Fayemi's Legacy Projects: Changing Ekiti's Narrative From A Civil Service State To An Industrial Hub - By Odunayo Ogunmola

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi does not believe in making noise about the work his administration has done and still doing. He believes in silently translating his dream for the people into reality defying the odds and limitations imposed by fiscal realities of this time.

Starting from Ado Ekiti, the state capital, to far-flung communities, Fayemi is changing the face of the state with legacy projects with which he will be remembered long after he might have completed his second missionary journey in governance which commenced on 16th October, 2018 and terminates on 15th October, 2022.

Unlike the previous administration, Fayemi did not concentrate projects in the two biggest cities, Ado Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti; he ensured that every village and town in Ekiti benefits from one project or the other which are pro-people and masses-oriented.

Inter-community roads, roads that lead to farmsteads, schools, hospitals, palaces, community centres, town halls, dams, social services centres, power projects and small, medium and large scale enterprises expected to generate more jobs are springing up in Fayemi's Ekiti.

All these revelations came to light during a tour of projects embarked upon by the Body of Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants (SSAs/SAs) serving in the Fayemi administration. The tour was packaged to bring the officials up to speed on what the government is doing, to feel the impulse of the people at the grassroots and to give feedback to their respective communities.

Undeterred by declining allocations from the Federation Account to the state, Fayemi, who thinks out of the box to drive the wheel of governance, leveraged on his connections with development partners to fund many of the projects to the benefit of the people he governs.

The evidences on ground during the three-day tour disproved, refuted and pooh-poohed claims in some quarters that Fayemi is a do-nothing and an underperforming governor. The completed and ongoing projects are visible and verifiable for any interested individual to carry out an independent assessment and investigation.

Many of the residents in the towns visited were excited about the projects which they said brought governance nearer to them adding that the projects proved that Fayemi belongs to everybody in Ekiti. A good number of the residents have formed voluntary vigilance groups to ensure that the projects are not destroyed or vandalised.

During the tour, a community leader in Ire Ekiti in Oye Local Government, Chief Elemese Abejide could not hide his joy at what the Fayemi administration has done in the town praising the governor for alleviating the suffering of the residents.

Abejide said: "The condition of this road (Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan Road) was very terrible before now. I couldn't drive my car on this road for over five years because of its debilitating condition and because it was impassable both in rainy reason and dry season.

"Only the very bold and daring commercial motorcyclists could ply the road up to Igbemo. Most of we residents used to trek to Igbemo from Ire when it was compulsory for us to do so but we thank God and we thank Governor Fayemi for remembering us in our town, Ire Ekiti.

"We appreciate our governor for alleviating our suffering and bringing our town to limelight again because judging by some things that happened in the past, we don't deserve all what he has done for us but the governor had mercy on us.

"The governor did not only reconstruct this road for us in Ire, he also revived the Ire Burnt Bricks Factory (Ire Clay Products Industry) which had become comatose. If there is something bigger than prayers that we can give to Fayemi, we must do for him."

The new Ado-Iyin Road which was awarded and abandoned in 1978 is another signature project in Fayemi's road revolution efforts. The construction of the road will link the state capital with Iyin Ekiti in five minutes and serves as a better option to old Ado-Iyin Road which has claimed many lives and vehicles at the notorious Akannasan bend.

Besides, the new road is a dualised one and will be fitted with streetlights to provide illumination in the night. Work on the road has reached a home stretch as the rocks at the Iyin end are being blasted to end the first phase. The second phase will reach Aramoko while the third phase will extend to Itawure.

Work has been completed on Aramoko-Erijiyan-Ikogosi Road which provides a shorter and better route to the famous Ikogosi Warm Springs resort from interested tourists from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun States. The indigenes of the towns are enamoured by the complete turnaround of the road which leads to a prominent economic honeypot of the state.

Work has reached advanced stages on Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo Road, Oye-Ayede-Isan-Iye-Ikun Road which is a major artery that leads to two big economically viable projects revived by the Fayemi administration: Ikun Dairy Farm and Ero Dam.

The people of Ikun Ekiti will forever remember Fayemi for reviving and redeveloping the dairy farm which had been abandoned for over thirty years. The dairy is now back to life under a $5million Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal with Promasidor Limited to produce 10,000 litres of milk daily for local and international markets and massive jobs it has so far generated with potentials to employ more.

