TheNewsGuru

Tag: Fayemi

  • Fayose’s govt left N57bn unpaid workers’ salaries, pension arrears, says Fayemi

    Fayose’s govt left N57bn unpaid workers’ salaries, pension arrears, says Fayemi

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Tuesday said that the workers in the state civil service were currently being owed N57billion as arrears of unpaid salaries and emoluments.

     

    The governor said this at a meeting he had with the civil servants as well as a cross-section of labour leaders at the Government House, Ado Ekiti.

     

    He said that his administration was making frantic efforts to defray the backlogs which he said would be done in phases.

     

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayemi claimed the trend was caused by irregular payments of salaries and pensions by the immediate past administration of Mr Ayodele Fayose.

     

    He said the arrears covered outstanding salaries, pensions, promotion arrears, leave bonuses and other emoluments from 2014 till October 2018 when he assumed office.

     

    The governor also said he was not part of the people that were opposed to local government autonomy.

     

    He said the local governments in the state were currently being given unfettered access to administer their own funds without interference from his government.

     

    He said he would honour his earlier pledge to pay all the outstanding workers’ benefits.

     

    He clarified that some would be given immediate attention, while some would be defrayed by instalmental.

     

    He said, “It is sad to reel out such a homongous figure, because it can create panic for you and I.

     

    ” But let me say that we cannot pay everything in one fell swoop, but the 2019 promotion arrears will be given immediate attention while others will be defrayed by installment.

     

    ” It becomes difficult to pay once because Ekiti gets a little above N5billion monthly, with the state getting like N3billion, while the local governments receive little above N2billion monthly “, he said.

     

    On the issue of local government autonomy, Fayemi said he was never opposed to the idea of giving financial independence to the third tier of government, being the closest to the grassroots.

     

    “I am not opposed to it. Since I came back as governor, not even one naira of the local government money was being administered by me.

     

    ” I have allowed the councils to manage whatever comes to them.”

     

    Fayemi said that the state under him was considering alternative power supply option to shore up the one being supplied to the state from national grid.

     

    He said he was planning the alternative because the current supply was grossly inadequate and crippling economic activities in the state.

     

    He also said that he had earmarked some funds for the Ministry of Environment to undertake erosion and flood control projects in some towns.

     

    Fayemi said that this was because of the recent flooding that ravaged Ado Ekiti and other towns, of which many civil servants were major victims.

     

    He also said that he would discuss the acute shortage of manpower in the health sector with the Health Management Board (HMB) when it was raised by the labour leaders.

     

    He said that he would ascertain the actual statistics and how to fill the missing gaps in the health sector.

     

    The Chairman of the Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Kayode Fatomiluyi, had called the attention of the governor to the chronic shortage of manpower in the health sector.

     

    Fatomiluyi said, “Over 1,000 nurses were at HMB in 2014 during your first term, Your Excellency Sir.

     

    “But today, we have less than 500 to manage 22 health facilities across the state.

     

    “The Governor must do something about this,” he said.

     

    Some of the other labour union leaders in the state that attended the meeting include: Kolapo Olatunde of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sola Adigun of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

     

    They also pleaded that issues that had to do with the benefits of workers must be given utmost priority.

     

    They urged the governor to use his connection as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to fast track the implementation of the new minimum wage for workers.

  • Fayemi orders probe into killing of FUOYE students

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state has called on the state police Commissioner, Mr Amba Asuquo, to expose those behind the killing of two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) during a protest.

    Fayemi, who made the call in a broadcast on Monday, said a Judicial Panel of Inquiry would be constituted to probe the incident, as demanded by student union bodies.

    He said the state government would compensensate families of the dead as well as foot the bills of those injured.

    The governor also lauded the exoneration of his wife, Bisi, from cause of the deaths.

    He said it was wrong for anyone to terminate the lives of students holding a lawful protest over poor electricity supply to their campus.

