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Tag: Kayode Fayemi

  • BREAKING: Ekiti becomes cheapest broadband investment hub in Nigeria

    Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi has signed an executive order reducing the right of way charges related to laying broadband or any other telecommunications infrastructures from N4,500 to N145 per meter.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the development makes Ekiti the first State in Nigeria to comply with the National Executive Council (NEC) approved right of way charges for broadband thus becoming the cheapest State for broadband infrastructure investment in Nigeria as 1km of cable will now cost just N145,000 as against N4.5m previously.

    According to the State Governor, the executive order is part of the ongoing reforms by the ease of doing business project inaugurated by him last year to improve indices that will make Ekiti State an attractive destination for national and international investments in 5 years.

    “This decision will ensure Ekiti achieves full broadband penetration by 2021 to attract new businesses, create jobs, improve access to quality healthcare and digital education while improving internally generated revenue.

    “It is also aligned with the ongoing development of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, designed to be Nigeria’s first service based innovation park,” Governor Fayemi stated.

  • Fayemi names committee to manage COVID-19 donations in Ekiti

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, on Tuesday, named an eight-man management committee for the COVID-19 Pandemic Support Account recently set up by the state government.

    The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti, said this was part of the efforts at curtailing the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state.

    He said that the account was opened specifically to receive donations from corporate bodies, philanthropists and well-meaning members of the society, who were willing to support government’s efforts at combating COVID-19.

    According to him, the funds will be targeted at providing palliatives for the vulnerable persons in the state.

    Oyebode added that the committee was set up in line with the governor’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

    He listed members of the committee to include the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, who would serve as the Chairman, with Mrs Margaret Fagboyo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnerships, as Secretary.

    Other members were Mr Ayoola Owolabi, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Femi Ajayi, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Moji Yaya-Kolade, Commissioner for Health and Human Services as well as Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu, Commissioner for Special Duties.

    The committee also has Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Special Adviser/Director-General, Office of Transformation and Strategic Development and Dr Hakeem Bakare, Director, Directorate of Inter-Communication Technology as members.

    According to the governor’s spokesman, the Ekiti Covid-19 Pandemic Support Account, with UBA Current Account Number: 1022752067, has since become operational.

  • Ekiti: I never said I will probe Fayose – Fayemi

    Ekiti: I never said I will probe Fayose – Fayemi

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has clarified his stance on the fate of the immediate past governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose.

    Fayemi spoke with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Fielding questions whether he would probe his predecessor, Fayemi explained that there was never a time he said he would probe Fayose.

    According to him, reports of such probe are on the table of anti-graft agencies.

    “Well, I am sure I have never said anything about probe, and I do not say anything about probe.

    “Looking into books is the duty of any new governor, you need to know what you found in place, I just talked about visitation panel into the education sector in the state.

    “There are other sectors in the state, and it will be remiss of me not to check what we found when we came into office and share that with the citizens of the state.

    “It is just accountability not probe. I am not EFCC I am not ICPC, there are institutions that are charged with the responsibility to do that and its entirely up to them if they want to probe the governor or not.

    “ It is not my business, I leave Fayose to God, I have said that before.’’

    Fayose is presently being prosecuted by the EFCC over an 11-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering.

    Speaking on the state of education, Fayemi said that Ekiti had a tradition of being the intellectual capital of the country but it seemed to have lost that edge lately.

    He said that his government was working toward repositioning the sector, particularly at the basic and tertiary levels.

    The governor said that he had set up visitation panel in all the tertiary institutions in the state to review and recommend what the critical and challenging issues were and how government should respond to the yearnings of the sector.

    He said the government was taking specific steps to address access to education in the basic education sub-sector.

    “Before now, Ekiti used to be the leading state in terms of school enrollment in the country but the latest figures we received from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) makes it clear that we are lagging far behind.

    “We have moved from 96 per cent enrolment in the entire country to about 45 per cent meaning that about 55 per cent of our school age children are of school.

    “That is unacceptable in a state like Ekiti and we need to find out what has happened between 2014 and 2018 leading to this appalling figure in terms of school enrolment.

