Address by His Excellency Dr. Kayode FAYEMI Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria On the Occasion of the 53rd Independence Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and 17th Anniversary of the Creation of Ekiti State, Nigeria Tuesday, October 1, 2013 In o kun o, EkitiKete !!! The 1st of October every year on which we commemorate Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960 presents us with an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a people. It also affords us the opportunity to celebrate and thank God for yet another year of nationhood. However, our nation’s low level of development relative to our abundant human and natural resources has occasioned gloomy Independence Day commentaries over the years which tend towards despondency about the Nigerian condition. The dominant sentiment is that we have nothing to celebrate; nothing to show for more than five decades of independent nationhood. This assertion is clearly an exaggeration.Granted, our national journey since 1960 has been marked by heady hopes and dashed dreams; by steps forward followed frustratingly by steps backward. We have made both avoidable and inevitable mistakes as a people in the course of our very challenging journey to nationhood. We have however learned crucial lessons through bitter experiences along the way. We have learned that for democracy to deliver developmental gains, the people must be placed at the centre of policy design and must be its drivers. Democracy, more than anything else, is a system that makes people the masters of their fate by making them the main actors in developing the policies that affect them. These lessons will stand us in good stead as we chart a course for a more sustainable future for our people. And so, contrary to the naysayers, we have come a long way. We have come from a time when foreign imperialists made our land an extractive colony and a resource farm; when internal colonialists in the guise of military dictatorships plundered our patrimony and debased our values, to an age in which our main concerns are deepening democracy and ensuring broad-based prosperity for all. This transition is worth commemorating even though it is true that while the old is dying, the new is not yet fully born. Great Nigerians including sons and daughters of Ekiti State, both known and unknown, have made tremendous sacrifices; some have paid the ultimate price to bring us to this point. To them we owe a tremendous debt for the freedomwe now enjoy. Our national anthem says that “the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.” It would be most unworthy of us to belittle the immense sacrifices of those who have gone before us by saying that Nigeria has made no progress at all. Even so, it is abundantly clear that we are not yet where we want to be as a nation. Independence Day not only gives us an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, but also on how far we have to go. However, the enormity of the distance to be covered towards achieving a functional federation should not discourage us from taking the necessary first steps. In this regards, it is significant that the calls for a Sovereign National Conference which has retained currency after all these years,has recently been echoed by key actors within the ruling party at the national level. The recognition of the need to re-examine the fundamental pillars of our federalism is welcome. We however view this greek gift with suspicion and question the moral grounds a government known for their intolerance towards any form of dissension, would have in midwifing such a conference. It is therefore more important that the Federal Government utilizes the powers available under the constitution to focus on priority areas and carry out necessary reforms particularly geared towards strengthening states’ fiscal autonomy. As we have argued, the burden of governance weighs more on the level of government closer to the people, it is thus imperative on the Federal Government to re-order the fiscal structure of the Nigerian Federation immediately. Distinguished people of EkitiState, as you know today also marks the 17thanniversary of the creation of our dear state.Today, we pay tribute to those illustrious sons and daughters of Ekiti; patriots who expended their energies in pursuit of a state we can call our own. We remember them on this day and honour them. This anniversary which is coming just before the celebration of the 3 years in Office of this administration is also an opportunity for us to examine how far we have come and our areas of focus going forward. Our administration has expanded access to qualitative healthcare, education, social security and all other public goods that make for a better quality of life. Through our social security scheme, our senior citizens are living out their days in dignity. Through our efforts to broaden opportunities, we are working to ensure that our children will enjoy a better quality of life than their forebears and that by reason of our sacrifices now they will have the means to guarantee an even better life for their own children. Also, our administration has achieved very significant progress in the area of infrastructural development across the state.We have worked hard to create the optimal physical environment that would stimulate economic activities, as well as improved security of lives and property. Through the participatory governance culture our administration has established, all citizens have been given a voice and a stake in shaping the future of