    “I have in the last few days agonised over the incident that took place at FUOYE on Tuesday, Sept 10, 2019

    “Until the multiple investigations already set up are completed, I am necessarily constrained from talking about the details of what transpired

    “I however do not need to be constrained about the emotions a tragedy like this evokes

    “Any death is a tragedy. Any shooting arising from legitimate protests diminishes our fledgling democratic dispensation and calls to question, our commitment to fundamental human rights

    “Having heard from all parties to the incident, it is pertinent that I now personally convey my deeply felt sorrow for the loss of two promising young lives and for those who suffered injuries

    “Our government prides itself on its strict adherence to the rule of law. The right of citizens to protest on any issue relating to governmental actions or inactions is a fundamental component of our good governance agenda

    “We could not therefore under any circumstances, have directed that deadly force be used on any of our citizens freely expressing their right to protest

    “Even before the conclusion of the investigations into this matter, we have taken a number of steps; a high level government delegation has visited the families of the deceased

    “This will not be a one-off intervention. We will stand firmly with, and support the families at this time. Those persons with varying degrees of injuries will also be given support whilst their hospital expenses will be defrayed by government

    “I have directed the State Commissioner of Police to urgently commence an investigation into the circumstances that led to the unfortunate shooting incident with a view to identifying possible culprits within and outside the Force

    “Taken together with the ongoing investigation by the University management, we will consider the need for an independent panel of inquiry, if necessary once these fact finding investigations are concluded,” he said.

    The governor said he had suggested to police authorities to explore the use of non-lethal rubber bullets in managing public protests, vowing that the Nigerian Governors Forum would take this up at the highest level.

    “I note the initial public statement by the University authorities and its Students Union body. We welcome the conclusion that neither the wife of the Governor nor any Government official directed the shootings

    “Indeed it is obvious that the wife of the Governor and those on her entourage are victims of this unfortunate incident.

    “The issue that led to the protest has been the subject of intense disagreement and negotiations with BEDC since I became Governor

    “Only last week, my Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities was still in Benin to see BEDC management on the matter of inadequate and inconsistent supply of electricity in Ekiti State

    “Though Governors do not have any control over privatised power distribution companies, the four Governors from the states covered by the Benin DISCO have consistently expressed dissatisfaction with the services of BEDC and taken the matter up with the Vice President who chairs the Privatisation Council

    “In addition to this, I have been talking to the Rural Electrification Agency about including FUOYE in the next round of their University Electrification Project,” the governor said.

    He appealed for calm and caution as government awaited the reports of the various investigations, saying no persons or group should attempt to use the tragic incident to destabilise the peace and progress of the state.

  • FUOYE crisis: How I narrowly escaped death – Ekiti First Lady

    More startling revelations on how the convoy of wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, was attacked in Oye- Ekiti, the headquarters of Oye Local Government, have emerged.

    This followed a blow-by-blow account of Erelu Fayemi of how she narrowly escaped death unhurt.

    The governor’s wife was attacked by protesting students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) while on an empowerment and advocacy tour to engage with women in the local government.

    She was in the town in continuation of her tour across the state, which began from Moba Local Government and had visited Ilejemeje Local Government before arriving in Oye-Ekiti for the last leg of the tour.

    While narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Fayemi in a statement titled: ‘The September 10th Oye-Ekiti Incident: Setting the Record Straight” disclosed that FUOYE students and possibly infiltrated by local thugs barricaded Oye-Ikole-Omuo highway to prevent the convoy of the wife of the governor from passing with a view to expressing their displeasure about poor power supply in the town.

    She said her convoy was severely attacked by the protesting students with stones and cudgel until they escaped.

    Explaining how the incident happened, she said: “While we were at Ilejemeje, we received a call from our advance security team that FUOYE students were protesting lack of electricity in Oye town.

    “We were told that more information would be provided on the situation. Shortly after we received word that the students had dispersed and the coast was clear for my visit.

    “When my convoy got to the Oye-Isan junction, we were met by a convoy of excited Okada riders who led us into Oye town. We made a stop at the primary health care centre along the road for me to present delivery kits to expectant mothers.

    “There was no sign of any trouble. We proceeded to the venue of my town hall meeting at the civic centre with women in Oye Local Government. The atmosphere was very peaceful, the women were singing and dancing and there was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss.

    “I stopped at the tent erected for the mobile health clinic in front of the civic centre to greet the elderly patients who were being attended to, and I also went to greet the beneficiaries of the Food Bank for the elderly project (Ounje Arugbo), who were assembled under another tent. I then proceeded to the hall for the programme.”

    Erelu Fayemi added: “Half-way through our event, there was a disturbance outside. The FUOYE students (and possibly infiltrated by local thugs) had re-grouped and were trying to get into the venue. The security officers prevented this from happening.

