Politics
FAYEMI’S LEGACY IN EKITI AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE NIGERIA AGENDA
FAYEMI’S LEGACY IN EKITI AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE NIGERIA AGENDA By Akin Rotimi
Nigeria is at a critical crossroads as the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), is now set for the special convention to determine the party’s candidate for the 2023 general election. The primary election is of interest to most Nigerians who look to the APC for the emergence of a credible flag-bearer who could possibly be Nigeria’s next president.
At a time our country faces increasingly worrisome challenges, there is a sense that we cannot afford to get it wrong in choosing President Buhari’s likely successor from amongst the shortlisted candidates, including Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the current governor of Ekiti State, and chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), who most informed stakeholders and analysts consider best fit for the presidency at such an important period in our history.
Amongst other aspects of his reputation and public records, Fayemi’s legacy as Governor of Ekiti State is an indicator of the possibilities that abound for Nigeria if he emerges, just like former President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, became president after serving two-terms as Governor of the small landlocked state of Arkansas, and chairman of the National Governors Association. It is therefore expedient to revisit the basis of the critical acclaim Fayemi has earned on account of his stewardship of the small agrarian state.
He does not have a loud and boisterous nature and he is prudent to a fault, hence his lack of interest in self-aggrandisement and going overboard to blow his own trumpet, but at the heart of his efforts as governor lies Fayemi’s moral compass. He is first a man of deep convictions driven by concrete social democratic principles. His motivations and vision for the Nigeria Agenda are well documented in books he has authored before and during his sojourn in public service so far, and his big ideas have found expression in a comprehensive and integrated manner in the policies, programmes, and projects implemented in Ekiti State. For example, Governance which is the first pillar and the mainframe for governmental functionality has taken a positive direction under his watch.
Clear evidence of how serious the Fayemi administration treats good governance can be seen in a tremendous improvement in transparency and ease of doing business indices which have placed the state among the best in Nigeria. Recently, the state was adjudged the second most transparent state in public procurement and financing. The state has also soared high in the Disbursement Linked Indicators mileage of the World Bank/FGN backed State Fiscal Transparency Accountability Sustainability (SFTAS) scheme aimed at improving probity, accountability, and transparency in public expenditure. It is no wonder that in spite of very lean revenue accruable to the state, it has continued to be a frontline state in school enrolment, public health coverage, social security, gender equality, ease of doing business, and social amenities. Ekiti has the highest life expectancy in Nigeria, the lowest out-of-school children, and the best social investment strategy.
Similarly, the administration has done well in infrastructure development with the completion of a number of critical roads such as Oye-Iye-Otun road, Aromoko-Erinjiyan-Ikogosi, Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo, New Ado-Iyin, Ilawe-Igbaraoke, and Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan. The government has also commenced the rehabilitation of Ado-Ifaki road and Ikole township roads, in addition to massive restoration of Ado-Ekiti metropolitan roads.
The government has delivered the Oja Oba Market at Erekesan. It has completed the magnificent Obafemi Awolowo Civic and Convention Center which is a multipurpose structure designed to accommodate shopping malls, a cultural center, cinemas, amphitheater, library, museums, halls, e.t.c. It is one of the first of such purpose built buildings in Nigeria. The government has also delivered the biggest water corporation headquarters in Nigeria and undertaken a total overhaul of three major water dams in Ero, Egbe, and Ujere with the installation of power sources, main pipes, and reticulation of hundreds of kilometers of pipes to towns and villages in about ten local government of the state.
In education, in fulfillment of the overall vision to develop manpower needs for sustainable development in agriculture as well as science and technology, the administration established the Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan-Ekiti, and the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti. In an effort to expand access to secondary education, the administration has constructed five new model colleges, with three others being built in the three senatorial zones. Over 900 blocks of classrooms have been rehabilitated with sanitary, water, and fencing facilities, just as all schools in Ekiti have been supplied with furniture and instructional materials. It is noteworthy that education is free and compulsory for all children up to senior secondary school level.