A visit by the Ekiti Body of SSAs/SAs to the Ikun Dairy which sits on a 500 hectares of land showed that the shed housing the cows, the milk bay, the farmhouses, two hectares of grass plantation for feeding the cows, milk storage tanks tractors and other facilities were on ground with the place agog with activities bringing life to the hitherto forgotten town.

The investment in the dairy led to importation of Jessy cows believed to be very prolific in milk production with proceeds from the enterprise to be shared by the company and Ekiti government. The governor disclosed during his last monthly media chat that sale of milk from the dairy in commercial quantity will begin hopefully by the end of the month.

Various projects are ongoing College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan Ekiti established to encourage the youths into agriculture which has been identified as a veritable alternative to oil and to take agribusiness to a higher pedestal.

Another key sub-sector where Fayemi has attracted funding is water resources with the revival of the biggest dam in the state, the Ero Dam also located in Ikun. The resuscitation of the dam has led to revival of public water supply to private residences for the first time in about 20 years.

The dam has been transformed with massive turnaround equipment to make it function at full capacity with the full compliments of 1,500 KVA generator.

The Egbe Dam located in Egbe Ekiti in Gbonyin Local Government is another massive water facility that has received Fayemi's Midas' touch. The dam has been transformed with rehabilitation of its water plants, installation of state-of-the-art equipment and 1,500 KVA generator.

When old water pipes were removed and replaced with new ones in the early days of the administration, many cynics and skeptics believed that the action was a mere window dressing but the benefiting communities were shocked to see water flowing to their homes few weeks ago in fulfilment of Fayemi's promise to revive public water supply.

Courtesy of Fayemi's ingenuity and collaboration with the World Bank, Ekiti State Water Corporation now has a brand new corporate head office which has since been attracting the attention of residents and visitors alike at its location along Iworoko Road in Ado Ekiti.

The Corporation has been operating from rented apartments since the state was created in 1996 but Fayemi has broken the jinx in style as its construction will help save funds being paid as rents annually.

The Corporation's booster station at Fajuyi area of Ado Ekiti has also been remodelled and repositioned with the construction of staff offices and perimeter fencing to provide a good working environment.

Having identified rice and cassava productions as areas where Ekiti has comparative advantage, the Governor has attracted investment worth about $45 million through partnerships with investors already setting up rice mills and cassava processing plants in the state which have reached various completion stages.

It must be noted that the investors were attracted by the enabling environment and incentives offered by the Fayemi administration which was a complete departure from when investors deserted the state before the advent of the present regime because of the unfavourable climate and harsh policies on offer in the recent past.

Stallion Group is setting up a $10 million rice mill in Ado Ekiti while Dangote Group is also setting up a $5 million rice mill also in Ado Ekiti. At the time of putting this write-up together, work is nearing completion on the $5 million rice mills of the JMK Foods Limited.

In the cassava value chain, the FMS Farms is setting up av$10 million starch processing plant and farm along Oke Ako, Itapaji and Iyemero axis while Promise Point Group has so far invested $15 million on its starch processing facility in Ikole Local Government Area.

All these investments, when they become operational, will generate jobs for the people of the state, especially the youths, shore up the state's internally generated revenue, absorb the available raw materials, give the locals opportunities to enjoy corporate social responsibility gestures from the industries established, among other benefits.

A novel but laudable project also visited by the team was Ekiti Transit Home located in Agric Olope area of the state capital. The facility constructed in conjunction with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) funds was aimed at assisting the needy, accommodating the homeless and training individuals in the art of vocational enterprises with inmates to enjoy free feeding three times daily.

The four big new models schools built by the Fayemi administration in four locations on the outskirts of Ado Ekiti named after distinguished Ekiti icons- Ayo Fasanmi, Chief Deji Fasuan, Prof. David Oke and Prof. Banjo Akintoye-have provided a boost for access to education.

The schools which are all equipped with 21st Century facilities and equipment were established to cushion the effects of handing over of some prominent schools established by religious organisations (missions) back to their owners who will have to increase the fees paid there with the transfer.

Besides, the new secondary schools established in places believed to be developing areas of Ado Ekiti are expected to reduce influx of pupils into the city centres and make them access their schools as soon as possible and still pay affordable government prescribed fees.

The governor through the establishment of the schools, immortalised the four Ekiti heroes in their lifetimes changing the usual narrative of honouring them after they might have died. The students in those schools will also be motivated by the exploits of the Ekiti heroes in their lifetime.