    “We finished our programme, and by the time we got outside, we found that vehicles from my convoy and those of my guests that were parked outside the venue had been vandalised.

    “As we were driving out of Oye town, we encountered at least two roadblocks that the students had mounted to prevent the movement of vehicles. I could see students/thugs throwing stones and large sticks at us as we drove by.

    “However, the casualties that were recorded did not take place while I was there. There are eyewitnesses, photographs and video footage to confirm this.”

    Mrs. Fayemi, who expressed dismay over reports that the crisis occurred because she refused to address the protesting students, described the accusation as a monumental falsehood.

    She denied that she instructed security details attached to her to shoot protesting students, stressing that she didn’t come across protesting students while she was in Oye-Ekiti for an empowerment programme.

    Erelu Fayemi said she couldn’t have objected to civil protest being a human rights crusader and mother.

    She said: “I did not encounter any group of students when I got to Oye town. They had dispersed before my arrival, and when they regrouped I was at the venue.

    “It is possible, as I stated earlier, that the group that came to the venue trying to gain access with sticks and stones in hand might have included local hoodlums, but there was no way of telling the difference.

    “I am scandalised and shocked beyond words to hear that I instructed security officers to shoot at students.

    “If I had met a group of protesting students, as a social justice activist myself, I would have listened to their complaints and addressed them. I firmly believe in citizens’ rights to protest on issues of concern.

    “I am deeply saddened that at least one fatality has been recorded. As a mother my heart bleeds. All these students are my children, and no mother prays to weep over her offspring.”

    Fayemi’s wife, however, commiserated with the family concerned, wishing those who are still receiving treatment a speedy recovery.

    Police killed two FUOYE students – SUG President

    The President of the Student Union Government of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Oluwaseun Awodola, has narrated how policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command allegedly killed two students of the institution.

    He identified the deceased students as Oluwaseyi Kehinde, a 100-level student of Crop Science and Horticulture, and Joseph Okonofua, a 300-level student of Biology Education.

    The student leader said two others were injured and admitted to hospital.

    Awodola insisted that the police must be held accountable for the death of the students.

    The protest was said to have been staged against the blackout on the campus of the institution.

    The demonstration later degenerated, leading to the killing of the two students.

    The school management had issued a statement on Wednesday asking all students to vacate their hostels because the campus had been shut indefinitely.

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, had claimed that the students attacked the convoy of the wife of the state governor, Bisi Fayemi.

    Ikechukwu also alleged that the students assaulted policemen and damaged a police vehicle.

    He denied that the police shot any student at the scene.

    However, the SUG president noted that the police were responsible for the death of the two students.

    Awodola explained that while Okonofua, aka Icon, was shot in the stomach, Kehinde, a class representative, was shot in the head.

  • Appropriation of security votes not illegal – Fayemi

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says appropriation of security votes to states is not illegal and also not unconstitutional.

    Fayemi, who is also the Chairman, Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF), said this at the Quarterly Policy Dialogue on Accountability for Security Votes in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The event was organised by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), the training arm of the ICPC.

    While noting that there is widespread belief that the appropriation of security votes in Nigeria is unconstitutional and thus illegal, Fayemi declared that “it is not correct”.

    “This is because in the Nigerian Constitution, the executive is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a budget which is then sent to the legislature for ratification.

    “The fact that huge amount of money are routinely being budgeted and expended in the name of security vote does not make it an illegal practice,” Fayemi said.

    He said that the act of approving any sum allocated to such a heading (security vote), covert or overt, legalised the concept.

    “The insinuation that such money is not budgeted for, is not true.

    “In the State level context, a security vote is a pot of money appropriated by the state legislature.

    “This amount often appears as a line item (or line items) in the governor’s annual budget request to the state legislature.

    “The overall percentage of a state’s budget set aside as security votes vary widely,” he said.

    The governor explained that security vote was basically a budgetary term that covered the discreet expenditure of the activities related to the strengthening of security for the protection of lives and property of the citizenry.

    “The main objective of the Fund is to support the various law enforcement agencies, mainly through the donation of arms and operational gadgets.

    “All other states also make regular donations to the security agencies.”

    He noted that security votes attracted more attention because of the seemingly none accountable nature of the expenditure under the budgetary provision.

    however called on the custodians of security votes to manage it judiciously with good sense of responsibility.