    “And one of the very first things we are doing to improve enrolment is to make sure that all fees and levies in the primary and secondary sector are removed, so we have removed that.

    “We have returned free compulsory and qualitative education to our basic education sector.’’

    Fayemi said that the government was also doing all it could to encourage more students to come into school.

    He said that the state government would commence the school feeding programme in Ekiti State in order to ensure that kids that did not have the opportunity to be in school were enrolled.

    “We are also ensuring that we pay salaries regularly because you cannot expect parents who have not received salaries for six to 10 months on the one hand and the children are being asked to pay education levy on the other hand to have the capacity to send such children to school.

    “So, it is a double whammy for such families, we need to make sure that education which we see in our party as a right and not a privilege at least at the basic level should be free, compulsory and qualitative and that is where we are returning Ekiti to,’’ he said.

    The governor dismissed insinuations that he was having disagreement with the labour union in his state.

    NAN

  • Save us from quacks, NMA appeals to agencies

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has appealed to the police and other security agencies in the country to assist its efforts to curb quackery in the medical practice.
    Dr Tunji Omotayo, Chairman, NMA, Ekiti chapter, made the appeal at a news conference on Sunday in Ado Ekiti, to mark the 2018 Physicians Week.
    According to him, the menace has reached an alarming stage and requires the full support of all security agencies as it has caused untimely deaths of many Nigerians.
    “The activities of quacks are crippling the medical profession and reducing the quality of practice in the country; quackery is the bane of development of any society or profession, including medical practice.
    “It is a danger to the society; patients always commit their lives in the hands of doctors and once they are not saved, then we are all endangered.
    “The police must help us in this regard because we have identified some people parading themselves as qualified medical practitioners but were later found to be quacks.
    “We reported their cases to the police but surprisingly they were let off the hook.
    “We plead that the police should do more; they must partner with us in this regard because it affects everybody.
    “We appeal for cooperation and support of the police and other security agencies in arresting the culprits”, he said.
    According to the NMA chairman, the main theme of this year’s event is: “Medical Quackery and Litigation, Closing the Gap in Polio Eradication and Universal Health Coverage.’’
    Omotayo said that child and maternal mortality in Nigeria was increasing and reducing life expectancy of the people, because disparity in accessing quality healthcare delivery in the country was poor.
    He also called for full implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) across the states to achieve universal health coverage.
    The NMA boss also appealed to the Ekiti Government to implement the State Insurance Health
    Scheme (SHIS) without further delay, to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses who patronised quacks as thire last resort.
    “The SHIS bill was signed into law under ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose, but we have to go beyond this and move to the level of implementation.
    “We also frown at the lingering crisis rocking the NHIS and we urge the Federal Government to intervene appropriately to restore peace and stability to the agency for it to deliver on its mandate,” he said.
    He congratulated Ekiti new governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on his election success, assuring him that NMA would partner with his administration to reposition the health sector in the state.
     

  • Ekiti Gov-elect Fayemi meets Buhari in State House

    The Ekiti State Governor elect, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi is currently at the office of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    This is the first visit by Dr. Fayemi after the July 14 governorship election where the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared him winner.

    Recall that Fayemi who until he contested the Ekiti governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, was the Minister of Mines and Solid Development.

    He was at the State House last about three weeks ago and less than two weeks to the July 14 election.

  • Breaking: Fayose heads to court

    Out-going Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has vowed to challenge the victory of incoming Governor Kayode Fayemi at the election tribunal.

    TheNewsGuru reports Fayose describes Fayemi’s victory at the just concluded Ekiti state governorship election as “pyrrhic”.

    “If APC truly won, why was it that there was no jubilation in Ekiti? That victory of Kayode Fayemi is pyrrhic, we will reclaim the stolen mandate in the court by the power of God,” he stated.

    Full statement:

    On this Ekiti election, President Buhari demonstrated truly that he is not a democrat, but a dictator and fascist per excellence.

    It is only Buhari that will pride himself with the security shooting sporadically at polling centres , scaring people to pave the way for the APC thugs to snatch ballot boxes.

