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Tag: Fayemi

  • Ekiti 2018: Bamidele denies stepping down for Fayemi

    Ekiti 2018: Bamidele denies stepping down for Fayemi

    A governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC in Ekiti State, Michael Bamidele, has denied stepping down for the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, ahead of the party’s primary slated for Saturday, May 5.

    He described the rumour as laughable, saying there was no reason for him to quit when he was convinced that he had a good chance of clinching the party’s ticket. Bamidele stated that he was confident that the APC national leaders would conduct a free, fair and credible primary that would produce a candidate capable of winning the election.

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti yesterday while meeting with APC delegates drawn from the 13 wards in Ado Ekiti Local Government, in continuation of his effort to solicit the support of the party’s executives at the ward level, Bamidele said, “It will be tragic for the APC to lose after passing through all these stresses. So we must do the right thing for us to get the right result.”

    “I have traversed all the 177 wards and I am now visiting all the 16 local governments in search for delegates. At 54, if I want to step down, I won’t waste time, energy and money moving around. I will not even pretend in telling the public about it,” he said.

  • Ekiti 2018: Tinubu, Akande, Fayemi, others hold strategy meeting in Lagos

    As the governorship election in Ekiti State draws to a close, the major opposition party in the state, All Progressives Congress (APC) is leaving no stone unturned to win the state.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that state is presently governed by Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    The national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday, met behind closed doors in Lagos with all the APC aspirants for the governorship election.

    The meeting, which held at the old State House, Marina, had in attendance the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and about 24 others, hoping to clinch the APC ticket for the July 14, 2018 Ekiti State governorship election.

    Also in attendance was a former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande.

    After the meeting, Tinubu told reporters that the meeting was aimed at putting the APC house in order ahead of the party’s governorship primary in Ekiti State fixed for May 7, 2018.

    He said the aspirants were invited to get their commitment to cooperate with one another as well as the party’s leadership for a transparent primary.

    Tinubu said, “We invited them; they came over and they have been here for hours. For what purpose? Free and fair primary that is transparent, that is not tainted, that is incorruptible, that is indisputable and they said that is what they demanded of us.

    “We have, therefore, agreed to guarantee that there will not be interference in the political situation and to pledge our support for them.”

    The former Lagos State governor added that the leadership of the APC also demanded of the aspirants’ cooperation and a promise that whoever emerges the party’s candidate at the end of the May 7 primary (election) would be supported by all.

    He also hinted that a resolution was made that everyone should re-converge in Lagos after the primary election to further strategise on how to capture Ekiti State in the July 14 governorship poll.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Buhari approves Fayemi’s leave to seek party’s nomination

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a leave of absence requested by Minister of Mines and Steel Development Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    It was to allow him seek the nomination of his party, the All Progressives Congress(APC), to vie as a candidate in the July 14 governorship election.

    A statement on Monday by Fayemi’s media aide, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said the one month leave began on April 9.

    The statement reads: “The attention of the Media Office of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, minister of Mines and Steel Development, has been drawn to reports putting the date for the beginning of his leave at April 30.

    “As a matter of fact, Dr. Fayemi started the one month leave on April 9, as approved by the president, following the minister’s request.

    “This is just to put the records straight and avoid any further mix up on the issue of the leave approved for the minister, who is a governorship aspirant in APC.”

    Oyebode said the clarification became necessary to educate certain individuals calling for Fayemi’s disqualification over non-resignation as a minister before joining the governorship race.

     

  • Fayose will go to jail after tenure – Fayemi

    Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, yesterday vowed to jail Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, if reelected.

    He spoke during the declaration of intent to contest for Ekiti State governorship seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Fayose, he stated, will be made to account for the gross mismanagement of the state’s resources and allocation in the last four years.

    Fayemi, who was governor between October 2010 and October 2014, shocked the crowd by bringing out a red card from his pocket which he symbolically showed to Fayose and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said the red card is an answer to the White Paper issued against him by the Fayose regime which indicted him of financial impropriety and banned him from holding public office for ten years.

    Traffic was grounded for about four hours in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, where a massive crow turned out to hear Fayemi speak on his readiness to win Ekiti for APC in the July 14 governorship poll.

    Fayemi said the state has retrogressed sharply in the last four years he left office saying his bid to run again was motivated by the need to “rescue Ekiti people from bad governance, want, hunger and poverty.”

    He lamented the suffering of teachers, state civil servants, local government workers, and pensioners who are being owed backlog of arrears of salaries, allowances and benefits.

    According to him, Fayose owes core civil servants six months, local government workers ten months, community health workers ten months; pensioners, ten months; teachers, ten months and students, bursaries of over three years.

