Fayemi Pride In Plurality And Leadership By Maxwell Adegbenro

Ominous is the concept of plurality. It defines us, a product of Nigerian state. Pluralism is in languages, nationalities, dialects, religions, sensibilities. Pluralism is a mutual respect for each other’s cultures among groups and idealism. By pluralism we express confidence in people’s concise view though unacceptable. In pluralism
we stand indivisible, we mar our objectives, and we promote openness and equality. Pluralism study reveals total adherence to principle of check and balances. Ravaging activities with independent audit without fear and sentiment. Pluralism in Nigeria is new, people don’t enjoy
the liberty to mix with the rich or authority because of class and fear of knowledge of what profound their uniqueness.

Kayode Fayemi is a practical example of pluralists that believe that undeviating democracy is not only unworkable; it is not even essentially desirable. Besides the financial challenges of having every citizen assemble in participatory policies, political issues require continuous and expert attention, which the average citizen
does not have. My brief study of pluralism takes straight to R’ Dahl, a foremost pluralist, suggested that in societies like ours “politics is a sideshow in the great circus of life.” Most people, as explained, concentrate their time and energies on activities involving work, family, health, friendship, recreation, and the like. Other pluralists go further. They worry that the common person lacks the virtues–reason, intelligence, and patience–for self-government and that direct democracy leads to anarchy and the loss of freedom. A process John Fayemi rebels in principle and vision as displayed in his
concept of governance and leadership as a pluralist.

In Ekiti State, South West, Nigeria. Fayemi is defining pluralism before leadership. In Specifics, under a democratically elected officer that respects the concept of pluralism in showing people how leadership should be. It was in the fury weight of its wings in an engaging, educating and inspiring interactive session.
We have a Governor that acknowledged plurality and actively engaged it, ensuring that each ministry is accountable to the public managed
by its human and natural resources in way that is beneficial to the people via developmental programmes. Evident in JKFeedback.

The unique thing about last weekend interactive session was severally the openness of power alluded to be transiting to the question of
individual clothed for governance.

Ikogosi, the water springing town of Ekiti hosted over 100bloggers in an attempt to redefining pluralism to public socialism. The bloggers
were under the invitation of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

The guest bloggers traversed through Ado, Ijan, Ode, Ilumoba, Aisegba, Ijesa Isu, Ikole, Omuo, Ikun, Isan, Ayetoro, Otun, Ita Ore, Oke Mesi,
Efon, Ipole loro and finally to ikogosi covering 12 local government out of the schedule 16LG areas that had witnessed the grape of development and transformation under Gov Kayode Fayemi.

The strategy behind the invite is backed by principle of transparency, delivering the promises, accountability filled with open tendency of governance and the degree that has long been faulted by Nigerian populace where leaders failed the confidence reposed in them bearing the weight of corrupting the system. Fayemi’s resolve is to promote accountability and transparency, which is the nature of pluralist.
Thursday February 6, was arrival and reception day for the guest, streaming challenge of locating the comfort zones accorded them by the organizers was soon laid to rest as Funmi Ajala and her team has two people staged at Ikogosi to receive the bloggers in blues. The uniqueness of the place wear down the stress of journeying down from Lagos, Abuja, Akure and Northern part of Nigeria at the host of Ekiti State regarded as one of the most developing state with penultimate revenue allocation of about 2.8billion. Of-course, it’s in the hands of nature and human perception there reason to begin the interaction but until an early wake to begin a tour to all aforementioned towns and villages that gracefully housed the projects of Kayode Fayemi in line with his 8point agenda vision for the state.
The journey, running into a political era becomes necessary for the activist Governor. Seen is believing and believing will defeat doubt.

At 7am the bloggers feet were on trail to receive other bloggers from Ekiti at the State Pavilion, Secretariat road, Mr Seun Odewale, DCOS
and Ifedayo Sayo SSA Media were at the lead. Yes, the Pavilion is part of the legacy project executed by administration of Fayemi expected in
hosting rallies, public functions, and government programmes with 21,000 spectators. From the Pavilion to billion naira Civil Centre and Museum situated beside Government house at Fajuyi occupying the old Prison service. Linking straight to Oba Adejube ultra modern digitalized Hospital and later connecting to Ero dam through the road revolution.

Of what do you call a Governor that diversifies the principle of leadership and governance even to another system of government, Local Government the third system? A target of 5km road conduit in their respective community makes democracy easy. Glaring and workable is
this style, that hardly will anyone find any pot hole in Ado Ekiti except for places busy with contractors. My last trial of Ekiti network round all villages and towns in Ekiti was in 2008, the journey was simply uneventful for us as member of civil society. Infact, at point in time you won’t even want to start the journey because you would have been fed the story of how a car or lorry ran into a neighboring house while avoiding a hole or cause mayhem for a pedestrian especially in the raining season. Fayemi closely monitor
the diversification to success. What do you call that pluralism that exists in leadership?

