Fayemi’s Definition of Governance, an Enviable Polity By Maxwell Adegbenro

Time was 8;30pm. It was Monday, November 19. John Kayode  Fayemi must have decked out of bed early enough, he is favorite character of early Bed. It was in the busy week schedule of touring communities and villages to epitomize the word Governance to infinite Polity.

Fayemi believes Government is not just about the Governor and I think that is something we have to get away from; though not all his colleagues will agree with his principle but to inculcate his belief and principle as virtue Ekiti Politicians and people must marry won’t go down without hitches; ofcourse the Isan Ekiti born activist is not moved by complaints and criticism, donning the tribalised “mawobe’ cap while he discharges his duty without unprecedented sentiments.

Our system of government under public scrutiny may not translate to respect because we have government that fear most for life in abundant for respective leaders and their immediate cabal in government. A trait delinquently faulted by larger populace. “We still have an authoritarian mindset in Nigeria because of our military past was the latest of his remark, while answering a reporter recently. ‘I’m one Governor who is on the road a lot and governance does not suffer when I’m not in Ado -Ekiti. So, the fact that I’m on the road should not mean government is suffering. What an inspiring spirit of leadership.

This assertion should have rebelled pretensions of people having reflected, I decided to write about his opinion of governance as the only virtue and polity that can survive our ailing Democracy.

I have without sentiments had encounter with Comrade Governor in the past but of recent that I will like to mention was a brief meeting with him in his office last week, though the meeting fall short formalities because I got the message late in night. Unbelievable, I was not alone on this, I was on long journey -tour with the Governor since morning moving round the communities and villages of Ekiti from Igbemo to Iworoko, Igede Ekiti and Iyin Ekiti under Irepodun/Ifelodun
Local Government. Exponentially it was the turn of the LGA, having visited Emure, Ise-Ekiti, Ikole, Erinjiyan, Okemesi, Ikogosi, Ifaki and Ikere, Aramoko. In the mid of mammoth crowd that welcomed Mr Governor, Fayemi was not reprieve by stress and the hectic day, He went straight to the commissioning of a health Centre at Iyin about 5miles away from the Palace where Chiefs and illustrious sons and daughters were gladly waiting for their Governor.

His fame and loyalty does not amaze me, he is more of Iyin than his home town where is party leader hail. Am sure his security aide must have detailed him of the people’s mien and radiant anticipation, in less than five minutes he rushed back to the palace where he was spurred by greetings and daring entourage of good people of Iyin- Ekiti.

As at that time I never imagine I could be detailed to have any further meeting, I was frail and tired. Soon the text came in, wondering who might have sent or facilitated the meeting my phone
rang, this time it was a friend, Adeolu Oyebode, he had called to inform me about same meeting with Mr Governor by 9:30pm. I was quick to rival his information questionably, wondering how Mr Governor will still be able to meet with us staring at my wrist for time. It was exactly 8:40pm. I resolved to leave immediately for Ado since it is just a 10mins drive into the Capital city. Still, I had to leave my detached team of reporters and Social analyst behind to grace the
session, just along Basiri road to Ado in a friend’s car, Mr Governor that I left on podium charting and discussing with the communities on their new year favorably demands for the people of Iyin raced us and over-took us by delight, ofcourse it was a convoy. In the Car with me
was a colleague, a journalist on Chief Press Secretary Desk, he said “Oga is going to office, he is a complete workaholic. It was as if have never imagine or hear that before, I reflected on his activities and pondered profusely on why he chose to serve with his might and strength unlike his predecessors that thrills their people ‘pathetical nursery of “All work and No Play” rhymes. It was all minutes conversation till we got to Gov office though opinion differs, some belief he is too principle and overdoing while some was desolate that Mr Govenor is a practical example of a western Politician that serve by heart with keen interest in giving his people a landmark
representation. That you’ll assume is not typical of Nigerian politician but a bit familiar in the corridor of a performing Servant Leader.

Resolving to spending the entire November, for example, as he normally does every year, touring the communities doing that in preparation for the budget asking the people what they want from government and assessment of his administration threw enviable polity and applause at him. Spending 30 days in November going round about 150 communities in Ekiti. So, does that mean government will suffer because GOVERNOR not sitting in this office (Governor’s office)? That looks more like governance for me. That is what government is! When I’m with the
people I’m governing he asserted.

Our meeting lasted for hours, darkened as we realize lately we had actually paved way for another visitor, two Chinese contractors who have been scheduled on routine to brief Mr Governor on the success and challenges of contract work vested on them. This I learnt he does
monthly which doesn’t follow any clandestine script of any governor that have ruled the state.Some minutes into their meeting, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin arrived. He too went into the inner chamber. Inside the waiting room of the Governor’s office, Fayemi loomed large in a life-size photograph. His infectious smile radiated from a scroll. As they were in, the Governor’s security aides, including the Aide De Camp (ADC), Adeyanju Ajayi, were at Red Alert, perhaps, one of
his busiest years in career.