    Fayemi said Governor Ayo Fayose has no excuse not to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners benefits having collected two tranches of bailout funds, two tranches of Paris Club refund cash and Budget Support Funds for thirteen months.

    He also disclosed that latest records from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showed Fayose has borrowed N56 billion since coming to power in October 2014 with nothing appreciable to show for it.

    Fayemi vowed that Fayose would be brought to justice at the end of his tenure on how he has managed all the funds received from the federal government on behalf of the state.

    The former governor was joined by his wife, Bisi; former deputy governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Hungary, Dr. Eniola Ajayi and other officials who served in his administration to the APC secretariat where he officially informed party leaders of his intent to run.

    After declaring at the secretariat, Fayemi and his train moved to the nearby Jonathan African Church Ajilosun, Ado-Ekiti where he addressed another crowd waiting for him on his agenda for the state.

    He said all APC members who had joined the governorship race are eminently qualified to occupy the state’s number one seat saying anyone who emerges as the flag bearer would be supported by all.

    The minister declared that everything humanly, constitutionally and legally possible would be done to win Ekiti State for APC at the next governorship election.

    Fayemi said: “When I come before you, it is with profound need for the unfinished business, we need to complete what we started, reclaim our land and restore our land.

    “Anywhere Ekiti people go, people subject us to questions that what is wrong with you Ekiti people?

    “We thought you are educated, we thought you are exposed, how do you come up with a character like this as governor?

    “It is time to put a stop to that; it is not about title, it is about sacrifice and whatever it will take us to free Ekiti from these criminal and rapacious brigands, we will do it.

    “We are here to inform Ekiti people that we will never abandon them. We will never hesitate to leave the comfort of Abuja. It is high time to come home and help our vulnerable people.”

    He added: “We will do everything that is required to win Ekiti back. They will accuse us of using federal might.

    “Although power belongs to God and he gives it to whoever He wishes, we will use bottom power, middle power. That is why they are jittery.”

    He described the White Paper of the Fayose administration which

    indicted him of financial impropriety and recommended him for a ten-year ban from holding public office as an “ordinary tissue paper.”

    The minister said: “Every time I move around, I see the suffering and penury our people are going through. I saw their pain and pangs of not knowing where the next meal will come from.

    “That is why we must tell the man who is shouting around that he has a White Paper, we have a red card for him and his party. We will ensure that he will end up in jail.”

    Fayemi described Fayose as a “pathological liar” for claiming that the debt he (Fayemi) left behind was responsible for his (Fayose’s)

    inability to pay workers’ salaries and pensioners benefits as and when due.

    The ex-governor explained that he took a N25 billion bond from the Capital Market in December 2011 with which he executed capital projects adding that he had repaid N14.5 billion at the time he left office in October 2014.

    Dismissing the opposition’s claim that he hates workers and teachers, Fayemi stressed that workers enjoyed most during his administration when they enjoyed salary increase three times.

    Apart from this, he said workers were sponsored to local and overseas seminars, teachers got Core Subjects Allowance, Rural Teachers Allowance and no worker was sacked.

    To party members, Fayemi said: “Whoever wins the primary, we will all support him. Don’t run down any aspirant. Let us desist from hate speech because all aspirants are promoting our party.

    “Party members should not use abusive and intemperate language and I want to suggest to our party leaders to come out with a code of conduct to check this.

    “If we don’t do that, we run the risk of damaging our brand (APC). You are free to market your aspirant and leave the judgment to our delegates.

    “They (delegates) want our party back in power and we must respect their judgment. Any aspirant who does not respect the rule, I will take him as an agent who does not want the good of our party.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: APC will use federal, state, local powers to defeat Fayose – Fayemi declares

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development and governorship hopeful in Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will deploy all resources at its disposal to wrestle power from incumbent, Governor Ayodele Fayose in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

    He also threatened that once the PDP was roundly defeated, Governor Fayose would be prosecuted for mismanaging the economy of the state.

    Fayemi, a former governor of the state, spoke on Saturday at a rally in Ado Ekiti, where he declared his ambition to seek the APC ticket for the July 14 governorship election.

    He however assured that whoever emerged from the party’s primaries would be supported by other aspirants to ensure victory at the polls.

    Fayemi was governor between October 16, 2010 and October 15, 2014, after he was defeated by the incumbent.

    “They said the June 21, 2014 governorship poll was free, fair and credible, so that of July 14, 2018 too will be free, fair and transparent,” Fayemi said.

    “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 powers to take over Ekiti from a rapacious and government being run by a brigand in Ekiti.”

    The rally, which was well attended by party supporters, created a traffic snarl that left motorists stranded for several hours.

