AYODELE FAYOSE: MR. CONTROVERSIES

Carrulous Ayodele Fayose has since assuming office in 2014 continued with his policy on “stomach infrastructure”, hence the priority given by his administration to youth and small business empowerment programmes through direct cash injections. Communitybased projects with grassroots impact have also been pursued by the governor with vigour. These include water projects, rural electrification, equipping primary health care centres and rural roads. Though this has endeared him to the people at the grassroots, workers in the public sector in Ekiti continue to cry out over unpaid wages, while pensioners wallow in poverty.

On a larger scale, he has taken on some legacy infrastructure projects such as the flyover in AdoEkiti, the state capital and dualisation of the AdoIkere Road. Others include dualisation of the Ijero Township Road and Ilawe Road, among others. In the area of agriculture, Fayose has unfolded a plan to boost cocoa farming and processing by private sector companies to create jobs in the state. He has also taken on marauding cattle headers in his state though the enactment of an AntiOpen Grazing Bill. The aim is to protect farmlands in Ekiti and improve agriculture output from the state, while at the same time curbing kidnappings and other vices associated with herdsmen.

Fayose’s state is, however, one of the poorest in the country as evidenced by its allocations from the Federation Account and IGR. Coupled with its debt profile, Ekiti is one of the unviable sub-national units of the federation.