Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, on Saturday assured the people of the state that he will give them a better successor that would surpass him in terms of achievements and strong relationship after the expiration of his tenure in 2018.
Fayose said he had built a robust relationship with the people of the state over time through mutual respect, saying “I won’t give you a governor that will alienate or treat Ekiti people that I so much respect with scorn and disrespectâ€.
The governor spoke in Ado Ekiti on Saturday during the 2017 edition of Udiroko festival, an annual traditional ceremony being celebrated by Ado Ekiti people.
As a way of appreciating them for their contributions to the upliftment of humanity, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, had on Friday conferred chieftaincy titles on the governors of Ekiti and Gombe State, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, respectively.
Also honoured was the wife of Gombe Governor, Hajia Ummi Adama Dankwambo and a member of House of Representatives, representing Remo Constituency in the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant in Ogun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Ladipo Kessington Adebutu.
Fayose was conferred with the Apesin Apogun Pote of Ado Ekiti, while Dankwambo was bestowed with the title of Akinmuagun.
Fayose while appreciating the monarch boasted that his successor would trounce the All Progressives Congress in the 2018 poll, saying he is a grassroots politician, who commands enormous goodwill among the populace in the state.
The governor assured the royal fathers that he won’t give Ekiti a governor that would disrespect them or treat them scornfully, pointing out that the royal fathers, according to the history and tradition occupy sacred positions that needed to be venerated and given utmost respect.
“Kabiyesi, governor let me say this, the governor that will come here to perform and respect all the monarchs in Ekiti will be presented by the PDP for 2018 poll. We know what you stand for and what you represent. You are so important to us and we will treat you with respect.
“We won’t give you a governor that will disrespect you or that won’t be able to perform or that will reverse all we have done for you. Ado Ekiti deserves respect and the governor that will come after me will surely appreciate this and do what is expected for this townâ€, Fayose said.
The governor thanked Ado Ekiti people for their supports for his political career, saying “your supports accounted for why I won in 2003 and also in 2014, in fact, I can’t appreciate you enough and God will continue to bless this town and the good people of Ekiti Stateâ€.
In his speech, Oba Adejugbe urged the governor to approach the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture on the need to enlist Udiroko as a national festival.
The monarch lamented the neglect of tradition and culture by the youths, saying the government must look for ways to rekindle the youths’ interest in culture and tradition to help build a society that can stand and think on its own.
He said culture and traditions are two veritable weapons that can help in shaping the lives of individuals if the environment permits such to happen. He added that the government has critical role to play in igniting the interest of Nigerians in issues relating to their roots and origins.
