Former Governor of Ekiti state, who is the curent Minister of Steel and Solid Minerals Development, and gubernatorial aspirant, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has boasted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will defeat Governor Ayodele Fayose-led PDP in the July 14 poll and ensure that he goes to jail afterwards. PATRICK ANDREW brings excerpts:
“They said the June 21 governorship poll is free, fair and credible, so that of July 14 will be free, fair and transparent as well. They will accuse us of so many things. They will accuse us of using federal might, but we will not care.
“We will use local, state and federal power to take over Ekiti from a rapacious and government being run by brigand in Ekiti.
“Those of us who travelled out of Ekiti, we are being insulted, assaulted and mocked on daily basis asking why Ekiti they thought were well read, refined and exposed could make a character like Governor Ayodele Fayose as their governor.
“That is why it is important for us to reclaim our land and restore our values. Each time I move round Ekiti, I see the pains on the faces of the 25,000 elderly persons who benefited from our social security scheme, 600 people who were employed into the peace corps, 10, 000 volunteers who took N10,000 per month, among others but have been cut off from these safety nets by Fayose.
“More than 40,000 persons who were gainfully employed by my government have been disengaged by this present government in Ekiti.
“Under my government, I increased the salary of workers from N5,000 to N7,000 and from N7,000 to N13,000 and later N19,3000. Who will the workers hate between a government that did these and one that is not paying salary for more than ten months?
“They said teachers didn’t like Fayemi. During my time, education is free up to SS3. I paid rural allowance to teachers, Core Subjects’ Allowance, paid scholarship and bursary, paid for WAEC and NECO, but all these have been stopped by a government that has no interest in social investment.
“Today, I can boldly say that there is no town I get to out of the 133 towns and villages in our dear state where I will not point to five projects. If I have not done their road, I would have built schools, or renovate their hospital, but today, nothing is happening.
“Even those projects I did not complete were abandoned by Fayose. There is no single aspirant in APC who will not do much more fantastic works than what we are getting in Ekiti under Fayose among all the aspirants on the APC platform.
“That is why it is important for us to be united. Let me say this, I am a loyal party man and I am ready to support whoever the party fields as the candidate”.
“Yes, am holding an important position in this government through the grace of God and by the magnanimity of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari and I am satisfied with it if politics that I play is for me and my family alone.
“But there is an unfinished business in our State. We have to complete and bring back those projects we initiated when we were in the saddle. But politics, to me, is not about title but about service and sacrifice”.
“It is absolutely unacceptable for aspirants to indulge in abuses, use intemperate languages against one another. If we do this, we will be damaging the brand the APC is known for. Each contestant should sell his brand to the party delegates who will decide our fates.
“We should be ready to support whoever the party picks as the candidate, provided the process is free, fair and transparent if truly we are loyal party men. I will see whoever fights after the primary as a mole who was sent to destroy our party”.
