Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said he and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were ready for the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship election in the state.
Recall that Fayemi’s posters had flooded Ekiti since Monday with his loyalists urging him to join the gubernatorial race. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Friday during an interactive session with heads of public primary and secondary schools in the state, Fayose in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, said Fayemi lost in 158 out of 177 wards and in all local governments last time, adding that he would record a more woeful result this time around.
“I thank you for your support and the feats recorded in the sector are because you are working hard and supporting our administration. You are the reason why we are doing well. You stood against the Philistines on June 21, 2014 and we defeated them in all the 16 local government areas.
“Let Fayemi come and contest and test his popularity. It is him we need. He is now advising Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to sack teachers and saying that they must be tested and sacked. He is saying that the test is in the right direction. We have not changed the teachers and we have moved to number one in NECO, WAEC examinations. We won’t sack teachers in this state, you all know that you would have been sacked had Fayemi won the poll brought me back” , he said.
Fayose also disclosed his intention to empower 50 women per ward with N20,000 monthly and that he would incorporate 500 women teachers too. However, among the women teachers, 650 would be those in primary schools, while 350 would be those in secondary schools. The beneficiaries would have to go for data capturing, as the money would be paid into their accounts.
On the disparity in the salaries being owed workers at state and local government levels, Fayose said the six months the Federal Government gave Budget Support facility to the state government helped it to pay more salaries. He also promised a more glamorous Women Day celebration this year.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ekiti State, Mr Olugbesan Olusegun, thanked the governor for the priority given workers welfare in the state.
Reacting to the release of 2019 election timetable, the governor said he has not withdrawn from the 2019 presidential race in spite of the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) had zoned the ticket to the North.
Fayose said, “I am still in the presidential race I am only waiting for the time Ekiti governorship election will hold so I can have the time. Though, I am making contacts, I am reaching out to the people that matter across the country”.
Fayose said he decided to soft-pedal on his campaign because of the July 14, 2018 Ekiti governorship poll, saying the campaign will begin to gain attention after the state election.
On the agitations of some PDP aggrieved aspirants that Fayose should be prevented from interfering with the primary, the governor assured that the state has no role to play in the shadow election, saying it remains the prerogative of the Chief Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee.
On the primary election in Ekiti, Fayose said: “I have no role to play, only the NWC will present the delegate lists for them to elect the candidate, so I won’t interfere despite my support for Prof Kolapo Olusola.
“I have no regret supporting Olusola , if it were those people I had supported, they won’t be abusing me. But they remain our brothers and sister and we are going to put our house in order at the right time so that we can be on the same page”, Fayose added.
Addressing the teachers, Fayose appealed to them to support Olusola the way they did to him in June 21, 2014 governorship election, where he defeated Dr Kayode Fayemi.
He promised not to owe the teachers a dime at the expiration of his tenure on October 15, 2018, saying 1000 teachers will begin to benefit certain financial benefits from him commencing from the end of this month to give them a sense of belonging in his government,
“Don’t vote for those that will come here and sack you. When they sacked your colleagues in Kaduna State, an APC leader in Ekiti said it was a right step in the right direction and I believe such person is not good for Ekiti teachers.
“Prof Olusola is a man of integrity, very hardworking and dependable, he won’t betray you. He will protect your interests and I want you to support him”.
Some aggrieved PDP aspirants like; former Minister of Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, Senator Biodun Olujimi , Owoseeni Ajayi and Amb Dare Bejide, had at a joint press conference on Monday advised Secondus to checkmate Fayose and ensure that credible primary is conducted in Ekiti.
Fayose added that all the outstanding salaries , allowances , bonuses and pensions shall be paid before he finally bows out as a governor. He also prayed that the governor would leave office without owing workers any salary.