Ekiti State. For the first time in our history, the people themselves are actively involved in determining the policies that are transforming their communities. As your dutiful servants, we have made it a responsibility to factor in your aspirations in re-directing government’s focus to your areas of priority. This administration in responding to popular feedback would thus be concentrating more efforts on human empowerment while not neglecting our commitments in the area of infrastructural development. It is therefore my pleasure to announce that we would be engaging another batch of 5,000 youth under our Youth Volunteer Scheme this month. Also, we are engaging 1,800 youth under the Peace Corps initiative being launched this month. In seeing to the welfare of our senior citizens, I have approved the 6% increase in the salaries of pensioners in the state to take effect from January 2014. I have also approved that within this month, another 5,000qualified elderly citizens would be included in our Social Security Scheme for the orderly. Also, in recognition of the noble role Teachers play in building the next generation, I have approved the implementation of outstanding promotions for teachers across the state. This is in addition to my approval for the payment of Teachers’ Peculiarity Allowance. It should be noted that all the foregoing are being done against the backdrop of severe financial constraints occasioned by the non-remittance of Federal Allocations due to states from the Federation account for the past 3 months. We would however continue to stretch ourselves through fiscal prudence in meeting the aspirations of our people. I must also assure you that even as we do this, we shall continue to promote the fundamentals of transparency and accountability in the administration of the affairs of the state. In concluding, it is again my pleasure to announce to you that we have made significant progress with our agenda to reform our institutions to able to deliver on their mandates. Of particular note are the ongoing reforms in the Justice Sector.In commemoration of the this year’s anniversary,and considering the need to reach out to our vulnerable citizens, I have today accepted the recommendations of the Ekiti State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy concerning 10 Ekiti State indigenes that have been convicted for various crimes and are presently serving their sentences in prison. By virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have commuted the death sentences imposed on OlabodeAbirifon and Julius Abirifon by the Ekiti State High Court to Life Imprisonment. Both persons have spent upwards of 16 years on death row. I have also accepted the recommendations of the Council that (1) OlusolaOjo; (2) Alex Dasun {a Beninese }; (3) SegunOlowoyo; (4) Simon Okeme; (5) OpeyemiOgundele; (6) JosephnAdafase; (7) TaiwoIbikunle; and (8) KehindeFagbemi all currently serving terms of imprisonment of two years and below in the Federal Prisons Ado- Ekiti be released from prison with effect from today Tuesday, 1st October 2013. In exercising these powers, I am not unmindful of the concerns of our citizens about the state of our criminal justice system. I note in particular the concern that our criminal justice system pays much attention to the offender and largely ignores victims of crime. I am pleased to announce that the State Executive Council has approved a Bill for the Administration of Criminal Justice. It is my expectation that when passed into law this legislation will provide a framework for the appropriate recognition of victims of crime as important stakeholders in our criminal justice system. In addition, I have directed the Ministry of Justice to urgently put in place administrative and policy framework for the treatment of victims of crime. Let there be no doubt however about the resolve of my administration to be tough on perpetrators of crime. Criminals should know that they will be prosecuted and if convicted will spend a substantial part of their time in prison. While my administration will continue to provide support to the Nigeria Police and Prisons Services within our limited resources, it is important that the Federal Government urgently considers the need for adequate funding of these agencies. My dear people of Ekiti State, I urge us all on this day to reflect on the need to keep faith with our institutions. Democracy is not perfect. Given the multiplicity of interests and cultures in our society, democracy will often seem slow and ponderous. But democratization is a journey, not a destination, and we must forge ahead on this journey. Just as earlier generations strove for independence from colonialists, and liberty from military despots, it has fallen on us to strive to make democracy meaningful in the lives of our people. We must keep faith with the future and keep faith with our values. Our resolve must be to continue to deepen our democracy in the strong belief that as we persist in engaging our institutions and processes, they will deliver into our hands a more prosperous future for us all. Thank you for listening. Happy 17th Anniversary of the Creation of Ekiti State, Nigeria. Happy 53rd Anniversary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless us all !!! May God bless EkitiState !!! May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria !!! Dr. KayodeFayemi Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria Ado-Ekiti, Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 06:39:37 +0000
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