubu-is-the-best-man-to-succeed-buhari-says-adeyeye/

US, Atiku, Lawan, Sanwo-Olu, Saraki Mourn Victims of NAF Aircraft Crash https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/22/us-atiku-lawan-sanwo-olu-saraki-mourn-victims-of-naf-aircraft-crash/

Nation Behold; Faces Of Abuja NAF Plane Crash Victims February 22, 2021By Fatoba Ifeoluwa0 comment May their soul rest in peace!!!

16/02/2021

First, it was Fani-Kayode, later Omisore, Ladoja and now Gbenga Daniel. What is exactly brewing the APC?

13/02/2021

Erelu Bisi Fayemi rescues woman affected by windstorm

This morning, the case of one Mrs. Fajembola, a widow with three children whose house was destroyed by the windstorm yesterday in Ado Ekiti, was brought to my notice. I immediately reported the matter to the wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi who directed me to get across to the State Ministry of Women Affairs to make an emergency provision for the woman.

Before doing so, I contacted the woman on a telephone line that was given to me. The woman explained her plight and I told her that it was the wife of the governor of Ekiti that directed me to call her for an immediate response to her plight.

This night, the widow with her children has been relocated temporarily to a Govt transient home where she will be fully taken care of. Erelu has also ordered that an emergency food provision and clothing should be provided for her and her children.

Thank you Erelu for doing this again to alleviate the suffering of our vulnerable women in Ekiti!

11/02/2021

Erelu Fayemi rescues nursing mother stranded in hospital since 2020

The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Bisi Fayemi, has come to the rescue of a nursing mother, Adewale Oluwaseun Iyanu, who has been stranded at the state teaching hospital since 2020, following her inability to pay her hospital bill.

According to findings, the mother who had given birth at the state teaching hospital via Caesarean Section (CS) in November last year, was not allowed to leave the hospital premises over her failure to offset her hospital bill which had risen to over N127,940.

“During my visit to the hospital to check my wife who recently put to bed, I had my first encounter with the woman as she came to beg for money to eat. It was there that I gathered information about her predicament that she had been in the hospital since November 2020 and was not discharged because she was unable to offset her hospital bills.

I was moved to tears when I heard about her story at that point I decided within me that I must seek all help on her behalf.

From that point I started making calls and moves to seek financial support for her. Heaven smiled on her when I and my colleagues who took interest in her matter got a pass link to The First Lady Erelu Bisi Fayemi.”

A team of kind hearted lawyers came to the rescue of the nursing mother, as they made it their personal task to get Mrs Adewale Oluwaseun Iyanu, freed from the hospital.

In our quest to raise money for the mother, we engaged on social media campaigns and also frantically tried to access the Governor’s wife, who we are well aware of her philanthropic traits.

On the 9th of February 2021, I took to micro blogging platform, Twitter, to share the story of the nursing mother, my colleague, Mrs. S.C Aladejana, also took to the platform to call for aid on 10th Feb 2021.

Her tweet in particular gained over 90 retweets and caught the attention of well meaning Nigerians who came to aid of the nursing mother.

It is worthy of note that within 24 hours of the social media and physical campaigns for the rescue of the nursing mother, Mrs Adewale Oluwaseun Iyanu, was already smiling for joy.

Erelu Fayemi, the wife of the incumbent Governor of Ekiti state, has a track record of helping mothers in similar situation. She has a strong ideology that mother’s and their newborn shouldn’t be allowed to go through such terrible experience.

As word got to her notice through the help of other professional colleagues like Mr Olawale Ibitoye, Erelu Fayemi immediately sent her Personal Aide, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, (adl) to personally deliver the cash gift and other gift items to the nursing mother.

It is worthy of note that due to the social media campaign, other well meaning Nigerians which included, Aproko Doctor, had also come to the rescue of the mother.

This didn’t deter Erelu Bisi Fayemi though, as she opined that the gifts can never be in excess to the nursing mother, and she herself being a Mother of mothers understand that the young woman needs major support to be stable and to take good care of her child.