Ayo Fasanmi Model College is located in Ilokun, Deji Fasuan Model College on Afao Road, David Oke Model College on Ikere Road and Banji Akintoye-have College at Erifun, off Poly Road. Residents in these areas are excited with the establishment of the schools in their neighbourhoods.

For the first time in history, Ekiti now have an Asphalt Plant which was established by the Fayemi administration to boost road construction and rehabilitation. It is the second of its kind in the Southwest after Lagos State.

The asphalt plant is located inside the premises of Ekiti State Public Works Corporation which has now been gifted with a brand new corporate head office located at Pathfinder area of Ado Ekiti.

In a bid to give succour to victims of sexual abuses, the Fayemi government has constructed a Sexual Assault Referral Centre otherwise known as Moremi Clinic inside the State University Teaching Hospital.

Apart from being equipped with modern facilities, the Centre is staffed with health personnel, psychologists and legal officers to give treatment and professional counsel to victims to help them overcome the trauma of sexual abuse. A laudable project you will agree.

Visit to the site of the Ekiti Agro Cargo Airport showed that work has commenced on the runway and fencing as the governor has assured that the project would be completed before he leaves office next year.

The project was conceived to open up Ekiti to local and international markets bearing in mind that Ekiti is a landlocked state that does not have a seaport. Besides, the airport project will boost internally generated revenue and serve as an attraction to local and foreign investors.

Ekiti Knowledge Zone which is located along the same axis with the airport, is also coming up as a technology hub to translate the famed Ekiti knowledge into wealth. 

It is heartwarming to note that the Nigerian Defence Space Agency has decided to put the equivalent of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 20,000 hectares Ekiti Knowledge Zone located on Ado-Ikare Road.

The International Civic Centre which was started during Fayemi's first tenure but abandoned by the immediate past administration has added beauty to the skyline of Ado Ekiti with finishing touches being put to the interior of the massive complex.

The Civic Centre is expected to house a mall, a museum, an amphitheatre, a cinema, a library, among other facilities will boost commerce, tourism, entertainment and education.

Work is also ongoing on two major power sub-stations in Ilupeju Ekiti in Oye Local Government and Ijesa Isu Ekiti in Ikole Local Government under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to tackle the perennial problem of epileptic power supply and assist local businesses to grow.

Other ongoing projects visited during the tour included the Ekiti Traditional Rulers' Chambers, Comprehensive Health Centres, Phase Six of the State Secretariat, among others that time and space will another be enough to accommodate.

Apart from these projects visited, there are 640 projects being executed by the Ekiti State Community Development Agency (EKSCDA) in all communities in the States to provide amenities to people in the grassroots.

These are projects specifically requested by the communities for which they received funds made available by the state government's commitment of payment of counterpart funds to the World Bank to make life easier in the rural communities.

By the time these projects are commissioned at the third anniversary of the Fayemi administration in October, the people of Ekiti State and indeed other Nigerians will know better that the mandate given to Dr. Fayemi in the July 14, 2018 election has been justified.

Like his first tenure in office, many Comprehensive Health Centres are undergoing rehabilitation to make the responsive to the health needs of people in the grassroots, schools are being rehabilitated across the three senatorial districts while public primary schools now have perimeter fencing to guarantee security of the pupils.

In January 2021, the Fayemi administration launched Ekiti State Rural Access to Agriculture and Markets Programme (RAAMP) with construction of roads to rural communities and farmsteads to facilitate movement of produce from farms to the markets and the Ekiti agro-processing zone.

The pilot roads launched for construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation included Ago Aduloju-Kajola Road, Imesi-Kosomolate-Ipole Road, Itaji-Imojo-Orisunmibare Road, FMS Farm Road in Iyemero, Ogotun-Alagbede Road and Odo Uro (Iyin)-Aroto Road.

During the flag off of work in January performed on behalf of the Governor by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, traditional rulers, community leaders, farmers, market women, transporters and rural dwellers were excited that the forgotten roads are being touched to boost economic activities in the grassroots.

These pilot road constructions form part of the 1,000 kilometers of rural roads already identified for construction under the RAAMP initiative in the next two years and made possible by the Fayemi administration's payment of counterpart funds to the World Bank.

By the time Governor Fayemi leaves office in October next year, he would have immortalised himself in the hearts, memory and consciousness of the people of the state and other Nigerians who will benefit directly and indirectly from these projects.

He will also be remembered as a Governor who touched the urban centres and rural areas with policies and projects that have a positive bearing on their social and economic lives with incontrovertible evidence that he is leaving Ekiti better than he met it.