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Fayemi: Second Time Around + Why He’s Contesting

Published

6 years ago

May 19, 2018

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Ever since his victory at the May 12, 2018 rescheduled Ekiti APC primary election, Dr. John Olukayode Fayemi, has been receiving a good deal of accolades from politicians across board; some positive, some near positive. But whichever way it is approached, Fayemi has won, declared the APC flag bearer in the July 14, Governorship election, as well as been presented to the leader of the party and President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Fayemi’s victory is applauded by his core believers and fans as a result of his ability to pick the ticket against all odds, even as a very late entrant; his never say never attitude even as pressure mounted on him to withdraw his aspirations.

Hails from Isan-Ekiti I Oye Local Government, where he was born on February 9, 1965, he is the immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, and his attempt at making a return to the Government has raised more questions than answers.

Currently the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, investigations have revealed that Fayemi’s quest to return to Ekiti Government is a calculated attempt to remain relevant in the political schemes in the next dispensation.

“It would be recalled that His Excellency joined the Ekiti governorship race very late; that was because it was never his intention to run. However, political wrangling both in the seat of power and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) made the former governor chose to throw his hat into the ring,” TheBoss learnt.

Further enquiry revealed that Fayemi, after due consultations, foresaw a paradigm shift which may not be advantageous to him. This shift, it was further learnt, lies in the about to happen obvious change in the party leadership, where the current party chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, is bent on giving way for former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Even before the arrival of Oshiomhole, the party has been divided on parallel lines – the Oyegun camp and the Bourdillon/Oshiomhole camp. It was based on these camps that the fiasco that disrupted the May 5 botched Ekiti APC primary was premised upon.

“Fayemi knows that the tiny political life he may enjoy in the next dispensation lies on a balance, and he is bent on utilizing it to the best of his abilities. Being an Oyegun-man, he is aware that the exit of Oyegun and the coming of Oshiomhole will bring about a massive hurricane where all those that has ever stood against Tinubu will be swept away. This means that he will be losing his ministerial position, and will be politically out of space,” the Boss learnt.

Consequently, mustering enough goodwill as well as financial muscle, Fayemi clung to the last dying breath which is Oyegun. It is obvious that if he wins Ekiti election as governor, whatever happens in the next four years beginning from 2019, will not give him any sleepless. But otherwise, there is tension.

Except for political intrigues, watchers are of the opinion that the one oftentimes called elitist, is qualified to be governor, the fact that he was voted out four years ago notwithstanding. He is actually elitist as many has unwittingly remarked: his secondary education was at Christ School, Ado Ekiti from 1975 to 1980. His attendance at the Universities of Lagos and Ife at separate times bestowed on him degrees in History, Politics and International Relations. He also has a Doctorate degree in War Studies from the prestigious King’s College, University of London, England, majoring in civil-military relations.

Kayode Fayemi has been lecturer, journalist, researcher and Strategy Development adviser in Nigeria and the United Kingdom with stints at The Guardian, City Tempo and Nigeria-Now. He is a former Director of the Centre for Democracy & Development, a research and training institution dedicated to the study and promotion of democratic development, peace-building and human security in Africa. He was Strategy Development Adviser at London’s City Challenge; research fellow at the African Research & Information Bureau in London. As a prominent leader of the Nigerian opposition to military rule in exile, he was responsible for the founding and management of the opposition radios – Radio Freedom, Radio Democracy International & Radio Kudirat and played a central role in the opposition’s diplomatic engagements in exile. He is the writer of Out Of The Shadows.

Amongst his numerous academic and public policy engagements at home and abroad, Kayode Fayemi has lectured in Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia. He has also served as an adviser on transitional justice, regional integration, constitutionalism, security sector reform and civil-military relations issues to various governments, inter-governmental institutions and development agencies.

In an interview with the Daily Independent in 2005, Mr. Fayemi made poverty, education and healthcare central to his manifesto. The implementation of which he asserts will be consultative, including being open to ideas from the diaspora.

After three and a half years fighting through the legal system on 15 October 2010 the appeal court sitting in Kwara state declared him the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State, and marked the end of Segun Oni’s administration.

His vision is summed up in an 8-point Agenda which centres around: Governance, Infrastructural Development, Modernising Agriculture, Education and Human Capital Development, Health Care Services, Industrial Development, Tourism Development, and Gender Equality and Woman Empowerment.

Fayemi runs an open administration, becoming the first governor in this present political dispensation in Nigeria to openly declare his Seven Hundred and Fifty Million Naira assets, Fayemi was also the first governor in Nigeria to sign into law the Freedom of Information Act on Monday, 4 July 2011.

He was defeated by Ayo Fayose of the PDP in the 2014 election while attempting to go second term. A few months ago, a panel of enquiry set up by Governor Fayose banned him from participating in public administration in Ekiti State for five years; a verdict he has declared a joke.