In a separate interview, the nursing mother, was all thanks to Erelu, as she prayed to God to reward her for her kindness.

I can say with a bold face that Ekiti State is indeed blessed to have not just a First Lady but a Caring Mother at the helm of affairs in the State. I have been hearing of the First Lady commitment to rescue women and children, but I witnessed same today 10th February 2021. I cannot pray for Erelu Bisi Fayemi, but I pray that Heavens will pray for her, may she go from strength to strength.

Ma, you are indeed the real deal. God bless you dear Erelu Bisi Fayemi

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Barr Isaac Ayodeji Omolade

11/02/2021

ADL-NIGERIA UPDATES – February 11, 2021

FG to Meet Striking Varsity Workers over N40bn Earned Allowances https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/fg-to-meet-striking-varsity-workers-over-n40bn-earned-allowances/

ACF, Afenifere disagree as Senate knocks govs negotiating with bandits https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/acf-afenifere-disagree-as-senate-knocks-govs-negotiating-with-bandits/

FG plans more borrowing from domestic sources https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/fg-plans-more-borrowing-from-domestic-sources/

Frozen Accounts: Govt Cannot Be Intimidated, Malami Tells Campaigners https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/frozen-accounts-govt-cannot-be-intimidated-malami-tells-endsars-campaigners/

FG approves Bankers’ Committee takeover of National Theatre, N21.89bn renovation https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/fg-approves-bankers-committee-takeover-of-national-theatre-n21-89bn-renovation/

Fani-Kayode approached me on planned defection to APC – Bello https://www.adlnigeria.com/2021/02/11/fani-kayode-approached-me-on-planned-defection-to-apc-bello/

Education FG to Meet Striking Varsity Workers over N40bn Earned Allowances February 11, 2021By Fatoba Ifeoluwa0 comment The federal government has scheduled another talk with members of the non-teaching staff of universities. The meeting is to try and resolve the raging dispute between unions in the...

09/02/2021

07/02/2021

For Now, I’m Committed to Finishing Well

Ahead of his 56th birthday this Tuesday, February 9th, Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, addressed some topical national and regional concerns. Contrary to swirling talks about his presidential bid, he said the 2023 presidential election would eventually sort itself out. But, for now, he’s only committed to finishing well as Ekiti State governor. He spoke to Victor Ogunje. Excerpts:

When you came on board as Ekiti State governor, you did so with a five Pillar policy thrust. How well have you been able to prosecute these?

Well, when I came, I was very clear about what I intended to do that could make a tremendous impact in the lives of our people, I mean the average Ekiti person. Consequently, I had to narrow down my first term's eight-point agenda to five-pillars of Improving Governance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Infrastructure and Industrial Development, Knowledge Economy, and Social Investment all geared towards making poverty history and creating wealth for Ekiti people. Creating wealth has always been the challenge here.

I have been here for two years and three months and in that period, and I believe dispassionate observers can see what I have been able to do to improve the economy of this State. Though the job remains an unfinished business and it will never be done, we make bold to say that those things we promised are being addressed sequentially and simultaneously. In terms of specific accomplishments, I think we can say we have done considerably well. We have gone reasonably far. In my New Year speech, I tried to run through all that we have done in those thematic areas.

In the area of governance, Ekiti people are now happy, unlike before, that salaries are regularly paid as and when due. You know I used to say that payment of salaries is not what we should celebrate because people have worked and they deserve their wages. But as one worker told me, against the backdrop of the backlog of salaries owed by the previous administration, regular payment of salaries is a big deal because they can now plan, determine, predict and organize their economy better and urged that I stop trivializing this major accomplishment.

What about the reengineering of the civil service? Has the policy gained traction?

Yes, that also has helped in such a way that we have been able to return professionalism to the civil service and public service in general by recruiting within two years, 2,400 civil servants, the bulk of whom belong to the teaching service. The rest are in the health sector and core civil service. We have also ensured promotion for those in the civil service and clearing the backlog of promotion of our workers.

