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Coronavirus Has Taught Us Lessons- Governor Fayemi

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Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says his administration is learning from the COVID-19 pandemic while acknowledging the troubling impact of the disease on economic and social activities.

Dr Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, spoke on Friday night during Public Eye Live interaction with Funmi Iyanda on Instagram.

According to him, nobody saw the coronavirus and its devastating effect on the health sector coming when they were preparing for 2020.

“We are having to review the budget of states just as the Federal Government is also reviewing its budget.

“This is the number one challenge for government in the world, and at the local level that’s also our number one challenge.

“We are diverting a lot of our resources to the health sector,” he said.

With nine active cases of COVID-19, two discharges and one death in Ekiti as of Friday, May 8, the governor praised his state’s response to the disease.

“Even though we don’t have the resources of Lagos, we set about this work almost immediately as soon as we had the first case (of coronavirus) in Lagos.

“We set up a local training arrangement. By the time we eventually got the first case around the 15th of March, we were read.

“Our infectious disease centre was ready; we had everything we needed to have in place,” he said.

Governor Fayemi declared that Ekiti is learning from the challenges of COVID-19.

“This virus will go. What if another virus will come?

“We should use this as a chance to focus on building our economy to be ready for this kind of thing.

“Our first priority is to ensure that livelihood isn’t threatened.

“Yes, we want to save lives but people should also be able to eke out a living. We also have a commitment to our small and medium scale enterprises were the bulk of our business people are.

“One of the critical things we are using is agriculture.

We feel this is an opportunity for us to break out of our seeming attachment to subsistence farming to commercial agribusiness,” he added.

Speaking earlier on Public Eye, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, described policemen as frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus.

He called on Nigerians to cooperate with the police to make the gradual easing of lockdown imposed in most parts of the country easier.

“As police officers, we are also struggling with the challenges of COVID 19. But we suffer quietly and bear our pain silently.

“Police officers just like other Nigerians have also become casualties and victims.

“A lot of police officers that work in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other big cities in Nigeria particularly in the lower rank live outside of the city centre because of rent.

“With COVID 19 most of these people don’t own private vehicles, but they are expected to turn up to work. Lots of these police officers are spending four or five times the amount of money coming to work than they would usually spend along with the health hazards,” Mr. Mba said.

He confirmed that at least one police officer has died of COVID-19 and an unspecified number has tested positive.

“These deaths and the increasing number of police officers contracting this disease point to the fact that we are indeed in danger just as our brothers and sisters working in core medical fields are also in danger,” Mba said.

Also speaking, Professor Oyewale Tomori warned that Nigeria is headed for a calamity if the right thing is not done to fix the healthcare system.

“Unfortunately, we are a country that lives by lessons forgotten. We did very well with Ebola and soon after that, we forgot all of those things.

“Nobody is talking about Lassa fever. More people have died of Lassa fever this year than COVID.

“It’s unfortunate that we never learn from the past,” the renowned virologist lamented.

Public Eye is produced by Oya Media with support from McArthur Foundation

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KFC Reacts As FAAN Shuts Down Its Operations in Lagos Airport

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The Management of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has reacted to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s move to shut down its branch at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, for violating laws protecting the rights of people with special needs.

The action was confirmed through a statement released on Thursday by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah.

The official statement, titled ‘FAAN shuts down KFC outlet at MMIA,’ highlighted that the closure was in response to the outlet’s breach of the Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, specifically referencing Part C, Section 55 of the General Provisions on Discrimination.

Responding to the development, KFC posted on its official X account that it opposes bias and discrimination, stressing that the incident did not reflect its standards.

The organisation disclosed that it had embarked on efforts to address the situation and urgently implemented sensitivity training for all its employees.

The statement read, “KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation and extend apologies and deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest.

“In response, we are urgently implementing sensitivity training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring solutions to equip our team members and establishments better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

KFC had during the week, denied Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, access to their facility at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport  because of his disability.

Daniel had recounted his experience at the KFC outlet of the airport in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday via his X handle, @DebolaDaniel.

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Ezekiel Bolarinwa Ajayi: Mentor, Philanthropist Revels at 80

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By Eric Elezuo

The ancient town of Ile-Ife was agog weekend, when Professor Ezekiel Bolarinwa Oladele Ajayi, a renowned educationist, accomplished mentor and elder brother of veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, pulled all the stops to mark a resounding entry into the octogenarian club, celebrating his 80th birthday with fanfare, pomp and class.

The event, which attracted family members, colleagues in the academic world, friends and well wishers, was another testament in the expression of influence, clout and connection.