    “If the security agencies also perform their responsibilities as expected, there will be adequate security in the society and trust will be restored and the clamour against security vote will reduce.”

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said that security vote was subject to audit and “if it is not done, it is wrong”.

    He said that the votes were not votes for defence and were also not meant for the armed forces.

    “Strictly speaking, if you look at security votes in the true context, it is not meant to tackle insecurity.

    “We have funding for Ministry of Defence and the armed forces. If you have budget lines for these services and organisations, then why security votes?

    However, it can be used for security; but it is not meant to solve insecurity,

    “There are other votes which are constitutional which include the contingency fund,” he said.

    Buratai explained that even though there was security vote that was generally applied, it must follow Public Procurement Act 2007.

    He said that there were several criticisms on security votes which were subjected to corruption, embezzlement and misappropriation.

    The chief of army staff said that if security vote was made constitutional and proper guidelines were set out on how they were utilised, this issue will be laid to rest.

  • Photo: Fayemi visits Rivers, says no evidence Wike demolished mosque

    Photo: Fayemi visits Rivers, says no evidence Wike demolished mosque

    Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi on Sunday said he could not see any evidence that a building existed on the disputed land in Rainbow Town, Port Harcourt where some persons alleged that the Rivers State Government demolished a mosque.

    Speaking with journalists after a joint assessment of the disputed land with Governor Nyesom Wike at Rainbow Town on Sunday evening, Fayemi described the entire controversy as a storm in a tea cup.

    He said: “With what I have seen, I cannot see any evidence of any building that has been demolished here.
    “If you are somebody who wants a place of worship, you should find a way to oblige them. I know within your capacity, it will be possible to find a place for them.

    “From what I have seen here, I think it is a storm in a tea cup. There is nothing to warrant this kind of media hype that has been given to it.”

    The NGF Chairman said that his assessment visit was necessitated by a call to Governor Wike after the controversy on the disputed land broke out.

    The Ekiti State Governor said that when the controversy started, he placed a call to Wike who pointedly emphasized that no mosque was demolished.

    He noted that Wike explained the history of the disputed land, informing that it started during the Amaechi Administration and that the matter was already in court.

    “If they cannot have this place that is in contention and they have gone to court and you have respected their right to go to court, if they want to come back and seek a request to have another place, I plead that His Excellency should oblige them.

    “You cannot allow people to build on a sewer. Even in my state I will not allow people to build on a sewer . There is no governor that I know that will allow that to happen.

    “If they are willing and prepared to have their place of worship elsewhere, that shouldn’t be too much of a request. It is important for us to promote harmony, rather than discord,” Fayemi said.

    He said that State Governors must continue to interact on sensitive matters before taking a position.

    He said: “All of us should try as much as possible to speak to one another when things like these happens, rather than jump to any conclusion. That’s what brought me hear, so that I can see for myself precisely what has transpired and I want to thank you for granting me the opportunity to visit when I insisted that I want to see the place in contention.”

    Responding, Wike thanked Fayemi for exhibiting leadership by visiting the state to see things for himself.

    Wike, who noted that the Ekiti State Governor has confirmed that there was no mosque as was wrongly reported, wondered why people politicise everything.

    “I want to thank the Chairman of my forum for at least coming to see things for himself. He called me while he was away and I told him, you know that I can’t do something like that and he said okay, when he comes back, he was coming to see me and he has fulfilled that promise. That shows leadership and from what he has seen, there was no Mosque.

    “There is no way I will see a mosque and order the Ministry of Urban Development to go and demolish a mosque. Assuming that there is even a mosque and that government doesn’t want it at that location, we will invite them and say look, we don’t want a mosque there, can we find you an alternative place, but there was no mosque. I don’t know why people should make politics out of the issue. It’s not important.”