In addition to that, we succeeded in producing the first female Head of Service in the history of this state. We also restored our erstwhile policy of competitive exams and interviews for those who want to become Permanent Secretary or Head of Service. We ensured that everything that we do is governed by processes, procedures, and extant rules. If you check the Ekiti website today, you will see the financial records of this State, the audit reports, contracts awarded and amounts they were awarded for, financial records of the state, the budget of the State including the one I just signed in December 23rd, 2020.

You will even get the performance of our budgets, including the most recent one. Budget 2020 had 92% performance. We have insisted on transparency in all that we do and have subjected ourselves to the strictures of SFTAS and Open Government Partnership. We have a clear record of what we have done in the Agriculture sector, which has emphasized the need for a public-private partnership between our commercial operators and our local farmers.

We brought the Promasidor Company, manufacturers of Cowbell to resuscitate the moribund Ikun Dairy Farm. That’s why when many, who don’t know what is going on criticize governments on the farmers-herders conundrum, I invite them to come to Ikun. Ikun was one of the rural ranches started by the Awolowo government in 1956 but was abandoned in the last 30 years.

Governor Oni made an unsuccessful effort to revive it but this is the first time this is being done sustainably. We formed a company with Promasidor owning majority shareholding to avoid a situation in the future when a new government comes and proves problematic. In another few months, we will be producing milk there commercially.

You all know the rice belt at Erinfun, Ado Ekiti, which we are doing with JMK Rice, Stallion Rice and Dangote processing mills, the Special Agriculture Processing Zone in Iyemero, Ipao-Irele axis, and if you go to Okemesi, we just commissioned a snail village in – Egbeja village – another private initiative and we are doing all these without neglecting our local farmers particularly, our youth in commercial agriculture – a program that started in my first term.

We have about 2,000 people that had benefited from the state’s Microcredit scheme and about N1.5 billion had gone into Small and Medium Scale Enterprises since I came on board for the second term. We have also ensured that we develop our rural areas because it is critical to our agriculture sector. We have our Rural Access to Agriculture and Markets Programme (RAAMP), which deals with the construction of about 1,000kilometers of rural roads for easy transportation of agriculture products to the cities and market places, that is, connecting the rural farms to the feeder roads and the markets.

Fundamentally, what we want to do is create wealth and you can’t create wealth when you are dealing with an economy that is majorly civil service-oriented. You have to create opportunities for people to use their skills and create their businesses.

The knowledge economy is very dear and Key to Ekiti. What impacts have you made in this sector?

In the knowledge economy, we have restored our old policy, which is free education that was canceled by the immediate past government in public primary and secondary schools. We have begun to see a major increase in school enrolment. Primary school enrolment has gone up by at least 40,000 pupils between 2018 when 2020. In secondary schools, enrolment has gone up by about 25,000.

You have to wonder where were these pupils before we came on board and the answer to that is the lack of opportunities that stare us all in the face. It will shock you to know that all the four model secondary schools built recently by our administration have been filled up. We now have to build at least three more to address the shortfall based on demands. This intervention in the knowledge economy is working.

So, we are planning to build one more in Ado Ekiti, another one in the South, in Ikere Ekiti, to make up for demands and pressure that are being mounted on the existing schools and another one in Ekiti North, most likely in Ikole. Equally, we have activated our policy of returning schools to their original owners, Christ’s School being the first.

The Catholics, the Methodists, and the Ansarudeens have now asked for their schools too. In the Tertiary sector, we have upgraded the College of Education to the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science, and Technology, in fulfillment of our campaign promise to the Ikere community.

We have also secured accreditation for the newly established College of Agriculture and Technology in Isan Ekiti, which is to produce mid-level career employment in the agricultural sector. We have the Ekiti State University, College of Health Technology, Ijero Ekiti, and many others.