    The minister who used the declaration to highlight his achievements during his tenure as governor, said he would want to bring back the “good days” and ensure the state was rescued from the “misrule” the current government had brought the state to.

    He, however, stressed the need for members of the APC to be united during and after the primaries.

    “Let me say this, I am a loyal party man and I am ready to support whoever the party fields as the candidate,” he assured.

    “Yes, I 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.

    “Again, politics to me, is not about title but about service and sacrifice”.

    On the rising acrimony among the APC aspirants, the Mr. Fayemi urged the State Working Committee to set out a code of ethics to regulate the conducts of every contestant, describing the tirades against his person as unacceptable.

    “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,” he said.

    “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.”

    The APC acting chairman, Kemi Olaleye, said the party would do its best to be transparent in the primary.

    “We are in a sensitive time and we need ourselves. No one can win election alone, so I beg of you to not use your writeups on our platforms to destroy our party,” she said.

    “Let us be united and know that we have only one enemy, which is Fayose for us to be able to win.

    “Our minister has been supportive of the party. We are proud of him for using his Ministerial position to help Ekiti and APC members.”

  • Vote of no Confidence: In saner climes, Fayemi would have been sacked by now – Reps

    Sequel to passing vote of no confidence, the House of Representatives on Thursday said it will no longer address the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as ‘honorable minister.”

    The lawmakers also noted that in other climes, passing a vote of no confidence in a minister was enough grounds for the President to sack him, adding that the House did not need to stress it.

    In a resolution in Abuja, the House observed that Fayemi’s decision to engage PricewaterhouseCoopers, a “globally discredited” firm, to conduct a technical audit on Ajaokuta Steel Company, meant that he was bent on concessioning the firm.

    To stop Fayemi, the House proposed to amend the Privatisation Act immediately by expunging ASC from the list of public assets in the schedule that can be privatised or concessioned by the Federal Government.

    It also sought to further amend the Act by removing the powers of the National Council on Privatisation as the authority to decide on which firms should be on the schedule.

     

  • Reps vow not address Fayemi as ‘honorable minister’

    The House of Representatives resolved on Thursday that having passed a vote of no confidence in the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, it would no longer accord him the recognition of addressing him as ‘honorable minister.”

    The lawmakers also noted that in other climes, passing a vote of no confidence in a minister was enough grounds for the President to sack him, adding that the House did not need to stress it.

    In a resolution in Abuja, the House observed that Fayemi’s decision to engage PricewaterhouseCoopers, a “globally discredited” firm, to conduct a technical audit on Ajaokuta Steel Company, meant that he was bent on concessioning the firm.

    To stop Fayemi, the House proposed to amend the Privatisation Act immediately by expunging ASC from the list of public assets in the schedule that can be privatised or concessioned by the Federal Government.

    It also sought to further amend the Act by removing the powers of the National Council on Privatisation as the authority to decide on which firms should be on the schedule.

  • Vote of no confidence: There is more than meet the eye to your decision, Fayemi tells Reps

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, has said ‘there is more than meet the eye’ over the decision by the House of Representatives to pass a vote of no confidence on him and his Minister of State, Abubakar Bawa Bwari.

    Recall that the House had on Thursday passed a ‘vote of no confidence’ on the minister for failing to appear at the sectoral debate on the state of the steel sector in the country.

    A statement by his Special Assistant, Olayinka Oyebode, which was made available to newsmen on Thursday, described the action of the lawmakers as “draconian.”

    Oyebode said the absence of the two ministers which was tagged a boycott by the lawmakers was inappropriate as the reasons for their absence were formally communicated to the House.

    “While the offices of the two ministers have been inundated with countless media enquiries regarding their absence shortly after the pronouncement, it is important to state unequivocally that the inability of the two ministers to attend the debate was duly communicated to the leadership of the House in two separate letters,” the statement read.

    “One then wonders why the House members took such a draconian stance against the two Ministers who have very cordial relationships with the National Assembly.

    “It is rather unfair for the House members to categorise the Ministers absence as “boycott”, when they were adequately notified.

    “Tolerance and moderation are essential ingredients in public service engagement. In this particular case, they appear to be in short supply and the ministry believes that there is more than meets the eye on this matter.

    “After all, the Ministers are always willing to engage the honourable House and its leadership at all times. It is on record that Minister Fayemi was the first Minister to address the sectoral debate in 2016 and the Ajaokuta Steel Complex was extensively addressed on that occasion.

    “Subsequently, the House Committees on Privatisation and Public Petitions held special sessions on Ajaokuta and the Minister of State, Hon BawaBwari addressed the members on those two occasions.

    “Given this past record, today’s action is most unwarranted and unfortunate.”

