Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has declared his love for President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking via a series of messages on a rally by labour workers, broadcast on social media by Lere Olayinka, his special adviser on public communications and new media, Fayose said his constant criticism of the president is simply because of his belief that no democracy survives without a virile opposition.
“It is Ekiti first before Nigeria. Every politics is local, every governance starts from the home. From the home, we graduate to the community, then to the local government., then to the state and to the federal,” he said.
“The Labour is Me and I am the Labour. One thing you cannot take from me is that I have opened this government for the people to run. I am the first governor in Nigeria, that gives details of allocation to workers to decide on. We have been doing that since I came.
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“I want the representative of the press to always attend our FAC meetings. That shows how transparent I run this government. When you have nothing to hide, then you’ll have nothing to fear.
“I have openly given the people all the receipt of money that come to this state. All partakers of FAC allocation attend that meeting once a month. There the people take decision, I sign it. What other level of transparency is greater than this?
“As a people, we have peculiarities, and we must identify them instead of jamborees. The reason why most leaders of this country failed in the fight against corruption since 1999 is that they are corrupt themselves.”
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Fayose stated that the first step that should be taken in fighting the corruption war is not to fight corruption with a political face. He described himself as the first Ekiti governor to “engage the workers so well”, saying he always told workers that no governor or public office holder can steal without the cooperation of a civil worker.
“We don’t have the experience on how to put papers right. We don’t write papers, all we do is approve papers. So the rally you Labour Workers are doing here today, we are supposed to do the rally to you and we will.
“If a leader is leading a country to fight corruption, he must start from his own base. He must be ready and willing to put his home right. Leaders can only lead right by example, not by propaganda. I take exception.
“I HATE CORRUPTION. I DON’T DO THINGS BECAUSE OF LIP-SERVICE, I AM A BLUNT NIGERIAN. I have declared my asset long time ago, I have submitted all the necessary papers, I know the procedure. On asset declaration, put it inside paper or not, it is a public document; there is FOI bill, it is public already. If I need the asset declaration of anyone, I know the proper procedure to get it.
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“I put facts on the table. Facts and figures. No politician can steal money without the help of the civil servant; we should look inwards. One thing I want you all to realise today is this… I love PMB. People think I hate him but I don’t. Democracy is founded on opposition. Opposition will keep the government of the day on their toes to do the right thing.
“In my publication today, I commended the president on effort on Boko Haram. In the last four weeks, it has been positive and there is hope. But I urge the president not to politicise corruption. The law has its process; there are agencies that take care of corruption. We should allow them do their duty without preempting them.
“A civil servant who absconds from work yet collects his salary, is another civil servant not the one to process his payment?. All that governors do is to approve the money; it is civil servants that pay civil servants.
“Let everyone start the fight against corruption from the confines of his home. If every home is right, then the country will be right. If we are ready to fight corruption, then let’s sit tight about it and do away with politics.
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“Somebody must have a different view from all these views. I have a different view in Nigeria, and I’m not ready to surrender that will. The Bible says ‘the righteous will be as bold as a lion’. God be with you. I did not put myself here, you all put me here. I am a man of peace. Let no man misquote me.”
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5 comments
No one is denying you the right to oppose the current government, but when your utterances descend to the level of abuses, jibes, sarcasm, and disrespectful innuendos, then you have cause to worry. Despising the person of Buhari is absolutely off-limit. I am not sure he needs your affection. He has received that from millions of Nigerians.
You are very correct. He should just go ahead and focus on his state and leave President Buhari alone. No one needs any explanation from him, especially not PMB. Fayose has embarrassed himself enough.
Is Mr.Governor trying to apologise to our President? If yes, he has to apologise properly. His writings on the President were shameful and very disappointing. The Governor acted irresponsibly in my opinion, not a good example. His act was not demonstrating being an opposition but something else. He did worse during the campaign. Check reports. Who does he think he is fooling, saying he loves President Buhari?
He is wrong to say he just being blunt, he was negatively blunt, he could be blunt by just stating the facts and his views without being hateful, and the evilness he tried to insight in to some people. The abuses, threatens and the rest – unacceptable. A large number of people will remember him negatively. It is his right to say whatever he needs, wants, or expects to say, but do it respectfully.
Now, regarding his comment on corruption, was he saying that the President is oblivious of the role of the civil servants in corruption issue?
With love like yours, oga governor, PMB needs no enemy.
Very interesting comment by Fayose. I had never really liked him from all the negative stories surrounding him before and immediately after he became governor. But from this pronouncement, if it truly came from him, I see a part of me in this Fayose guy: despise for corruption and being blunt. I pray he stays that way and not allow power to get the better of him.
With this newfound love for Buhari, I hope Fayose isn’t trying to move over to APC. Let him remain in the opposition. Nigeria go better sha.