In the area of infrastructure, if you observe very well, you will see that we are laying fiber-optic cables all over the state because we realized that what can give Ekiti an edge and bring us out of being a dependent civil service state is technology as contained in our economic strategy. We have entered into a partnership with MTN for the laying of the Fibre optic cabling to guarantee broadband access that will create a regional loop extended to all the Tertiary institutions in the state: Ekiti State University, Federal University, Oye, Bamidele Olumilua University, and the Afe Babalola University, Federal Polytechnic in Ado Ekiti and the College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan.

That is the value addition we brought and that we think we can bring to the table to make Ekiti a destination of choice for businesses, where you can stay, play and live to do your businesses and prosper.

In the social investment sector, we are helping the weak and the vulnerable out of their position of poverty and giving them leverage and relevance. Under this, the health sector takes the lead in that area. The primary health centers are being strengthened. Fifty of them will be renovated and equipped within the next six months. We are also planning to renovate and equip all our secondary facilities. This, we intend to do to make healthcare delivery available to our people. Also, we are strengthening the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, which we launched last year to guarantee universal access. Our health budget has grown exponentially as a result of this mission.

We are also paying attention to our tertiary hospital, improving on infrastructure and provision of equipment. This is a Covid-19 pandemic Era and you’ve seen how we have managed the situation. Ekiti has done well in the management of the pandemic. With this new strain of pandemic and virulence, we need to increase vigilance and ensure that our people observe all protocols to halt the spread of the disease.

The next move now is making vaccines available to our people. And we are looking at alternative ways of procuring our vaccine in addition to what the federal government can make available to us.

In the area of infrastructure, you are all here and you know what we have been able to do in that regard. Ekiti is a state with limited resources but with unlimited resourcefulness. We have giant ideas and we are resolute about our vision of taking Ekiti from a backwater state to the forefront of modern, civilized society.

On the water, as of today, we have rehabilitated three dams: Egbe, Ureje, and the Ero Dams. We are now about to commence the rehabilitation of Itapaji Dam and the State is also partnering with the federal government to rehabilitate the Ogbese Dam in the Southern part that had been abandoned by the federal Ministry of water resources.

Early in the new year, I ran to Mr. President for a special intervention for the completion of the Ogbese multipurpose dam, which is for irrigation, can supply water to the people of the south with the Egbe dam that is being turned around and also generate electricity with its 5 megawatts capacity, which he graciously approved.

In the Northern region, the Itapaji dam is going to be more for irrigation to improve agriculture in that axis, I mean ensuring farming all year round. In the area of electricity, we are also working hard to ensure an improved power supply to Ekiti. We are partnering and signing MoUs with private investors. Roads are coming up gradually. We have six roads that traverse the three senatorial districts under construction. We have the Agbado-Ode-Omuo road, two, the road to the tourism belt, Aramoko-Erinjiyan-Ikogosi road, we have Ilupeju-Ijan-Igbemo road, which is 80 percent complete. We have the Oye-Ayede-Ikun; we have the first phase of the by-pass – Ado-Iyin-Aramoko-Itawure road.

We are signing an Independent Power Project next week with Fenchurch, which will focus on providing electricity for public institutions. We have a lot of building projects, the Oja Oba market, which had been commissioned. We will also commission our neighborhood markets in all the local governments in the next month. We are also working on solar power as an alternative renewable energy platform working with the Rural Electrification Agency. Our knowledge zone and the cargo airport are also continuing apace. We just got a grant of $250,000 from the AfDB for the development of the master plan of Ekiti Knowledge Zone.

At the airport, we are evaluating the bids for the construction of the runway, cargo sheds, and the terminal, and the perimeter fencing had been done. We are also working out the compensation for those whose land has been taken in the overriding public interest. I believe the winner of the main bid will move to the site latest by March and I am confident that it will be completed before the expiration of my tenure. We have strengthened the public works corporation to be able to rehabilitate some of the township roads our people are complaining about.

You just said that you upgraded the College of Education to a university and established a College of Agriculture and Technology. Don’t you think this may add to the financial burden of the government?