    The President should bury his head in shame for using the police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and INEC to snatch the mandate given to Olusola and deliver it to Fayemi “whom Ekiti people rejected.”

    What Buhari won as referendum from Ekiti people , Nigerians, and international community is shame, big shame.

    If APC truly won, why was it that there was no jubilation in Ekiti ?

    That victory of Kayode Fayemi is pyrrhic, we will reclaim the stolen mandate in the court by the power of God.

    As for me, I am Peter Ayodele Fayose , I hold with my head high. I can never be suppressed. I don’t lose battles and I will not lose this. By the power of God, I will laugh last.

    The President should note what the Bible says which applies to him: “He that wears the armour should not boast as he that removes it.”

    On Garba Shehu, that fellow is not to be accorded any attention. Being a fair weather friend, he would soon desert his current pay masters.

    Garba Shehu was in the Presidency courtesy Atiku Abubakar for eight years and came back for this current dispensation still courtesy Abubakar. Now, he has abandoned the person who brought him to the limelight.

     

  • Fayemi assures Ekiti workers better welfare package

    Fayemi assures Ekiti workers better welfare package

    The Ekiti governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday assured all the workers in the state that his administration would make their welfare a top priority and not pay lip service to it.

    Fayemi gave the assurance at a news conference held at the party’s secretariat in Ado-Ekiti.

    He promised to pay all outstanding salaries and assured the civil servants that their subsequent salaries would be paid as and when due.

    He also promised to turn around the fortunes of Ekiti and set a standard for other governors in the country to emulate.

    The governor-elect said that in the past three and a half years, the civil servants in the state had been suffering to even feed their families not to talk of paying their children school fees.

    “I want to assure Ekiti workers that I am going to pay all their outstanding salaries and make life comfortable for them and their families.

    “My re-election as the governor-elect of ‎Ekiti state was not accidental, but divine intervention from God.

    “I want all the civil servants to note that my re-election was not to take vengeance, but to restore peace, transformation and development to the state‎.

    “I wish to appreciate all the party chieftains that supported my ambition to contest again for the governor of this state, I want to assure you that you will not regret your support to me.

    “Also to the opposition party, I wish to advise ‎Gov. Ayodele Fayose and his deputy; and the PDP candidate in the election, Prof. Kolapo Olusola; to accept defeat, just like I did four years ago.

    “It is the Lord’s doing that I am re-elected as the next governor of Ekiti State and I want them to equally see my victory in the governorship election held on Saturday as the Lord’s doing, “he said.

    The governor-elect assured all Ekiti people of adequate security of lives and properties from any forms of attack from herdsmen or terrorists.

    He promised never to fold his arms and allow terrorists to invade the state, saying that Ekiti people were peace loving, hardworking, intelligent and discipline.

    He called on other opposition ‎parties to join hands with him to develop and promote the cultural values of the state on assumption of office.

    The news conference was attended by

    The State Chairman of the party and his deputy, Chief Jide Awe and Mrs Kemi Olaleye as well as other chieftains of the party attended the press conference.

     

  • Ekiti governorship poll: Saraki, Ambode react

    Ekiti governorship poll: Saraki, Ambode react

    Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor of Lagos State Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday congratulated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Governor-Elect of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi for his victory in the polls.

    TheNewsGuru reports Fayemi emerged victorious in the governorship election held on Saturday in the state.

    Ambode urged Fayemi to use his second coming to build on its previous achievements while he was the governor of the state.

    He also advised Fayemi to forge ahead with the quest to unite the Yoruba nation, especially, through regional integration and economic transformation of the Southwest geo-political zone.

    He also urged him to justify the confidence the Ekiti electorate had reposed in him by voting for him during the governorship election.

    Ambode alaso commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the leadership and members of APC and its supporters for the hard-fought victory.

    According to him, it is a testament to the fact that the electoral value of the party has not waned.

    Fayemi, who was the governor of the state between 2010 and 2014, was declared winner of the polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

    He defeated his closest rival, Prof. Olusola Eleka, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 197,459 to 178,121 votes.

