- *
Abiodun Nejo/ Ado Ekiti
Former House of Representatives member, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, has saluted All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi for reposing confidence in him, even while on the sick bed by retaining him as the campaign Director General.
Bamidele, who is recovering from gunshot injuries sustained at an APC rally, said he was “elated to be part of those that would wage the war that will set Ekiti free and put it on a faster track of economic development”.
The recuperating campaign DG, in a statement by his media aide, Ahmed Salami, praised the courage of those holding the fort for him. Opeyemi is currently receiving treatment for the gunshot wounds he suffered a couple of weeks ago during a stampede at a rally organized by the party in Fayemi’s honour. He said God shall crown the efforts of the APC team with success in the July 14 election.
Bamidele, who said Governor Ayodele Fayose’s failure to give democratic dividends to Ekiti communities had reduced the burden of campaign for APC by 50 per cent, restated assurance that “Fayemi is more resolute and better prepared to make Ekiti great if given a second chance to steer the ship of the state.”
The campaign boss urged Ekiti people to embrace the new light that Fayemi represents and “key into the vision being pioneered by APC to reclaim the state from those that are pillaging the people’s commonwealth”.
According to him, Fayemi, during his first term, “exhibited quintessential administrative sagacity to distribute evenly projects midwifed by his administration across the towns and strata of the society, in spite of the dwindling resources at that time”.
But he said the present Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state had, since its advent, failed to give democratic dividends to many of the towns where it got votes in the 2014 election.
Bamidele said: “When the present government in Ekiti came, it came on the popular will of the people and committed itself to citizens’ charter to make Ekiti better than they experienced under Fayemi. Today, the situation has degenerated tremendously to the extent that people now beg to live.”
Bamidele said Fayose had paved way for Fayemi to win the election on the premise that many of the towns that gave the governor votes in the June 21, 2014 governorship election have not benefitted any democratic dividend since the advent of the present government.
The APC chieftain stated that the fact that Fayemi was able to spread the democratic goodies across 133 towns while superintending over the state, had reduced the campaign burden and broaden his chances to have a resounding victory in the election.
He said: “I am one of those who have avowed and unwavering belief in the fact that there is no excuse in governance. Dr Fayemi experienced shortfall in the revenues accruing to Ekiti and yet he did his best across all the towns while he also developed human capital via programmes like : Social Security Scheme, Youth in Agriculture, Youth Volunteer Corps, Peace Corps, Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency, among others.
“They complained that Dr Fayemi borrowed money from capital market to achieve those things, all the projects executed under Governor Fayose were financed through loans that had accumulated to the tune of N56 billion today.
“To me and other discernible Ekiti, no excuse in governance and our people are now doing their comparative analyses based on how they fared under the two governments and they have realized that governance is about proper planning and not for those who were fond of running impulsive policies,” he said.
