Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, yesterday kick-started activities marking his end-of-tenure with “thank you” tour of Ekiti North and Ekiti Central Senatorial districts with his successor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, urging the people to support the incoming administration.
Fayemi, in company of his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, Governor-elect, Oyebanji, his wife, Dr (Mrs) Olayemi Oyebanji; Deputy Governor-elect, Mrs Monisade Afuye, Chairman of APC in the State, Paul Omotoso and other government officials and party officials, was hosted to receptions at Ido-Ekiti (North Senatorial district) and Aramoko Ekiti (Central District).
Addressing the gatherings at the two venues, Fayemi affirmed that the state will witness massive infrastructural development as the incoming administration would consolidate his achievements, adding that Oyebanji will ensure the sustenance of good governance in the state.
He urged the people to give Oyebanji maximum cooperation and show him love same way they extended love to his administration.
Fayemi, whose tenure would end on the 16th of October explained that his administration had delivered on its promises to the people despite the financial challenges experienced in the last four years.
According to the governor, his administration had provided infrastructural facilitates that would enhance socio economic activities of the state and expressed confidence in the ability of the next governor to move the state to enviable heights.
He thanked the people and party leaders for giving him the opportunity to serve, promising that he would continue to render selfless services for the development of humanity.
“Really, it is a moment of gratitude, you have stood by us as a party, you have worked hard for the success of our government, you have sacrificed in order for us to maintain the developmental pace that we have witnessed in the state. We could have done a lot more, but we never envisaged that there will be something called Covid-19 pandemic when we came in in 2018, but by March 2020, Covid-19 had come and it locked us down for at least 18 months before life started returning to normal.
“But we did not let that deter us, we still tried as much as possible to fulfil the promises we made to our people either in terms of our education, healthcare, infrastructural development, women empowerment or agriculture. We tried to maintain all of those improvements that we promised our people. Whatever is left, our government, our party is still in office.
“And we also have a governor who had institutional memory of what happened up till now, not just from the last eight years of my own tenure, he also had the benefit of even being there when our leader, Otunba Niyi Adebayo was Governor between 1999 and 2003. So in terms of institutional memory, he is even better placed than I was placed when I became governor in 2010, he would be able to continue seamlessly when he gets to office and in the areas where he still requires advice, assistance, support, I can assure you that he has nothing to fear, we would continue to be there for him.
“I want to also seize the opportunity to thank our party leaders, they have worked hard in order for us to gain the support that we have had at a very difficult time, it is not easy for a government or party that is in office to win an election because whatever is wrong in that society would be blamed on the party and the fact that you worked hard in order to retain us in office is not a mean feat at all and I must thank you from the bottom of my heart and also pledge to you that I am not running away from the party, I’m going to be fully involved in the party, we would all work with him to ensure that the party delivers on the expectations of party members and the larger Ekiti population.”
The governor used the opportunity to appeal to those he might have crossed their paths in the course of his administration and begged for their forgiveness. He also urged them not to transfer whatsoever aggression they had for him to the in-coming administration, urging them to give Oyebanji their total support and loyalty to enable him achieve greater heights.
Representatives of the 10 local government areas in the two senatorial districts spoke glowingly about the achievements and personality of Fayemi and his wife, Bisi for driving the state to safe abode and repositioning the state to make it top in the committee of states of the federation.
They affirmed that the governor will be leaving a legacy that would remain indelible in the heart of the people of the state for a long time.
