An all Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, has predicted that Governor Ayo Fayose’s continuity agenda will fail, because the governor has not lived up to the expectations of the people. He said Fayose therefore, cannot install a successor.
Olumilua, son of former Governor Bamidele Olumilua, said the state under Fayose lacked focus, adding that this is responsible for the high-level of poverty under the administration.
Speaking to reporters in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, the aspirant also accused Fayose who has endorsed his deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola as his preferred candidate for the 2018 election of not doing enough in the areas of agriculture and youth empowerment, as witnessed under the past APC-led governments.
Olumilua stated that he expected the state to be making progress in rice production, like Kebbi, Ogun and Lagos States, because Ekiti has a comparative advantage in rice production, owing to its favourable climatic and soil conditions.
He added: “Agriculture is the largest employer of labour in Ekiti today, but what have we done about it? Israel is a desert, but it exports food. Before the advent of the APC at the federal level, Nigeria used to import food from there.
“Ekiti has one of the best climate in the world, so if properly harnessed it can feed Africa.
“It is sad that nothing is propelling our economy, even foods are more expensive in Ekiti, an agrarian environment, than in Ibadan and Lagos.”
The aspirant said Ekiti core values of industry and scholarship are gradually being eroded. He added that the above anomaly will be addressed to make the state regain its lost glory.
Olumilua said the former First Lady, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, fought tooth and nail to give recognition to women and worked tirelessly to prevent violence against women through initiation of laws to give them freedom.
He added: “I am going to bridge that gender gap by giving 40 per cent of appointments to women, so that they can exhibit their potentials.”
On the anti-graft corruption war of the APC government, Olumilua urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be more proactive to ensure that looters have no breathing space under the APC-led Federal Government.
Olumilua also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for a splendid performance in the area of loot recovery but added that corrupt individuals must be committed to jail to serve as deterrent to others.
He said: “The reason why many Nigerians believe the anti-corruption war is not working is because enough people have not been jailed for corrupt practices.
“By the time one sacred cow is jailed, others will sit up. I observed that the reason why the anti-corruption war has not gone down well with people is becauset treasury looters are still roaming the streets.”
The Nation