Maybe or not, the audience won’t call this a social advantage of pluralism that a Governor established a community development Agency.
This is another strong tactics of delivering dividend of democracy to people through community leaders. Historically, the strategy was
discovered via another workable participatory initiative of Mr Governor, asking the people before preparing a fiscal budget for a giving year what they require of government “tagged” Village Square Meeting”. Provocatively, the idea was seemingly underling and now working and reliable. Government allocates certain amount of money to community leaders to develop their interest themselves basically on projects and programmes that will effect growth and developmental
agenda of reaching out to the people and creating more Job opportunities. That looks more like pluralism in leadership to me.

Good to go, Governor. Investment in Ire burnt Bricks and partnership with Samsung to establish an institution or centre in Ekiti without a government hitch is part of diversification. Little do we know that the establishment of that will root out unemployment and engage the youth. Amazingly, it dawned on me that I should share that most of the projects embarked by the government and successful especially the ones that require construction were done by the bricks production from Ire Burnt. It doesn’t require extra cost to incur bricks to do any construction and
most contractors in the state are obliged to the reviving industry patronage.

Gov Fayemi justification of a leader with pluralist characteristic resulted in the openness of how government operate and style. It is open in two senses. First, most government are seldom if ever
completely shut off from the outside. They continuously recruit new frivolous policies from angles that deemed and demand their programmes without complex view of the public and the masses. The laws made under his administration were in consonant with societal necessity to aver Ekiti from conjugal instability pressing cases demand eg, the rape and Gender based Violation Act. To make this participatory enough compare to the past, the First lady in her effort to key into the vision and principle of her husband started with a town hall meeting and backed it up with a GBV submit where stakeholders, women, institutions and Civil societies were present to give their concise view on the matters that relate with the Public. Today, it stands.

Second, A Pluralists is judged by society. Every system is propounded by the endless quest of groups and interest. Even though the masses do
not govern directly, their opinions are a resource that can be used by one government in policy formulation and against disorderliness. In a
country where the belief in popular control of government is so deeply ingrained, people feel compelled to sell their causes to the public,
and are frequently judged winners or losers by their standings in the polls in a free and fair contest not the one marred by flaws or discrepancies. So a pluralist in his leadership garment feed the people back. This explains the millions spent on advertising all projects and achievement by previous administration. Why else is so much attention lavished on public opinion surveys? The answers lie in the widely shared belief that the people with popular backing has an important advantage over one that lacks it, even if the masses do not actually take part in decision making. That is the lesson of Fayemi’s JKFeedback where bloggers gathered to assess all the projects embarked upon by his 3years plus administration, linking that to his electoral promises and also in comparison with previous administration in keenly contested interactive session.

Ok, how do you explain the politics of withholding information to avoid public anger on matters of how state treasury is utilized in the
government is not open? Fayemi apart from domesticating freedom of Information (FOI) also walk his talk, declared his asset both liquid and cash asset before assuming office. He holds no brief to question from Ogunyemi Bukola when issue of his monthly salary surfaced. He is
a pluralist that leads by example.

If it took a No holds Barred Resistance to justify fulfillment in Leadership, only a failure wont dare. It is ironic that his pluralism charm and imaginative fertility is against the background of an observable present day context of leadership that reflects the trivialization of his mother tongue by native users who would rather associate with ruling than serving in clear definition of service.
When the threatening implications of the “old age” are considered, this further complicates the production and patronage of indigenous style of leadership. Not surprisingly fayemi reportedly interested in creating a reception and sustaining packages for the old, immortalize governance, making the policy irretrievable for any coming government.

Honesty, with the wild anxiety of the old citizens once they are told the month is over, no government will want to incur their wrath. That
is to tell you, he is of the opinion governance is right not privileges and taking it to the people justifies his principle. In his view, “He said my Private vision is to see poverty eradicated from
Nigeria. Starting from Ekiti is a stepping stone and there is no going back”.

We polarize Nigerian dream. ‘We abuse the idea that life will get better, that progress is assured if we keep faith, obey the rules and work hard, that prosperity future. And in pursuit of these lofty
ideals, we pervert the steady, measured, impartial course of the universe; hacking pliant paths to our dreams, from the crossroads where gluttony fosters depravity.

Eventually, we awaken to a cold, bitter-truth; that governance is true service. We are being sacrificed. Enough of when we idolize our
swollen belly of our idiocy for politicians’ peanut. When we do, it shall surely suddenly dawn on us that, all along, we had been blindly deceived by them with fake projects and figure. The acted script by predators won’t suffice because we have our lesson in somber.

JKfeedback was a crafted, taut, dignified and divinely penchant of confidence. The administration of Fayemi has giving an uncanny effort to transformation, socio economic and socio cultural enhancement deserving mention among all identified achievement of the activist
Governor. That is what a pluralist does. And to large extent he has pride himself in pluralism, worthy and likely of a servant leader.

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