    Fayemi won in no fewer than 12 of the 16 councils, including the council of incumbent Gov.Ayodele Fayose.

    Ambode specially congratulated Fayemi for his hard fought victory and wished him well as he prepares to take the mantle of leadership of the state for a second time.

    Ambode also congratulated the Ekiti electorate for comporting themselves peacefully throughout the period of the election.

    He, however, urged those aggrieved with the result to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters rather than resorting to self-help.

    “Congratulations to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Governor-elect of Ekiti State on your victory in yesterday’s gubernatorial election. May the Almighty guide you as you prepare to assume Office, and may your tenure bring more development to the State and improve the lives of its people,” Saraki stated in his congratulatory message.

     

  • Ekiti: APC congratulates Fayemi, says party best placed to develop Nigeria

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, assured the people of Ekiti and Nigerians that it is best placed to move the country forward and resolve all seemingly intractable problems.

    The party gave the assurance in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abudullahi, in Abuja, while congratulating Dr Kayode Fayemi, its candidate in the just-concluded governorship election in Ekiti.

    Fayemi won the election after securing 197,459 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Prof. Kalapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 178, 121 votes.

    Result of the poll, which held on Saturday, was announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

    “We assure the people of Ekiti, and indeed Nigerians, that our party is best placed to move the country forward and resolve the seemingly intractable problems that have held us back,” the statement said.

    It commended INEC and security agencies for allowing the people’s will to prevail at the election which was contested by no fewer than 30 political parties.

    The party thanked the Ekiti electorate for voting en masse for its candidate, saying that their action demonstrated their trust and confidence in Fayemi’s ability to deliver on his campaign promises.

    It said that their action also demonstrated the rejection of the crude and pedestrian politics of the PDP.

    It lauded local and international observers as well as other stakeholders for their role during the election.

    The statement noted that Fayemi ran an effective and positive campaign focused on his agenda of rebuilding the state’s economy and returning its lost values of integrity, prudence and decency.

    Fayemi, is former governor of the state and immediate past Minister of Steel and Solid Minerals Development.

    He was governor from 2010 to 2014.

    His re-election bid was truncated by a defeat by PDP’s Ayodele Fayose, the incumbent governor, who would hand over to him on Oct. 16, same day power exchanged hands between them four years ago.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi’s victory, call to higher service, says APC UK

    Ekiti 2018: Fayemi’s victory, call to higher service, says APC UK

    The United Kingdom chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the victory of Dr Kayode Fayemi in the just-concluded Ekiti state governorship election as “a call to higher service”.

    The chapter stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, following the announcement of the outcome of the election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Fayemi was APC’s candidate in the governorship contest held on Saturday.

    The statement was jointly signed by Mr Ade Omole the chapter’s leader and Mr Jocab Ogunseye, its spokesman.

    The party described Ekiti people as the “wisest for electing a thorough-bred and respected individual” like Fayemi as their governor, adding that they would not be disappointed by the governor-elect.

    “We are confident that Fayemi will not disappoint the teeming followers and the general public of the state who have reposed their trust in his ability and experience to provide good governance for the state.

    “Fayemi has done it before; he has also worked in the higher level,” it said.

    It said that while he served as Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development, Fayemi ensured that the moribund Ajaokuta Steal Company was revitalised.

    It added that with Fayemi as governor, the people of Ekiti state should anticipate a new era different from the days of “stomach infrastructure”.

    The APC chapter stated that the people of Ekiti would now have an era devoid of hooliganism and deceit in governance that had eroded the value of true governance and era that would not celebrate mediocrity.

    “There is no doubt, expectations are great, the ceiling has been raised, the altitude is higher, and the people of Ekiti cannot afford to live in darkness as they have done in the past four years,” it said.

    It, however, advised the governor-elect to provide an all-inclusive government irrespective of party affiliation “now that the election had been concluded”.

    The chapter acknowledged that everyone had played a role in entrenching democracy in the state especially, and must therefore, be valued and respected.

    In the result of the election as announced by INEC, Fayemi got 197, 459 votes to defeat his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opponent and closest, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, who scored 178,121 votes.