    Following the motion moved by house leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers passed a vote confidence on the ministers and the Sole Administrator of the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

    The House held that the ministers were in contempt of the house by refusing to attend the event.

    “The minister did not have the courtesy to reply but asked the permanent secretary to do so two weeks later,” said Gbajabiamila.

    “The debate gives ample opportunity to clear the air against all accusations, there is more to it than meets the eyes. This is an assault on common sense for the two ministers to have done this.”

  • Just in: Reps pass vote of no confidence in Fayemi, Bwari

    The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a vote of no confidence on the two ministers manning the ministry of mines and steel development, Kayode Fayemi and Abubakar Bawa Bwari respectively.

    Members of the House were angry that the two ministers boycotted an invitation personally signed by Speaker Yakubu Dogara to appear before them at plenary on Thursday as part of sectoral debate on how to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

    The lawmakers said it was unfortunate and a clear case of contempt of the parliament for Fayemi and Bwari to say that they would not attend the session due to other engagements when their ministry is at the centre stage of the Ajaokuta Company.

    Thus, the lawmakers resolved to constitute a powerful adhoc panel to investigate why the company has been comatose and the role of the two ministers in the allegations of under hand dealings on plans to concession the steel plant.

    The lawmakers said the two ministers would not be granted any form of audience henceforth by the House due to their behaviour.

    Speaker Dogara had at the opening of the session told his colleagues that the ministers said they would not attend the session due to other serious engagements.

    He said it was an attempt to boycott the session.

    Speaking, House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila said he considered the ministers’ attitude as contempt of the House.

    “You personally signed the letter to them, unfortunately none of the ministers could sign their reply. Rather, they asked the PS to respond to you two weeks after.

    “The invitation that hasn’t been honoured is a serious contempt. This presentation gives ample opportunity for fair hearing. There are allegations. I believe we should take this matter seriously. Whatever we should do here today should be moved to a powerful investigative hearing. Steel is probably more than the oil. Whatever we have in this chamber has a touch of steel in it. One of them was part of us here.

    “I will personally take it as an assault to the common sense of this country for the two minister to ignore, pupu and scorn an invitation of this chamber.”

    Also, Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa said: “At a point when the leadership of the country is talking about diversification of the economy, we have found the gold. But these relevant ministries are not ready to cooperate.

    “What we do here is not about you but it’s for and on behalf of the generality of the people of Nigeria. For any minister to undermine an invitation of this House is to say the least unfortunate.

    “This is an intervention for us to save this nation from economic quagmire. I want to say that at the end of the sectoral debate, we have to take a decisive action.

    “Their absence here simply means that there’s something suspicious – absolutely suspicious. Most of the face-off we face with the Executive is as a result of the attitude of these ministers and the rest.”

    One after the other, members of the House took turn to lament the development, with Rep Zakari Mohammed saying the House should not pass the ministry’s budget until the two ministers tendered unreserved apologies.

  • Public office ban: Fayemi replies Fayose, tags it ‘joke of the century’

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said the White Paper the state government released yesterday on his alleged probe is a joke taken too far.

    A statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Olayinka Oyebode, reads: “The attention of the Media Office of the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has been drawn to the pre-meditated verdict of the Ekiti State government, as contained in the White Paper submitted by the panel set up by Governor Ayo Fayose to investigate the finances of the state between 2010 and 2014.

    “While we believe it is part of the responsibilities of the state administration to look into the finances of the state at any point in time, we are also of the belief that such must be done in a very responsible manner devoid of prejudice, witch hunting and a calculated attempt to victimise a citizen.

    “In this particular case, the entire process is discredited right from the beginning, as the only agenda of the panel was to rubbish Dr Kayode Fayemi’s public service record.

    “One is therefore not surprised at the recommendations of the White Paper: It only goes to confirm our initial position that the panel was compromised right from inception and targeted against Dr Fayemi.

    “In his desperation, Governor Fayose chose the crude and ignoble path towards hitting a perceived political foe.

    “In the process, they ignored the rule of law and behaved as if the court does not matter; thus making their actions subjudice to the court.

    “Fayose was, however, misguided into believing that he could pass a death sentence on Dr Fayemi’s public service with the White Paper. This is not only laughable but also ridiculous, as neither Governor Fayose nor his paid agents have the power to bar anyone from political participation.

    “The entire process and the character personae involved are discredited and since it is impossible to build something on nothing, legally speaking, their recommendation is not only null and void, it is ultra vires.

    “We urge the teeming supporters of Dr Fayemi, the good people of Ekiti State and the general public not to be disturbed by the development. It is simply another act of illegality, from an administration that has elevated political debauchery to state craft.

    “It shall not stand. It is nothing but a joke taken too far, perhaps joke of the century.”