By Gbenga Ariyibi
Governor Fayemi was ushered into office on the wave of popular enthusiasm a year ago. The Governor’s vision remains unfading but then what is more to it?

THe chairman of the Ekiti chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Chief Bola Olu Ojo did not see anything to celebrate on the first anniversary of the ascension of Governor Kayode Fayemi to power.

But not much else was expected from the opposition party that was sacked from the Government House last year allowing the inauguration of the cerebral Dr. Fayemi as Governor on October 15, 2010.

When the regime came on board, the expectations of people were naturally high. Having envisaged the enormity of the problems ahead of it, the new administration quickly commissioned a review of the finances of the state. The outcome of the review was an indictment of the immediate past regime headed by Engr Segun Oni which was accused of financial misappropriation among others.

On that basis, the regime quickly went ahead to constitute a contract review panel headed by a former senior civil servant in the state , Engr Eben Alade which came out with the report that Oni’s regime over paid contractors handling some road projects in the state to the tune of N40 billion. Fayemi was to threaten that the state would employ all legal means to retrieve the money from Oni and those who served under him.

Publishing white paper

Kayode fayemi

But Oni in protest fired back that he was neither invited nor any of his officials or commissioners to defend their actions while in government. The erstwhile Governor dared the administration to publish the white paper that indicted him. Oni even took his called to the international community as he called on Transparency International and similar bodies to take over the investigation of the activities of his regime.

Months after the conclusion of the investigations nothing has come out of the findings.

One year after he assumed office and even with his laudable visions for the State Governor Fayemi is undoubtedly seriously challenged in actualizing his vision by the acute resources available to the state. Ekiti State is said to be the first from the rear in terms of allocation from the federation account

Other challenges include demands from the state’s workers. Virtually all elements of organized labour in the state are demanding for one increment or the other, starting from the mother union, Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) to the teachers, medical workers , judicial workers etc, while the issue of N18,000 minimum wage for workers remains unsolved

The challenges may have informed the decision of the government to raise N25 billion from capital market through a bond issue. The bond issue has, however, been seriously flayed by the opposition PDP.

The administration in the past year has nevertheless succeeded in bringing reforms to the educational sector, conceived some health intervention programmes, and made some remarkable efforts in promoting gender equality and empowerment policy

The administration in a bold step also merged two new universities established by the Oni regime that were described as glorified secondary schools, The University of Education, Ikere Ekiti (TUNEDIK) and University of Science and Technology Ifaki Ekiti (USTI) with the University of Ado Ekiti (UNAD).

The Fayemi administration has equally restructured the senior and junior secondary school systems into a single administration. In a bold attempt at lifting standards school principals were made to undergo written examinations with those unsuccessful being redeployed to classes as Vice Principals or Head Tutors as the case may be.

In its own way of reducing unemployment, the administration engaged about 5,000 youths as members of youth volunteer’s corps through the Agency for Youths Employment and Job Creation. The regime also procured some motorcycles and vehicles which were distributed to motorcycle commercial operators and transporters under the control of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW and Road Employer and Transport Association of Nigeria, RETAN.

The regime equally made an impact with the rehabilitation of Ado Ekiti township roads, the completion of two sets of building at the state secretariat, while plans are in the offing to complete the state House of Assembly Complex embarked upon by the administration of Engr. Oni. The administration’s successes nonetheless, the issue of the minimum wage remains a challenge. Another challenge for the Fayemi administration is an explanation to the people whose properties were bulldozed by the government under the guise of beautification programme that the pulling down of their shops and houses were not meant to punish them.

The chairman of the state chapter of the PDP, Chief Olu Ojo captured the opposition’s assessment of the first year of the Fayemi administration with his damning verdict that there is nothing to celebrate.

“Is there anything to celebrate in the state in a regime that is known for destruction of properties of the people, a regime that is sacking workers, and demoting teachers,” Olu Ojo asked? ‘’You can only talk of negative achievements of the regime that is merging universities , Fayemi has to convince the people of the state on his frequent trips to oversea countries. Since he became governor, he has travelled abroad more than 6 times, his deputy 3 times, wife five times under the name of wooing investors, and the three of them always travel to the same states and countries.”

Readiness to invest

‘’Have you seen any of the investors coming to show readiness to invest in the state? It is all promise upon promise,” he said.

Further debunking the acclaimed achievements of the Fayemi administration, he said “Fayemi is telling lie to the people of the state by saying his administration was responsible for the rehabilitation /construction of Ilawe Erinjiyan Road,Ijero _Ikoro Okemesin Road, all these roads were completed by the administration of Engr Segun Oni in the state,” Bola Ojo declared However, whatever the assessments of the PDP and its leadership, Fayemi still has the advantage of time with him being that he has three years to prove the PDP and other critics wrong.

Indeed, former Minister/secretary of Health, Chief Adeluyi Adelusi said as much that Fayemi cannot afford to disappoint the people of the state since the people have built hopes on him.