Fayemi: Bowing out in a blaze of glory

BY HAKEEM JAMIU

Rt. Hon. Speaker sir,

Please permit me to quote from the book, ‘Swimming Against the tide: The Kayode Fayemi Administration Ekiti State- 2010-2014’.

“It is often conceived that scholarship, activism and politics belong to separate realms and that the three spheres are occupied by people of different candour and temperament. The puzzle is further reinforced by the reality that only a few have ever traversed the three spheres in history. In the first instance, most widely recognised scholars are seldom politicians; and most big-time politicians are not necessarily scholars. Similarly, most activists are seldom successful politicians; and the majority of popular politicians are rarely activists. Little wonder, it is rare to have a convergence of the three distinctive special characters in one person. This is where the personality of Kayode Fayemi comes in. He is a scholar in governance, peace, conflict and security studies; a major player in civil society activism in the country and a state governor and former minister of the federal republic of Nigeria. He, therefore, belongs in the league of occupiers of the three realms of scholarship, activism and politics. And in the three spheres, he is an active participant and key player”. (Olaniyan & Rotimi, 2020)

Dear Dr Fayemi, when you assumed office in 2010 after a horrendous 42 months of legal battle,  you met a dilapidated state in terms of infrastructure but you went to work immediately. Despite the paucity of funds, you implemented your eight-point agenda religiously by touching all 132 communities such that they all had a project. You constructed many roads totalling 952km including 5km per LGA projects.

You brought free education, you brought free healthcare, you transformed Ekiti State University, EKSUTH and then College of Education now BOUSETI, School of Nursing and College of Health Technology, Ijero. You renovated the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES). You brought Ilera Laafin. You brought free health mission. You bought brand new cars for all traditional rulers. You provided funds to assist communities in the renovation of palaces and the construction of civic centres.

You brought Owo arugbo
You brought the conditional cash transfer
You established the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA)
You renovated all schools
You renovated all of the hospitals
You established the youth in Commercial Agriculture Development
You established the Funmi Aduni Olayinka Cancer Research and Wellness Centre
You renovated Ikogosi Warm Springs
You resuscitated Ire Burnt Bricks Factory
You resuscitated the Road Materials and Aggregate Company (ROMACO)
You built Ekitiparapo Pavillon
You built the new government House at Oke Ayoba
You introduced the Oodua/Ekiti Enterprise and Skill Acquisition Development Programme
You improved the water supply by building mini dams and rehabilitating major dams

Despite the above, you lost the election in 2014 in controversial circumstances but you became a minister of the federal republic in 2015 after you conducted a transparent and acceptable presidential primary election that produced President Muhammadu Buhari. As a minister, you turned around the fortunes of the mining sector which grew quarter on quarter under your watch.

You came back in 2018 and met yet another era of decayed infrastructure. You put your goodwill to use and got international donors to support you. You brought many of them back including banks that left the state during the years of the locust. In fact, you have added a new bank that has not operated in Ekiti before now.

You completed abandoned projects like Oja Oba Market Complex, and Civic Centre. You resuscitated state assets like Ikogosi Warm Springs, Gossy Water and Oba Adejugbe General Hospital. You restored electricity to Ikogosi, Ipole Iloro and Erijiyan communities that have been in darkness for over three years before you assumed office in 2018.

Now you have built an international cargo airport about to be commissioned and constructed 136km of roads. You have rehabilitated hospitals, renovated schools, and built four model secondary schools and three smart model colleges in each senatorial district.

You established the Polytechnic Isan, established the knowledge zone, and resuscitated the Ikun Dairy farm. You built a resort and relaxation centre for our elders and also a referral centre for victims of abuse. You built a transit centre of succour for victims of domestic violence.

You reformed the civil service and despite dwindling resources and the bad state of the state finances coupled with the scary COVID-19 pandemic, you have not owed workers’ salaries in four years even when some oil-producing states are owing.

You brought government closer to the grassroots by creating LCDAs during your tenures and you have conducted elections twice in the LGAs and LCDAs so that government at the grassroots would be run democratically.

The house of assembly collaborated well in passing many executive bills that have protected our women and girl child and improved the lives of the Ekiti people. We thank your wife Erelu Fayemi for pushing for many of these bills. We love her and history will be kind to her. The house of assembly today is the most peaceful in the history of the state thanks to your leadership style. No doubt, even your adversaries will agree that you have left Ekiti better than you met it prior to 2010 and 2018.

For those who don’t know where you are coming from a brief explanation of your person is necessary. You are such a wonderful human being. You are an enigma, widely travelled, quick-witted, large-hearted with a forgiving spirit, devoid of self-conceitedness, kind, patient with a suave calmness of a combat soldier. You have the faculty of understanding human beings at first sight yet, you don’t take anybody for granted.  You’re always in your best elements in periods of crisis.  Even when you’re not sure of the outcomes, you never betrayed any emotions. No human being is perfect and like all mortals, you have your own weaknesses you are not infallible yet, you’re one of those rare human beings who would never willingly do wrong. You’re an Omoluabi per excellence with a clear understanding of what honour is. In fact, associating with you is enough education.

You are specially and wonderfully made such that anywhere you go, that aura of anointing and nobility always radiate around you as witnessed in your emergence as the chairman of Nigeria Governor’s Forum and recently president of all governors in Africa. You’re the first Ekiti governor to become a minister of the federal republic after serving out his tenure, the first Ekiti governor to serve two full terms, the first Ekiti governor to hand over to a successor from the same party, first Ekiti governor to become chairman of Nigeria’s Governor’s Forum and first Nigerian governor to become president of all governors in Africa.

As you bow out in a few days’ time, I  seek protection for you through the book of Isiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”.

Governor Fayemi, I am aware you have many national and international assignments beckoning please don’t forget Ekiti and don’t leave your successor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, whom you have groomed to take over the mantle. We pray he succeeds and surpasses your achievements.

As you go in a blaze of glory, we are proud of you and we love you. You have no doubt finished well. You have restored our values and reclaimed our land. We are now proud of our Ekiti heritage of honour, hard work and honesty.

Goodbye, a leader of men
Goodbye, our mentor
Goodbye, a manager of men and resources
Goodbye, a fisher of talents
Goodbye, a builder of men
Goodbye, JKF, Oni Uyi, Oni Eye
Long  live Ekiti state
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

The text of tribute to the governor, Kayode Fayemi, by Ekiti state deputy speaker, Rt. Hon. Hakeem Jamiu on the occasion of Dr Fayemi’s valedictory state of the state address presented to the Ekiti state house of Assembly on Friday, October 7, 2022, at the hallowed chambers of Ekiti state house of assembly