You could recall that it was my government that consolidated the University of Science and Technology, Ifaki, the University of Ado Ekiti, and The University of Education, Ikere Ekiti (TUNEDIK) during my first term in office. Let me say this, the Oni government had returned the license of TUNEDIK to the National Universities Commission before I came in 2010 due to irreconcilable differences with the community. It was my merger of the three universities that gave rise to the establishment of the Ekiti State University. Since then, the Federal University had been established in Oye and Ikole, taking care of the interest of Ekiti North.

However, there has been a serious agitation from the South about the need for a University to cater for the growing population of students in the South. Already, the College of Education has been an affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka awarding Nsukka degrees in the last decade or more. This has inevitably reduced the population of students pursuing NCE and increased the population of degree students. Given this reality, one could justify the upgrading of the college.

However, I made it clear that the government won’t increase subvention to the university for now, and I am particularly happy that we have resourceful management and the governing council, who have been working hard to ensure that things work out in this regard.

I am glad to note too that the community has been living up to its promise to ensure that the university is funded through public-private partnerships. I’m told the community is contributing about N500 million to fund the university. So given the above, granting the request for the upgrading of the College of Education, Ikere is understandable.

About the College of Agriculture and Technology, there has been a serious gap in the development of human capital in the Agriculture sector in the state. Even in government, we have a dearth of extension workers to help our farmers. These are the people who used to train farmers in modern farming techniques in the olden days and we have to return to that era whilst enabling our farmers to become Agripreneurs.

I believe this College will help in training middle cadre technologists that will be of help to our many commercial agricultural businesses in the state. So, it is going to be a win-win situation for the state if we make use of the institutions very well. It will put education and agriculture as the unique selling points of Ekiti people.

Are you not worried that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum is divided on the issue of the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Not at all! We are not in any way divided. We have 35 governors on one side. Only one of us had a divergent opinion and that is the beauty of democracy. But a situation whereby our people are dying, and the whole world is worried and people still doubt the existence of the disease is unfortunate.

Let me tell the public that my very dependable and reliable ally, a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Juwa Adegbuyi just died of complications linked to Covid-19. Every day in the last three weeks, I lost at least one person personally known to me to Covid-19. So, it is very unfortunate to say that the pandemic doesn’t exist. As democracy demands, we can hold our views, but as leaders, the welfare of our people should be paramount to us.

We shouldn’t take anything that has to do with the welfare and wellbeing of the people with levity. For whatever reason, we shouldn’t mislead our people and if we do, we must hold ourselves vicariously responsible if they become careless on account of believing us as thought leaders and influential opinion molders. Some are even saying the vaccines are out to eliminate Africans. It is just unfortunate. We will continue to appeal to the people that hold this view so that they won’t blame themselves for whatever calamity befalls them.

I can assure you that every governor is conscious of the seriousness of this pandemic and we are working assiduously to curtail the spread, but every single death we recorded brings sorrow to all of us. But for those who have contrary opinions, we will continue to appeal to them. My duty as the head of the Governors’ Forum is to convey the totality of our agreement to the President and I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt that we don’t follow opinions, we follow the science.

The reason things have been better for us in Ekiti is that we were strict, probably even more than Lagos, Abuja, and other states. I want to tell our people that we must follow the science on this issue of Covid-19. Let me say this, I experienced it and I knew what it means, and I will never wish what I experienced with Covid-19 on my enemy. At least 10 of my colleagues have also experienced it.

The 2023 election has started generating ripples in Southwest APC with those loyal to you and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu fighting on social media. Where do you stand and how do you douse the raging tension?

Asiuwaju Bola Tinubu and I have no reason or business to have an altercation on any issue, not least on the 2023 election as you put it. Politics, to me, is not played on the social media. It is not a twitter game or a social media business. There is no basis for an altercation. I have not told anybody that I will be running and Asiwaju has not told anybody that he will be running. This is just a storm in the teacup. Some people are just creating this crisis for themselves even when they have not been sent by anyone.

