The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, delivered a speech at a stakeholder's meeting in Lagos to discuss moving Ekiti State forward. He outlined challenges facing the state and steps already taken, including implementing an 8 Point Agenda reform plan. The Governor sought input and ideas from stakeholders to develop a strategic action plan and build consensus on priorities. He pledged to sustain partnership and consultation to transform Ekiti State out of poverty through agriculture, education, healthcare and other development initiatives.

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A SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, DR JOHN KAYODE FAYEMI,
THE GOVERNOR OF EKITI STATE AT THE STAKEHOLDER’S MEETING
HELD IN LAGOS ON 15TH SEPTEMBER, 2011
PROTOCOLS
In okun o, omo Ekiti Kete
On behalf of the government and the good people of Ekiti
State, - ile iyi, ile eye, I give glory to the Almighty God for this day
and I also welcome you all to today’s event which is the second in
our series of planned collaboration and engagement with critical
stakeholders in Ekiti project. As you are aware, the first in the
series of the consultation took place in Abuja on Thursday, 21st
July, 2011. This was followed by my visit to some Federal
Ministries, Parastatals and Agencies between Monday, 8th of
August and Wednesday, 10th of August, 2011 to further deepen
the conversation and place our developmental agenda in the front
banner of the Federal Government and it is on record that our
State has started to reap from this exercise. The import of today’s
meeting is to create an opportunity for interaction between your
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government and yourself on the best way to move
our dear State forward.
As you are aware, I assumed by the special grace of God
and the benevolence of our people, the mantle of leadership of
Ekiti State on Saturday, 16th October, 2010. In my inaugural
speech, I promised an all inclusive government where critical
stakeholders will contribute to the process of policy formulation
and evaluation of government programmes. This is based on my
conviction that not everybody has to be in government to add
significantly to the equation that brings about success. Today’s
event is in partial fulfillment of that promise. This exercise will be
replicated in Portharcourt before the end of the year. You may
recall that we have had similar events in London, New York and
Washington DC where I used the opportunity of my previous
official visits to meet with Ekiti people residing in the UK and US.
Since my assumption of duty, I have taken the pain with due
diligence to subject the State to a rigorous forensic examination.
Compatriots, the situation is bad but not hopeless and we are
resolved to turn around the fortunes of the State for good through
religious implementation of our recovery template - The 8 Point
Agenda. To demonstrate our commitment to quick recovery,
growth, development and transparency, we have signed the
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Freedom of Information Bill and the Fiscal
Responsibility Bill into Law.
I am conscious of the fact that we are saddled with great
challenges and enormous expectation. Happily we do not suffer a
dearth of ideas on how to navigate to a very safe shore, but we
plead for a reasonable amount of patience and understanding in
meeting expectations. We are aware that having achieved
electoral credibility, it is our duty as a government to also pursue
performance credibility by ensuring that our transformation
agenda gains traction.
Permit me to state here that we have taken considerable
steps to reposition the State. Agriculture, Education, Health Care,
Tourism, Infrastructural Development, Youth Empowerment and
Gender Issues are receiving strategic attention. It is my belief
that very soon, our robust intervention shall begin to fully manifest
because we have put in place an enduring building blocks for the
rapid transformation of our State. To us, this is not the time for
sentiments but the time to see the identified challenges as
opportunities to prove our mettle. I can assure you that, the Ekiti
State Government under my watch will use all available resources
to put a stop to the slide towards poverty and deprivation. As we
march on with our transformation agenda, we are certain that
ideas and knowledge are critical components of any success
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story in terms of deepening our governance
process. This is why constructive ideas and suggestions are
always welcome by us in terms of reforming our systems,
institutions and process. That is why we have offered ourselves
as a pilot for the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum peer review
process. Only last week, I received a delegation of the Review
Team when they came to meet with the State Exco. So, by all
means – let those who have superior ideas push them to the
forefront. As long as these relate to Ekiti development in a
specific, measurable, accurate, result-oriented and time bound
manner, they are welcome. Ekiti has no business with poverty.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are conscious of the fact that we
have to improve our social networking; we must properly network
to increase our net-worth as a people. This is an area in which
we are significantly lacking in courage and boldness to step out of
our shells. Although, there are exceptions we are generally
reticent about projecting ourselves so much that when we do,
people express surprise that we are Ekiti. It is therefore my desire
to strengthen the existing unifying platforms, community groups
and socio-cultural associations like Ekiti Parapo, Egbe Omo Ekiti,
Igbimo Ure Ekiti etc, to significantly contribute to governance in
our State. I therefore enjoin you to please be generous and frank
in your contributions today because at the end of this
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engagement, we should be able to build a
consensus on basic parameters and deliverables for measuring
our success as a government. Our desire is to feed decision
reached at today’s meeting into the Ekiti State Strategic Action
Plan.
Let me assure you that we will sustain this partnership
because it is in our own interest and that of our people that we
constantly subject ourselves to periodic appraisal. Many of you
occupy strategic positions in the Federal Government and the
Private Sector. We need to forge a strategic link that is
sustainable and that will enable you to act as our Ambassadors at
these outposts. We need to have useful inside information on
developments in your sector. One critical assignment we have
given ourselves is the studying of the recently passed Federal
Budget 2011 Act, working with our elected representatives in the
National Assembly and Ekiti officials with various Federal MDAs.
We deserve to be aware of opportunities in the international
development and non-governmental sectors too where some of
our indigenes also occupy critical positions. To this end,
government has decided to appoint a key official to be based in
Abuja as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Inter-
Governmental Affairs.
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In conclusion, I want to assure everyone that I
offer myself not as your leader, but as your servant. I believe I
possess some qualities that can help transform Ekitiland in the
cynosure of all eyes. I am also confident that the citizens of our
State possess a collective resolve to stop the slide and pursue the
path of honour, integrity, hard work and peace for which we are
known in the quest to ensure holistic development. I am not
unmindful of the enormity of the task before us and I do not lay
claim to having all the solutions to the problems plaguing Ekiti
State. I believe that the search for enduring solutions must begin
with the building of genuine collective consensus and collective
goodwill.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as major stakeholders
in this consensus building process, let us be frank with ourselves
and constructive with our criticisms. As a government, we need
your help, understanding and support and I invite you to join
hands with me in this Collective Rescue Mission.
I thank you for listening. Erinle Ekiti a gbe a o.
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