Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has said that in the last three years, his administration has completed and inaugurated over 1,000 projects across the state.
He also stated that he would continue to work until the very last day of his presidency, and that all ongoing initiatives will be completed within the remaining year of his presidency.
Dr. Fayemi said he was glad that things were getting better in the state while delivering the State of the State Address at the State House of Assembly on Friday as part of celebrations honoring his administration’s third anniversary.
The governor used the session, which was attended by top government officials, members of the State Executive Council and State Assembly, as well as traditional rulers, to call for peace ahead of the governorship race in 2022, underlining that “no position is worth the blood of anyone.”
In the run-up to next year’s elections, the Ekiti helmsman also advised lawmakers vying for the governorship to shun harsh politics and to remember that God is the only one who can choose a leader.
The governor delivered a sector-by-sector summary of his administration during the last three years, noting that “the job is not done yet even if a lot has been achieved.”
Fayemi announced that his administration had just secured a $250,000 funding from the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) for the feasibility study of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone, bringing lawmakers and notable personalities up to speed on the level of work done and a projection of what to expect in the coming year.
He also revealed that work on the Ekiti Smart-City Project had begun, with the integration of Huawei Safe City IP-Surveillance Solution with the Nigeria Communications Commission Emergency Communication Centre now operational, with the goal of securing the state and making it more business-friendly for residents and investors.
He told me that the project would be finished on time.
He said: “The temptation is to see a government in its final year as a lame-duck government. Let me assure you that this government is determined to work for the people to the very last day of our mandate.
“The job is not yet done, even if a lot has been achieved. I enjoin you all to keep supporting us. The journey of the fourth year has just begun with the rendering of the account of stewardship of the third year.
“The next one year will be used to complete everything we started three years ago. You will recall that I assured you that there would be no abandoned projects. God has helped us to keep and fulfil this promise so far, but there are still many rivers of development to cross.
“I am using this opportunity to reiterate to you, Ekiti-Kete, that there will be no unfinished project under my watch. I know this is a huge task considering the ongoing massive projects across the state. Nonetheless, we are determined to finish well! The fourth-year is also a year of elections, in which my successor in office will be elected.
“I urge you all to play by the rules and avoid politics of bitterness. No position is worth the blood of anybody. I, therefore, implore aspiring governors to be conscious of the fact that God is the only one that can choose a leader. We should put God first in whatever we do. May the wish of God prevail in our dear state and nation.”
Speaking on infrastructure, he said: “We started by taking account of all abandoned projects that we inherited, mapped out plans for their resuscitation, and I am glad to report today that most of the abandoned projects have been completed while the remaining few are in various stages of completion now.
“It gladdens my heart to also report here that we have completed and commissioned over 1,000 new projects within the three years of this administration while some are still ongoing and new ones are being introduced.”
The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, praised the governor for touching all sectors of the economy to improve the lives of the people of the state in his welcome message.
Despite the limited resources available to the administration, the Speaker claims that the successes made under Governor Fayemi’s leadership in the last three years across all sectors are “too visible to be ignored by any morbid critic.”
The governor, according to the Speaker, is an exceptional leader who has dedicated himself to giving Ekiti the best and ensuring that the wheel of governance keeps turning and fulfills the needs of the people despite the budgetary hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other fiscal issues.
“You have been consistent in the payment of salaries as at when due; capacity building of the workers is at the front burner to enhance their productivity. Decayed and dilapidated infrastructures of the past are being given the desired facelift.
“Ekiti People are being mobilised through various empowerment programmes and wholesome environment to use their God-given talents to promote sustainable development.”
The speaker assured the governor of the sustenance of the existing cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, promising to remain committed to translating the policy initiatives of the administration into enduring legacies through legislation for the good of the people.