I am sure that the future will sort itself out. APC is one big political family and I don’t think it will be right to start fighting over ambition or engaging in character assassination. This kind of politics or war of attrition will not help us in APC either in Nigeria or in the Southwest. It is not helpful to the development of democracy, not helpful to our zone, and our race. My own belief is that things will sort themselves out in the future.

So, there’s no tension to douse. 2023 is at least two years away. I’m sure you know what they say about a week is a long time in politics. My primary interest now is to finish well in Ekiti and complete my legacy projects in the process of restoring the values he Ekitople and reclaiming the land back to sanity. Every other thing is speculative.

The 2022 governorship election in Ekiti is around the corner. Are you confident of retaining the state for APC despite the crisis in your party and given this widespread impression that APC has not fared well at the federal?

You remember what people said in 2019 that APC would lose the presidency and this same president won. In 2018, they said the same thing in Ekiti and we emerged victoriously. We are politicians and we can say anything to discredit a government in power to manufacture consent and popularity where none exist. When I came back in 2018, I told the people that I will make a tremendous impact in their lives and it is on that record that whoever would succeed me will run.

One thing I know that made me win the 2018 election was that there was no community that I got to where I could not point to two, three, or four projects that I did in my first term. When the time comes, it is my record that the candidate of my party will run on. Two, where is the crisis in APC. What we have are agitations by those who have their views about me and the party.

What we have are tendencies within a vibrant political party and any party that is truly democratic must have that. I am very confident without a shadow of a doubt that we will have enough to sell to our people. The campaign is a marketplace; we will all go out and talk to Ekiti kete on why the candidate of APC should be voted for because we are going to run on a record.

What of the impression that the APC at the center has failed the nation?

Like I said earlier, they said more than that in 2019 and we won. The APC has not done badly at the federal level. We have not in any way disappointed and the records are there for everyone to see. Is it the second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan road, Abuja-Kaduna-road, Ibadan-Lagos rail line, Abuja-Kaduna rail line, and so on? Even the dualization of the Ado-Akure road has been awarded and the project will begin soon.

The federal government is doing a lot of projects all over the nation. However, has APC met all the expectations of the citizens? Not! We still have a lot to do in the two and a half years left. But let me say it expressly, the APC will win the 2023 presidency but if you’re in doubt, let us all wait and see.

What modality are you putting in place to ensure that the APC has a hitch-free membership registration in Ekiti?

This APC membership registration is an open and transparent exercise and it is the right of every member to revalidate his or her membership and the right of new members to come on board. I also think it provides the opportunity for those who had been agitating from the outside to come in and deepen their engagement with the party.

The process is straightforward and I believe the Registration Committee will explain this when they come to Ekiti. All of us will be part of this process and we even want others, who are not part of us to come and join our party. A week ago, the former state secretary of the PDP defected to APC in his ward in Iyin Ekiti. So, all members have the legitimate right to register without hindrance. The constitution of APC mandates the party to update its register every six months, but this is the first time to my knowledge that we are doing this since 2015.

You will be 56 on Tuesday, February 9. Looking back to your childhood, would you say you were over-pampered being the last child?

I was not in any way over-pampered, but I grew up around women with my mother and four sisters, who all contributed to who I’m today. There’s quite a considerable gap between my siblings and me because my parents lost two daughters before I was born. My eldest sister is 70 this year, that’s a fourteen-year gap and my immediate elder sister is 62 next month. That’s a six-year gap.

I was quite close to my mother and by the time all my sisters had left home, I was her journeyman, driver, and shop attendant, running errands for her in her store. But my mother was hot. She never spared the rod – and that rod could be the hot soupspoon or her pounding yam pestle. I learned how to escape from what would be seen today as child abuse and thankfully, my sisters provided me with space every time I felt bored at home or at odds with my parents. I also grew up to enjoy my own company and I was a very studious child but not a pampered child.