     

  • Nigeria loses $14b annually to farmers, herders clashes – Fayemi

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has said Nigeria loses $14 billion yearly to the lingering farmer-herdsmen clashes.
    Fayemi spoke on Thursday while delivering a paper, titled: Farmer-Herder Conflicts in Nigeria: Implications for National Security, at the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) Executive Management Course in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
    The governor called for the enactment of appropriate states and Federal legislative frameworks and strategies to resolve farmer-herder conflicts and the attendant loss of lives and property.
    He also canvassed the need for effective and strategic communications of government policies on this and other national issues to ensure that the right messaging reaches the citizenry and save the country from avoidable crises.
    Fayemi said the extent of the challenge requires that government moves to unpack what has become a major threat to peaceful coexistence and food security in the country.
    The governor noted that the fatalities recorded from the farmer-herder clashes outnumber those of the devastating insurgency in the Northeast and led to the loss of more lives in Nigeria than in the rest of West Africa.
    Dr Fayemi, who called for the enactment of state and Federal laws to foster peaceful coexistence, despite the nation’s diversity, added that such legislations on regulating the conduct of farmers and herders must have a human face and must harness the country’s economic and socio-cultural potentials.
    This is also in addition to ensuring that law breakers do not escape punishment, the governor said.
    According to him, political leaders must bear in mind socio-cultural and political sensitivities while communicating policies with the citizenry.
    This, Fayemi said, would make them avoid the risk of leaving those policies to faulty interpretations and susceptible to politicisation.
    The lecture was attended by participants from the security and para-military agencies attending the Executive Intelligence Management Course at the institute.
    The governor posited that beyond Nigeria, farmers-herders conflict has also become a threat to sub-regional and continental peace and stability for its devastating effects on human fatalities, livelihoods and the economy.
    Other devastating effects, according to him, include banditry, cattle rustling, proliferation of small arms and light weapons as well as extreme violence.
    He said: “As political and policymakers, we must be humble enough to admit that the messaging around the farmer-herder crisis, in terms of being mindful of sensitivities and the use of polarising terminologies and concepts, leaves room for improvement.
    “From the evolution of the discourse on major issues, such as the anti-grazing laws, which have been passed into law in Ekiti, Benue and Taraba states, to colonies, the Ruga settlement phenomenon, the ranching options, we have not done enough to properly manage the various narratives or interpretations that emerged from this problem.”

  • Why We're Returning Ekiti Schools to Missions – Fayemi

    The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has explained that his administration’s policy to return schools to missions will further improve the quality of education in the state.
    He said the implementation of the policy would commence in September and the schools to be returned would be named at the start of the next academic session.
    Mr Fayemi made this known while hosting the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, Samuel Uche, in his office in Ado Ekiti on Friday.
    He said the return of the schools would stamp the administration’s respect for values, promising that government would work out an efficient and workable model as practised in other states where schools had been transferred back to the missions.
    He said that his government would pay the teachers and give grants to the schools while the missions would take care of administration.
    On security, Mr Fayemi assured that the measures put in place by his administration to tackle the farmers-herders clash and crime in the state would be stepped up so that the peaceful disposition of the state will be sustained.
    He warned that anyone caught engaging in any criminal act would be made to face the consequences and addressed as a criminal irrespective of the tribe.
    Speaking earlier, the cleric said the purpose of his visit was to pray for the governor and the state.
    He described Mr Fayemi as a good product Ekiti State is lucky to have, judging from his antecedents during his first term as governor and as minister in the mines and steel ministry.
    He pleaded for the transfer of some Methodist schools in the state back to the mission so that godly morals would further be instilled in the students.

  • Fayemi pays Fayose’s appointees’ outstanding salaries, allowances

    Fayemi pays Fayose’s appointees’ outstanding salaries, allowances

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has paid the outstanding salaries and allowances of members of the State Civil Service Commission and House of Assembly Service Commission who were appointed by the immediate past administration of Mr Ayodele Fayose.
    Presenting the outgone appointees with cheques covering their outstanding remunerations, the governor thanked them for joining hands with his administration in serving the State; adding that their display of understanding and patriotism while serving with his government is commendable.
    Dr Fayemi who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Biodun Omoleye wished the outgone appointees well in their future endeavours. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the outgone chairman of the House of Assembly Service Commission, Hon. Tunji Odeyemi appreciated Governor Fayemi for being kindhearted; adding that Fayemi’s gesture is uncommon and devoid of personal vendetta.
    Odeyemi said that the appointees had ealier thought that Fayemi would remove them from office since that was the norm but the governor was law abiding and retained them in office.
    “We are most delighted for an avenue like this. I must confess that this opportunity we are having today is very uncommon. When a new governor or government comes on board, what they usually do is to remove members of commissions and boards appointed by their predecessor not minding the laws establishing those commissions. But you have magnanimously retained us and now paying our outstanding salaries. As far as Ekiti is concerned, from 1999 to date, the opportunity we are having like this has not been very common. We are grateful to His Excellency for this”, he said.
    The former acting governor said Fayemi has demonstrated his commitment to treating all Ekiti people equally regardless of their political affiliations and has set precedence for his successor to follow.

