By Gbenga Sodeinde
Sadly, political chicanery cum stomach infrastructure politics was introduced into governance and politics of Ekiti by the former Governor, Ayo Fayose, who abandoned all the major uncompleted projects embarked upon by his predecessors in office.
With mathematical precision, in 2003 through 2006, Fayose pioneered that type of politics that was foreign in Ekiti politics. Regrettably, he artfully enacted the same mould of politics on his second coming in 2014 through 2018 when he fully enacted a total thespian political melodrama in Ekiti when his continuity agenda failed.Put simply, Fayose’s two terms in Ekiti could best be described as a season of reckless, and willful abadonment of projects that were started by his predecessors.
No hype, such a political act reeked of politics of aggradisement and vendatta as he consigned all inherited projects to the trash can of dereliction, not minding the fact that these projects were executed with Ekiti people’s money for dear Ekiti people.
In retrospect, the first executive Governor of Ekiti, Otunba Niyi Adebayo who was governor between 1999 to 2003, proposed and started a 3-Star hotel with 55 suites in a bid to promote business and hospitality industry in the state, but this laudable and lucrative project was converted into Governor’s Office by Fayose with a neck-breaking amount of money as the contract had to be awarded newly.
In view of the meager resources from Ekiti allocation and the fact that cocoa business in which Ekiti would have been making money was no longer viable, Adebayo thought of creating industries in Ekiti to enhance job opportunities and boost Ekiti state economy. He borrowed money to acquire Fountain Court complex, with luxury flats in Lagos, and liaison office in Abuja.
Prominent amongst the Projects embarked upon by Adebayo which was abandoned by Fayose were: the SawMill factory, Ikere, Fruit juice at Ilupeju, Oil palm factory at Aisegba, Soap industry in Otun, Mat weaving at Ogotun, and Pottery industry at Isan Ekiti.
Ekiti, at this point in time should return to the Drawing Board and reminisce on what the politics of vendetta has caused them and eschew it further re- enactment in 2023 for Ekiti to be transformed into an Oasis of Peace, Freedom and Economic development.
Suffice to say that Ekiti must not allow politics of bitterness to continue in the state as this will not only continue to cause setback in the development of the state, it will also cause a lot of waste which could be avoided if someone like Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) who shares the dreams, ideologies, and capabilities as the incumbent, John Kayode Fayemi is voted as the next Governor.
To also stem the tide of abandoned projects by incoming governors who don’t share the same political thought with their predecessors, the transition law (2019) enacted by the Ekiti State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Fayemi could not have been more timely. The law forbids any succeeding governor from abandoning the project of his or her predecessor.
Ekiti needs the fresh, renewed ideologically and technologically driven leadership style that will propel us to the Pinnacle of human and infrastructural development.
