L-R: Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Commissioner for Local Government, Mr. Paul Omotosho; and Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi, during the site inspection and earth-breaking ceremony of the neighbourhood market under construction, in Ilawe-Ekiti.
The Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, oba Ajibade Alabi, has vowed not to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission to disefranchise him and his wife in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State.
He said he was worried about the alleged antics of the electoral body since he wrote requesting that his voter’s card and that of his wife be transferred to his unit in Ilawe-Ekiti, from Abuja, where he originally registered.
Besides, he said the achievements of the Governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was “unprecedented, unparalleled and highly commendable,” for which he said he would not be equivocal in his support for his second term bid.
The monarch used the opportunity of the visit of the Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, to his domain at the weekend to bare his mind.
The governor’s wife was in Ilawe-Ekiti for the site inspection and earth-breaking of a neighbourhood market under construction in the town.
It’s one of the 16 modern markets at different stages of completion across the 16 Local Governments, being financed to the tune of over N2bn by the state and LGs.
The former career Foreign Service diplomat, who served in many of the country’s missions abroad before his new status, said he would not sit by and allow his rights to be abridged.
Months after he wrote to INEC seeking the transfer of his voters’ card and that of his wife to Ilawe-Ekiti, he claimed that the electoral umpire had not been forthcoming.
He said, “Ekiti will not tolerate any attempt to disenfranchise anybody. I have absolute right, my vote is very important to me. I’m very passionate about it.
“I have written to INEC to transfer our cards to Ilawe-Ekiti, but they have not done anything on it yet. I can go to any length to defend my vote; so nobody can disenfranchise me.
“I will ensure that my name and that of my spouse are transferred to Ilawe-Ekiti, anything short of that will be a re-enactment of what I call abracadabra.”
As a traditional ruler, he said he could not campaign for the governor, noting, however, that it would not stop him from acknowledging the giant strides of the Fayemi-led administration.
He urged the people of the state to take advantage of the forthcoming voters’ registration to ensure that they registered and vote during the June 21 governorship election.
Meanwhile, some traditional rulers across the state have described the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration as the best thing to happen to the state judging by the unprecedented number of projects it has completed, as well as its populist policies.
The royal fathers spoke during the ongoing visit of the governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, to local governments across the state for the earth-breaking ceremony and site inspection of the neighbourhood markets under construction in each LG.
The train had in the last one week moved to Ekiti South-West, Irepodun-Ifelodun, Ekiti West, Ekiti East, Aiyekire, Ikole, Emure, Ise-Orun and Ado LGs.
Describing the governor as an exceptional leader, the Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Ajibade Alabi said Fayemi had succeeded in bringing his administrative ingenuity to bear in the development of the state.
He did not mince words in asking the people of the state to rally behind the governor in his second term ambition to enable him to consolidate on his achievements so far.
He said, “Governor Fayemi has done well and I have no qualms in supporting his second term bid. His achievement is unprecedented, unparalleled and highly commendable.”
At Aiyekire LG, the Olode of Ode-Ekiti, Oba Solomon Aderiye, said the neighborhood market is of international standard and would boost the economy of the local government and the state, by extension.
According to him, the Fayemi-led administration has embarked on a lot of developmental projects for communities in the LG, some of which he described as “amazing.”
Eulogising the governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, for adding value to her husband’s administration through many empowerment programmes, he said Ekiti was lucky to have two for the price of only one.
The traditional ruler described the first couple as God’s sent to the people of the state and urged the people of the state to reciprocate their gesture at the “appropriate time.”
At Ado-Ekiti LG, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, said he could safely describe Fayemi’s projects and his people-oriented programmes as “miracles,” given his conviction that no governor before him did so well.
Represented at the occasion by one of his high chiefs, Odole of Ado-Ekiti, Chief Bayode Ogunmodimu, the Ewi said the community would not want the good works to stop, hence his appeal to the people to queue behind the governor for second term.
At each stop, Erelu Bisi Fayemi told contractors handling the projects to ensure that they engaged the services of men and women from the communities at 60:40 ratio.
She added that building materials for the construction should be sources locally to fast track socio-economic development of the state.
The First Lady stressed that the establishment of the neighborhood market became imperative so as to forestall roadside hawking, as well as to ensure sanitation in major cities of the state.
She appealed to contractors handling the projects to expedite action, noting that they must be ready for inauguration in the next three months.
The contractor handling the Ado-Ekiti neighborhood market, Engineer Adebiyi Oladimeji, expressed confidence in the ability of his firm to deliver the project on schedule and to specification.
Having been adequately mobilized for the work, he said that no contractor would have any excuse not to deliver at the target period.
He said the work has been progressing steadily because he, like other contractors, was not starved of fund, which he said was commendable.
When completed, each of the market is expected to comprise 40 stalls, 28 lock-up shops, toilet, police post, car park, restaurant, worship centre and other modern facilities.
Last modified: November 24, 2021