  • Expelling pregnant schoolgirls, leaving boys that impregnate them, discriminatory — Fayemi

    Wife of Ekiti State governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, on Thursday decried the practice of expelling pregnant schoolgirls while allowing boys that impregnate them to continue their education.
    Fayemi, who expressed her feelings during a meeting in Ado-Ekiti with wives of Coordinating Directors and Community Development Officers of the 16 Local Government Councils in the state, described the measure as “discriminatory.”
    She stressed that all girls have right to education, regardless of their pregnancy, marital or motherhood status.
    According to her, pregnant girls face all kinds of punishments, including discriminatory practices that deny them their right to education.
    She expressed readiness of the state government to implement relevant laws, including the Child Rights Act, Gender Equality and other laws to protect the interest of children.
    She said that a sensitization campaign would hold in the state in August to increase awareness of the people on the importance of
    protecting the rights of children, particularly the girl-child.
    In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Moji Fafure, solicited the support of women in the state for the
    Fayemi-led administration to fully achieve its goals for women and children.

  • Only collaborative efforts can get Nigeria out of insecurity – Gov. Fayemi

    Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, on Thursday declared that only collaborative approach by all sectors of the Nigerian population could successfully tackle and overcome current security challenges facing the country.

    Fayemi said this at the opening ceremony of a three-day Federal and States’ Security Administrators’ Meeting (FSSAM), held at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office, Ado Ekiti.

    The Governor said the cooperation of all security agencies, traditional rulers, community and religious leaders and all citizens was imperative to overcome insecurity and all forms of criminality.

    He disclosed that he had been in constant touch with his counterparts in the neighbouring states of Ondo, Osun, Kogi and Kwara to secure boundary towns and villages which might be used by criminal elements to gain access to the state.

    The Governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi, warned that the current security challenges in the country should not be politicised but must be frontally tackled in synergy with all stakeholders.

    He noted that the appropriateness and timing of the meeting could not be overemphasised as it came at a time the country was facing various
    security challenges.

    Fayemi stressed that security of lives and property was crucial to socio-economic development which explained why his administration had taken proactive measures to curtail emerging security challenges.

    Some of the measures, according to him, include, donation of two units of Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicles to the State Police Command and
    monthly financial assistance to the security agencies in the state.

    Others are regular meeting of the State Security Council and inclusion of the informal security outfits in the security architecture of the state.

    He stated that the administration had enlisted the support of traditional rulers in the maintenance of peace to save lives and property in their domains as well as held security awareness campaign on the electronic media.

    The rest are establishment of the State Security Trust Fund to enable sustainable funding of crime prevention interventions, creation of an anti-crime outfit code named ‘Operation Keep Ekiti Safe,’ resuscitation of Peace Corps and resuscitation of the Security Tracking System.

    “The current security challenges in the country should not be politicised as the proliferation and possession of unlawful firearms call for increased security measures.

    “And with what we are seeing now, it has become imperative to seek the cooperation of all security agencies, community and traditional
    leaders and other stakeholders for a safe and secure business climate.

    “We are quite aware that there might be incursion of criminals from outside the state.

    “Therefore, I have started contacting my counterparts in the neighbouring states with a view to synergising for more protection of lives and property along the boundary towns and villages.”

    The Governor added that hosting of the meeting was a demonstration of his administration’s interest in the security of the people.

    He expressed the belief that decisions reached would enrich the business of maintenance of law and order in the country.

    Earlier, FSSAM Chairman, Dr Amina Shamaki, commended the Ekiti State government for hosting the meeting aimed at developing workable solutions to security problems confronting the country.

    Shamaki who is also the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the Federal Government was concerned about the security challenges in some parts of the country and working hard to tackle them.

    According to her, government was concerned about the incessant farmers-herders clashes saying part of the strategies to find solution is the engagement of all stakeholders.

    Shamaki urged Nigerians not to be oblivious of the predictions of the Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NIMET) on the pattern of rainfall because of its implication on security.

    News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the meeting which would end on Saturday had in attendance officials of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    Other participants are Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Prisons Service, Federal Road Safety Corps and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, among others.