GBENRO ADESINA/ADO-EKITI

On the eve of his exit as governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has urged the people of the state not to let it slip back into the Dark Age.

It was his parting shot to the people he had governed for the past four years and that failed to re-elect him in the June 21 election.

Kayode Fayemi: gives last speech as governor

Fayemi in his valedictory broadcast this morning lifted the curfew imposed after violence erupted over legal cases challenging the eligibility of his successor, Ayodele Fayose, to contest the election in the first instance. Two judges of the state high court were attacked by thugs, one of them ordered beaten by Fayemi’s successor.

Fayemi blamed the violence on those he tagged agents of retrogression who want to dismantle the structure of social justice and public welfare he put in place for selfish reasons.

He urged the people to confront these forces and prevent the state from being taken back to the Dark Age.

He declared that his administration has fulfilled all the promises made to the people stressing that he left the state better than he met it.

The valedictory speech was titled, “Promise kept”.

Among the promises kept, Fayemi said, was that his administration enhanced Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) without raising the tax rate.

He listed other achievements to include: professionalizing of the Civil service, including the elimination of costly ghost workers, improving the community-based health services and establishing free medical services for the vulnerable and elderly, turning Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort into a known tourist and meeting site, passing an Equal Opportunities Law forbidding gender discrimination in matters of employment, housing and education, strengthening social programs for women and children, including the establishment of the Soup Kitchen and Food Bank.

“Regarding infrastructure, we pledged road construction and rural electrification. We vowed an Urban Renewal Initiative, including affordable housing. Ninety percent of Ekiti roads are now motorable.

“In agricultural development, we inaugurated programmes like the agri-business summit and youth commercial agricultural development programme among other initiatives. We also promised cottage industries in the Agro-allied sector and skills development in Agriculture.

“In education, we brought free primary and secondary education and teacher merit reform. We enhanced the instruction and infrastructure of our universities.

“In Health Care, we improved community-based health services and established free medical services for the vulnerable and elderly.

” Regarding industrial development, we established a state holding company to make wise decisions and manage the state’s investment portfolio. We founded the Ekiti Knowledge Zone to use the vast knowledge and skills of our people to catalyze economic development.”

Fayemi further said that no fewer than 25,000 senior citizens benefit from his welfare programme stressing that his administration established support structures like micro credit schemes and enterprise fund targeting the informal sector in order to boost its capacity and enhance its already impressive economic output.

“Accordingly, we prioritized the education of our children as the best means of securing our future. Every child now has access to free and compulsory primary and secondary education. We renovated dilapidated school buildings and upgraded our educational infrastructure. We distributed over 33,000 laptops to students and 18,000 to teachers,” he said.