But, it was not until 11.15pm that bespectacled Fayemi, sauntered into the waiting room and attending files and state responsibility. His security aides were calm, not ready to sign out for the day. Waiting outside was a black Land Rover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and Small Camry. The car was to make its way to government house I assume, opposite the Governor’s Office, where Fayemi resumed and govern the state.

Fayemi was in his expansive office, almost the size of an Olympic stadium, on the second floor- which has corridors, ante-room, a waiting room and the secretary’s office, where security aides ward off intruders. The Governor’s Office was originally meant to be a hotel before Fayemi says it must return to original plan. Almost all through the time we got to his office, Fayemi was busy writing on a paper in a heap files, with a red biro. He expressed his delight at the fact that we honor the meeting despite the short notice. Matters relating state, students and education, Security and his position on Governance in the state were discussed, student’s
leaders and activist.

Governor Kayode Fayemi is in the fourth year of his stewardship of Ekiti State. His ascension to office in 2010 was upon the affirmation of the courts that he was the winner of the 2007 election. Ahead of the gubernatorial election next year, the governor unlike many aspirants jostling to return to power is not ebbed by tension or desperate, he is always busy unveiling strategy and implementation of policies, initiating developmental based programmes and projects that will empower young and old and also set the State on developmental pedestal.

When his critics are making an issue of sourcing of bonds for projects and digging deep and hard in folds on purpose to put his government down through blackmail and propaganda, Kayode Fayemi have never in any way come open to rebuff or celebrate their ignorance. Within thick of
time he silenced critics by addressing issue that affects his people, defending his policies, without recklessness or derailing/betraying his principle. He gives attention to things that affects polity and system. He has always been a social critic of flaws in our democracy where freedom of association and expression is habitual to a sin against law. This has been fundamentally evident in his prime role in restoring dignity and pride back to Nigeria Governors Forum where some element belief 16 is a bigger figure than 19. On no occasion have lost count, Ph’d War studies Governor was at logger-heads with Police and Presidency over what he describe “sitting room policies that have no positive effect on Nigeria especially on the area of welfare packages.
One would have expected a leak in his administration atleast something must suffer the attention giving to the economic development and enhancement of socio- cultural speeches and advocacy championed by the Comrade Governor.

His recent response to critics of him was amusing on the bond taken from NSE, “Their challenge is: What are we going to use to campaign against this man? Since there is nothing to use to campaign against him, and since we are politicians, there must be something. Yes, we may not have anything to take to EFCC or ICPC about him, but we must find something against him. And the best they could find is the bond. Umpteen time he has explained, ‘we were going to do roads, we were going to revive our moribund brick factory at in Ire;  we were going to re-develop Ikogosi; we are going to build a Government House; you can see it on the top as you drive around Ekiti and you will see what we are doing there.  They were identified. If you look at the bond book they are listed there. The 10 projects were listed. There is not a single project that we took bond for that is not being implemented.

So the issue is not that we took bond, the issue is whether we have worked with the bond”. Amazing this response spurred shame and diffraction the camp of opposition who as well found their structure leaking.

The issue for me, which I think ought to interest the public, is: are there obligations that this state had that are not being met because taken bond? Do we owe salary? Things that were not done when we didn’t take bond under Fayose and Oni administrations, we are doing now- social security, housing loan, car loan – these were things that were not there before and we have increased salary, just under Kayode Fayemi.

Another programme that best addressed Fayemi’s consciousness for Peace in the state and securing lives and properties is the Peace Corps mechanism network instituted for largely community based. Of course I’m an unapologetic federalist but see beyond real of his beat. People know my views about multi-level agenda and upheaval readiness to bring any government to book that is not doing what is responsible with constitutional provision. The establishment of this coherently validates his belief on multi-level policing, which does not rule out federal police but it makes a distinction between their roles.

There are crimes that are federal and there are state based crimes and it should be clear as to who takes responsibility for what crime. Ekiti State beat the mentality of federalism in western countries, advocated for state owned security tenacity. It is interesting times in Ekiti State as he argued. Having lopsided governance in fait of our rotten system is a disaster to polity and he JKF has redefined it.

This and more are to be witness of a Governor if voted again, In a sane society, setting a feedback mechanism should be a drawback as he has demonstrated, it is the sense of responsibility given to the governed, a right not privileges. When Law is to be abrogated values
should be on standby to take over if Injustice won’t overshadow constitutionalism.

Maxwell Adegbenro Write from Ado Ekiti
He is Public Affairs Analyst and Journalist
07068252316, bendtner009@gmail.com

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