L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Vice Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, ABUAD, Prof. Sidi Osho; founder, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola; President Goodluck Jonathan; and wife of the founder, ABUAD, Mrs. Modupe Babalola, at the Commissioning of the Ultra-Modern Engineering Faculty Buiding of the University, in Ado-Ekiti.
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ) to embrace the spirit of patriotism and end their three month-old strike. The President stated this in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State Capital, even as he assured the state Governor, Dr kayode Fayemi of the federal Government’s commitment to partner with the state in its developmental activities.
The President stated these at the commissioning of the ultra modern Engineering College Building at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) on Saturday. The building was named after the President.
Jonathan who asked the University teachers to ponder on the adverse effect of their strike on the future of Nigerian youths said it was not the best thing to keep Nigerian students out of school when government is “totally committed to meeting the needs of ASUU” and should reconsider their stance on the action.
Responding to an earlier request made by Governor Fayemi in his welcome address, the President assured the Governor and Ekiti people that he would look into the issues of the Ekiti Airport and the Federal Secretariat as well as the ecological challenge as requested by the Governor.
Jonathan said Ekiti State deserves to have a federal secretariat even as the Federal Government is establishing same in some other States, he promised to expadite action on the request.
On the proposed airport in Ekiti State, the President assured that he would ask the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah to liaise with Governor Fayemi on the take-off of the construction of the airport, which budget provision was made in the 2011 Appropriation.
Governor Fayemi had urged Jonathan to assist in facilitating the prompt release of N12.752 billion expended by the state government on 98.7km of federal roads; adding that successive administrations in the State had, in spite of the lean resources, constructed and rehabilitated the federal roads as a means to stimulating socio-economic development.
The Governor who notified the President of the deplorable state of some federal roads which require current amelioration, stated that two roads have been designated for dualisation because the economic and social activities of the people as well as neighbouring States depended on them.
Fayemi also touched on the Ekiti airport which was approved at the same time with the Bayelsa airport; saying that despite the budgetary provision of N400 million by the federal government to commence the project in 2011 and the readiness of the state government to deliver on the counterpart funding of N330 million, the Federal Government has not released its own funds for the project.
He implored the president to restore the money for the construction of the airport not the federal budget in order to create a hub of mobility in the region, especially to aid students of Afe Babalola University who come from within and outside the country.
The Governor also said that inspite of the absence of a federal secretariat in Ekiti; the state government has been supportive of all federal agencies located in the state in terms of provision of office and residential accommodation.
The Governor highlighted some of the achievements of his administration in the areas of social security scheme which three other states are currently imitating now, the computer-per-child initiative as well as the efforts in bringing about the lowest maternal mortality rate and highest life expectancy rate in the country.
Jonathan was accompanied by the Governors of Ondo, Kaduna and Gombe states, Dr Segun Mimiko, Muktar Yero and Ibrahim Dakwambo respectively. The Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Capt Caleb Olubolade (rtd) and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide was also on the President’s entourage.
Last modified: October 19, 2013