Held at the Rock Rehoboth Cathedral in the centre of Ile-Ife, the event brought out the best in the Stanford trained PHD holder, as beamed with contagious smiles, absorbing accolades from a crowd of well wishers and dignitaries, most of whom traveled half  way across the world to felicitate with the newest octogenarian.

A lavished reception followed after heartfelt prayers were said for the celebrant flanked by his wife of many years, children and grandchildren. The reception witnessed guests savoring the best of continental and local delicacies as well as dancing happily to the old school tunes.

The highpoint of the event was the cutting of the gigantic cake by the birthday boy around whom were dotting family members.

As guests expressed their profound, hearty and sincere congratulations towards the octogenarian, whose event changed the landscape of Ife, many recalled how they have come a long way from their very humble beginning in Gbongan Olufi.

Fondly called Ladele, Prof Ajayi was born on March 23, 1944 in Gbongan, Osun State, where he had his earliest beginnings.

He statted his education at the Saint Paul’s School Gbongan, before moving on to Saint Judes School, Ebute Metta, and later to Saint Stephens School, Ile-Ife, where he completed his primary education.

After his elementary education, he was admitted into the Government College lbadan, where he was described as having  ‘passed out in exceedingly bright colours’. As many that knows him has confirmed that Prof Ajayi was a walking encyclopedia, and vibrated with intelligence while at school.

It was not therefore, surprising that he later proceeded to the United States of America, after his secondary education, where he attended various prestigious Universities including Stanford University. It is worthy of note that all his appearances for university education were on different scholarships. It was also at Stanford that he bagged his PhD honours.

On the completion of his PhD programme in Stanford, Prof Ajayi was recruited by the University of Ife, as it was then known, before its transmutation to Obafemi Awolowo University, where he later became a Professor of Physics, a position he jealousy guarded until retirement from active classroom duties.

According to a very close family member and confidant, Bola Adeyemo, who spoke glowingly about their fond relationship, Prof Ajayi “also became active in things of God. Like a proverbial gold fish, he has been recognized as a Pastor. Ladele played a mentoring role in the final years of school for my twin daughters who both graduated from the medicine program in the same University.

“The mutual fondness between Ladele and I remains very much intact. Ladele and l share common ancestry. His father who was the Otun Olufi of Gɓongan was a much older cousin to my mother and was fondly referred to as baba mi ile ASORO. They both had the same tribal marks. Ladele can be classified as belonging to the royal class as his father was the OTUN OLUFI while his mother was the daughter of the ÒOSA, first class chief in Gbongan.”

A life of Prof Ajayi without a mention of prolific publisher of the Ovation brands,  Chief Momodu, remains incomplete. It is worthy of note that apart from both sharing the same mum as siblings, the Prof was instrumental in shaping and mentally mentoring Momodu on the path of education. His 80th birthday was a reminder of how it used to be in times past as it marks a form of reunion for the Ajayi extended household.

Among those who attended were his daughter, Kemi Ajayi-Ingram, who flew in all the way from the United States of America, with her entire family; his niece, Yejide Ajayi among a host of others.

We wish the ebullient octogenarian a splendid birthday, and many ore years of splendid celebrations.

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Easter, Ramadan: Adeleke Releases March Salaries, Pension, Palliatives, Approves Promotion for Personnel

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the release of salaries, pensions and palliatives for the month of March for all public servants in the state, as well as approved the promotion of service personnel due for promotion from 2023.

Adeleke’s show of love for the entire workforce, is in spite of the fact that the State allocation from the Federation account is yet to be released, according to a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed.

The Head of Service, Mr Samuel Ayanleye Aina confirmed the approval of the March salaries, pension and palliatives, noting that the fast tracked approval covered all categories of state and local government employees including tertiary institutions in the State.

“I can confirm that Mr Governor has approved the March salaries, pension and palliative wage awards, including the usual payment of the outstanding half salary for retirees under the contributory pension scheme yet to obtain their bonds. Mr Governor requested for the file and granted immediate approval.

“Any moment from now, alerts will be landing in our peoples’ accounts. This is a preemptive step on the part of Mr Governor to meet the needs of our people”, the Head of Service explained.

Governor Adeleke who has been hosting inter faith leaders at the Government House said he approved the early payment to ease the burden of the workers ahead of the Easter period.

“As I wish muslim and christian faithfuls blessed fasting season, the early payment is a gesture of support for workers whose welfare remains the number one priority of our administration”, the Governor noted.

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