Governor Kayode Fayemi's speech at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) council 2012 Press day in Ado-Ekiti.

1. AN ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE,
DR. KAYODE FAYEMI AT THE PRESS DAY OF THE NIGERIA
UNION OF JOURNALISM (NUJ), EKITI STATE COUNCIL ON
TUESDAY, 27TH MARCH, 2012 IN ADO-EKITI
PROTOCOL
I am glad to be here with you at this gathering of the distinguished
members of the fourth estate of the realm. As many of you may be
aware, I belong to this noble profession. I therefore consider myself to
be at home among colleagues not only to fraternize but also to do a
re-appraisal of our contributions to our society.
May I stress here that the modest success ascribed to me as a social
activist, fundamental human right proponent and social crusader has
an unarguable expression in my background in the newsroom where
my teeth were sharpened and my attention refocused on the dignity of
making the people, particularly those at the bottom rung of the ladder,
feel a sense of belonging in the society they call theirs. It will also be a
measure of ingratitude if I fail to note at this very juncture that this
administration rode to power on the crescendo of people’s good will
sustained by the fearless media that opted to be on the side of the
truth during the epoch struggle.
I like to commend you, gentlemen of the press, for the tremendous
support this government has enjoyed from you since its inauguration.

2. You have demonstrated a high level of professionalism in the
objective reportage of our activities, policies and programmes. As a
professional myself, I note with satisfaction that your coverage has
consistently not been one way. You have commended us where, in
your judgment, you think we deserved commendation and have also
been courageous enough to wield the stick when, in your opinion, we
had not done enough. I honestly see all these as part of the beauty of
participatory democracy where everybody is not supposed to see all
things with the same lens.
It is necessary for me to stress here that this government has nothing
to hide. This can be further accentuated by the enactment of various
Laws within the first few months of this government with the singular
aim of strengthening accountability in public administration. We have
applied ourselves to the act of governance with total commitment,
selflessness, dignity of character and a resolve to tread where angels
dared not step. Our approach has to be markedly different if Ekiti must
throw away the toga of underdevelopment premised on undignified
self-pity. This is why we threw our hat into the ring and submit our
administration to public scrutiny, on daily basis, as the public may
want to be abreast of our undertakings.
It is therefore not surprising that when the Ekiti State Freedom of
Information Law was signed in July 2011, the State became the first,
throughout the federation, to domesticate the legislation two months

3. after Mr President assented to the FOI bill passed by the National
Assembly.
I cannot possibly express how delighted I am when I was informed
that your Council has chosen the Domestication of Freedom of
Information Law in Ekiti State as the focus of this celebration. I expect
therefore that this gathering would subject the provisions of the Law to
professional dissection and analysis with a view to suggesting best
possible ways to realize the objectives of the Law for both the
government and the governed.
I am not unaware of the full implications of the Law to those of us in
government even when the bill was being drafted. This government
has deliberately put itself in the court of public opinion to make
available to the public required information on how we administer the
state and its resources. By the provisions of the Law, we have
removed the cover under which unscrupulous public officials hide to
perpetrate heinous crimes against the State and make waste her
commonwealth. The law is centrally aimed at making access to public
information less stressful, unmitigated and consequently any move by
any public official to conceal such public information as required is a

4. criminal act in the eyes of the Law with dire consequences as may be
pronounced by the Law Court.
Therefore, I challenge all Ekitis at home and in the Diaspora to take a
full advantage of the Law and come to the open and legitimately seek
information on any area of governance they feel they are in the dark. It
is my belief, that through this Law, the State would have a robust
constructively analytical and development oriented press. There is no
denying the fact that vibrant press, in the advanced democracies,
is sin qua non to responsible and responsive government. I really want
our press to be engaging and take deliberate efforts to shun playing to
the gallery no matter how attractive such an easy way-out may
appear. It is very painful when some sections of the press choose to
align with a few mischievous individuals or groups to wage
unnecessary and warranted wars of attrition against perceived
enemies in and/or outside the government.
To my mind, the Press has a huge responsibility to launch the impetus
to make the progress of our country and particularly, in this
circumstance, our dear Ekiti State to accelerate her speed to outrun
the monster of underdevelopment. You have a duty, you have the
responsibility.
May I remind you that the generals of Nigeria’s nationalism had
glorious stint in journalism. This humble beginning of the celebrated
fathers of Nigeria’s nationhood with the pen ennobled their

5. nationalistic credentials till date. We may, today, not have white
colonialists to fight, nonetheless, there are opportunists of the nation-
state in large numbers amongst us that must be dislodged for the
country at large to have a steady movement out of the quagmire
characterized by mindless corruption, ineptitude and abject poverty of
the majority. After all, the pen is mightier than the sword. This is why I
think that Thomas Jefferson, a former American President, once
publicly declared his preference for a press without government to a
government without the press, if he were given a choice. That also
would have been my choice even at this moment.
It is on this note, I wish to thank you for being able to have a
publication on the activities of this administration in it’s over one year
in office. This commendable effort would go a long way in finding a
common ground for us to serve our people better in the years ahead.
Once again, I congratulate you on this occasion. I urge you to let us all
have faith in this country and do all within our constitutionally
guaranteed and intellectually endowed capability to make Nigeria
better than we met it in any capacity Providence puts us.
Thank you, happy celebrations and God bless.