Don't Drag Us Into Politics, Ekiti Teachers Reply Fayose's Spokesman

Lere Olayinka

The Ekiti State Enlightened Workers Forum which is an umbrella body of workers and teachers in the state   has warned the Special Assistant to Ekiti State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka to stop dragging Ekiti State workers into the murky waters of Ekiti State politics. The association in a Press release signed by his spokesperson, Mr. Mike Bamidele, said that the purported release ascribed to a particular segment of the Ekiti State teachers on the vote of no confidence passed by the House of Representatives on the Minister of Mines and steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was a complete handiwork of Lere Olayinka and his co-travellers and not from any segment of the Ekiti State Teachers' Association.

Mr. Bamidele described the release as a pure lie directly from the propaganda machine of the Ekiti State governor, Lere Olayinka, and not from any Teachers' Club.

"We are tired of being frequently used by Lere Olayinka to tell lies against the person of Dr. Kayode Fayemi. We are not politicians and the Governor's Special Assistant should henceforth stop using our names under any guise to destroy the name of Fayemi."

"Fayemi cared for the welfare of teachers unlike Fayose who has impoverished them by not paying their salaries for 8 months. Fayemi paid rural allowance and core subject allowance to teachers while he was governor."

"The purported press release was politically motivated because Fayose and his goons know Fayemi is a strong political contender in the state and would want to stop him at all costs. Fayose's media aide is in the habit of writing spurious press releases putting names of innocent individuals and organisations to attack the perceived enemies of his master so this is not new to us.

We repeat, no organisation or club known as Positive Minds Club (PMC), if such is existing, that's only known to Lere and his goons. We disown the statement credited to Ekiti teachers as not emanating from them but was written by Fayose's media aide who only  dragged hapless and helpless teachers to own it as authors".

"From our findings as a body of Enlightened Ekiti workers, Fayemi never supported nor influenced  the sacking of teachers in Kaduna, it was Lere Olayinka who fabricated the lie and it was immediately debunked.

We know Fayose is after Fayemi and will do anything to bring him down."

"It is very clear even to the blind that Fayemi has performed brilliantly well as Minister of Mines and Steel Development. The National Assembly attested to this even the President as well. The vote of no confidence was simply a fall out of the feud between the legislative and executive arm of government which they would resolve among themselves sooner than later therefore, Ekiti teachers should not be dragged into this politics."

The Sterling achievements of Fayemi gladdened our hearts and we are proud of him any day. He is a man of integrity and one that will not bend the rules for whatever reason to satisfy any interest in  carrying out of his duties as a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria. Some corporate organisations who gave him an award of excellence for his sterling achievements in the mining sector is a fact placed on record. It is therefore an irony that the same House of Representatives passed a hasty resolution on such a performing Minister because he didn't appear before them despite writing them to explain why he couldn't."

It is not for Fayose and his agents to capitalise on this and instigate teachers against one of the brightest sons of Ekiti who has represented them well in the Federal Executive council. It stands logic on its head for Fayose to call on the President to sack one of his best ministers because that catches his fancy. It is a dream that will never come true."

"We know President Buhari will not listen to a notorious governor who is the one that is unfit to hold public office due to his  ungubernatorial conducts."

"We advice Fayose to leave Fayemi alone and concentrate on how to pay teachers, civil servants and pensioners salaries from the billions of naira he has received so far from the federal government. While Fayose continues to demolish houses in Ado Ekiti as if it is going out of fashion thereby bringing more sorrow and poverty on the already traumatised people, he has abandoned governance for theatrics and made operation-stop-Fayemi  at all costs his major agenda."

"We wish to alert the public that Ekiti teachers and workers don't hate Fayemi because he treated us well while he was governor, it is Fayose who hates him because Fayemi has become his nightmare and nemesis so Fayose should leave teachers and workers out of his politics of bitterness and vendetta. Please Governor  Fayose should pay our salaries and stop demolishing our houses."