The clandestine Radio Freedom, later Radio Kudirat operator of those days, has said that his quest to return to governance has nothing to do with vengeance, but to complete the works he started, which he believes have been truncated by his successor, chiefly among them restoration of respect to elders.

It is really not uhuru for Fayemi yet as the election comes up in July, many weeks after a part of his war chest may have left office, paving the way for one if not an avalanche of his albatross.

Time, as usual, will tell.

Featured

Cubana Chief Priest Arraigned, Granted N10m Bail

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

Instagram celebrity, Pascal Okechukwu aka Cubana Chief Priest, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty for alleged Naira abuse.

He pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The socialite was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on Wednesday.

The anti-graft commission filed a three-count charge against Cubana Chief Priest accused of abusing the naira at a social event, an act said to be contrary to the provisions of the Central Bank Act of 2007.

After pleading not guilty, the court granted him bail in the sum of N10million with two responsible sureties in like sum, who must be gainfully employed with the federal or state government and not less than grade level 16.

The sureties, the court emphasized, should have landed property and the document must be verified by the court.

Cubana Chief Priest is also to submit his travel passport to the custody of the court.

The bail conditions must be perfected within seven days but in the meantime he was released to his lawyer who must give an undertaken to produce him later. Failure to do so, he will be remanded in correctional facility.

The charge filed on April 4 by EFFC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside seven other lawyers representing the chairman of the Commission, are as follows:

Count 1: “That you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th February, 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

Count 2: “That you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

Count 3: “That you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

Meanwhile, the defendant also informed the court of his pending application to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear the charge.

Justice Ogundare has adjourned till May 2nd to hear the application

This is coming days after the EFCC arraigned controversial cross-dresser Idris Okuneye better known as Bobrisky on similar charges for which he was sentenced to a six-month jail term.

Featured

EFCC Charges Cubana Chief Priest to Court over Naira Abuse

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2024

Eric

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a three-count charge against Instagram celebrity, Pascal Okechukwu aka Cubana Chief Priest, for allegedly spraying and tampering with the Naira at a social event, in violation of the provisions of Central Bank Act of 2007.

Cubana Chief Priest will be arraigned on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Reports say the charge against Okechukwu was filed on April 4, 2024 by EFFC’s prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside seven other lawyers representing the chairman of the Commission.

In Count 1, it was alleged, “that you, Okechukwu Pascal on 13th Feb. 2024, at Eko Hotel, within the jurisdiction of the court, while dancing during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

In count 2, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in 2020, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same for two hours, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

In Count 3, it was alleged, “that you Okechukwu Pascal sometime in January 2024, in Lagos during a social event, tampered with funds in the denomination of N500 (Five Hundred Naira) issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying same and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act 2007”.

This is coming days after the EFCC secured the conviction controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky, on similar charges. He was subsequently sentenced to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.

Featured

El-Rufai Accuses Tinubu’s Govt of Paying Trillions of Naira in Fuel Subsidy

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2024

Eric

The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has ignited debate on fuel subsidies, alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s government has spent trillions of Naira subsidizing petrol (PMS) since taking office in May 2023.

This revelation comes amidst ongoing discussions about fuel subsidies in Nigeria. The government previously announced a removal of fuel subsidies, leading to a rise in pump prices. However, El-Rufai suggests the effort was unsuccessful, forcing a return to subsidies at a reportedly higher cost.

The former governor spoke on Monday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital while delivering a Lead Paper at the occasion of Capacity Building Workshop on Enhancing Skills of Government Officials in Policy Implementation.

“The present administration,” El-Rufai said, “has so far spent trillions of naira for subsidy,” even exceeding pre-removal levels, ha stated.

He claimed the current price of petrol, between N600 and N750 per litre, is artificially low due to the subsidy. Without it, prices could be closer to those of diesel, which currently exceed N1,000 per litre in some areas.

“But as I also said earlier during my presentation, the removal of fuel subsidy by the present administration is another good policy by President Tinubu. I have always supported withdrawal of fuel subsidy.

“But as you can see, in the course of implementation, the government has now realized that the subsidy has to be back, because right now, we are paying a lot of money amounting to trillions of naira for subsidy even more than before, because the impact has been seen and the packages of support that will reduce the impact have not been effective in reducing the impact, and so, the federal government has to backpedal by subsidizing petrol.

“Many people don’t know this. If they want to know whether there is fuel subsidy or not, they should compare the prices of petrol and diesel per litre. This is because, under normal circumstances, petrol suppose to be more expensive than diesel. As it is, diesel is above N1000, while petrol stood at about N600 per litre. So we are still subsidizing for fuel in Nigeria,” he stated.

El-Rufai’s comments raise questions about the effectiveness and sustainability of fuel subsidies in Nigeria. The high cost highlighted by El-Rufai suggests the program may be straining government resources. It remains to be seen how the Tinubu administration will address this issue and whether they plan to revisit subsidy removal attempts.