In addition to the state’s free health care programme, the health sector has received a tremendous boost with the rehabilitation of all the primary health facilities across the state. The General Hospitals are also undergoing massive rehabilitation and equipping. The state’s tertiary health facility, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital has witnessed phenomenal growth in terms of expansion and building of structures to host the different departments of the hospital. More importantly, the administration saw to the full accreditation of the institution.
In terms of the big ideas to reposition the state as one of the most viable and economically self-sustaining states, the Fayemi administration began what is clearly an audacious journey to prosperity. The strategy is anchored on the areas of economic advantage as an agrarian state. In addition to a number of successful public-private partnerships such as the Ikun Dairy Farm now being run by Promasidor Limited, and the Ire Burnt Brick which has been revamped and given to a competent private sector operator, the administration created a thriving agric-processing zone in the northern senatorial district with massive agricultural processing industries springing up and smallholder farmers emerging.
The game changer Fayemi embarked on to help farmers have access to international markets is the construction of the agric-cargo airport that will be delivered by August, 2022. The vision is to make Ekiti the ultimate destination for the vegetable and allied produce market globally. Though landlocked, the airport will change the status of the state to an international destination without boundaries. The project is envisaged to create an agro-business hub and serve as both a national and international cargo gateway to Nigeria with the ability to attract both cultural and medical tourism. It will also be an international free trade zone. Technically, the runway can carry aircrafts as large as the Boeing 747 with a 3.6km usable runway (3.2km runway with overrun of 400m). The airport would also be useful for our national air defense system. When completed, the airport will have a night navigation system that can make 24 hours landing possible as well as bulk fuel installation for aircraft to stopover to refill while on transit. It will also serve as a major craft maintenance hub that will relieve local airlines of the humongous cost of maintaining their craft offshore. These are some of the unique offerings of the airport when completed.
Another big idea that Fayemi’s midas hands are touching is the Ekiti Knowledge Zone which is aimed at turning the people’s passion for learning into a viable economy. The Ekiti Knowledge Zone is a smart city, a piece of information, and communication technology (ICT) hub, and an innovation city where content creators, ICT experts, programmers, innovators, soft and hardware engineers can ply their trade. The vision is to make the EKZ a go-to place for all manner of innovative solutions destinations.
While Fayemi appreciates the importance of physical infrastructure as a catalyst for socioeconomic development, he is quite aware that the ultimate operating system for any society to work remains the values upon which the society is constructed. It is for this reason that he undertook a comprehensive values orientation project that saw to the development of Ekiti Values Education as a compulsory subject in Ekiti public schools. This is a major legacy to ensure that the future generations are brought up on sound ethical principles.
There are many more phenomenal achievements of the Fayemi administration in Ekiti State that are well documented, including his efforts in improving security in the state, extensive civil service and public sector reforms and facilitating the legal framework that would ensure no one is discriminated against on account of their religion, gender, tribe, age, or physical ability. In Ekiti State, there is a zero tolerance policy for Gender Based Violence, a law to protect and empower differently abled people, and a law to ensure women are given an equitable percentage of appointive political offices. Fayemi has fought to ensure no one is left behind, and his template of inclusive governance is needed at the federal level to heal and unite all Nigerians again.
In conclusion, it is necessary to touch on Fayemi’s tenure as Minister of Mines and Steel Development. Fayemi drove the formulation of a sector roadmap unprecedented in its scope, ambition and buy-in, which is what is now being used by his successors. The reforms in the sector required a dogged public official able to rally all the stakeholders, and Fayemi fit the bill. Using a decisive yet consensual leadership style, he secured the cooperation of a disparate range of industry actors in charting a new course for the sector. If his transition from state governor to federal minister and then back to governor was seamless, it was due to Fayemi’s consistency.
In bringing all the sector stakeholders together, Fayemi was applying the same philosophy of participatory governance that has defined his public service career, and which Nigeria desperately needs now – a detribalised nationalist and proven technocrat with the expertise, experience, and network of relationships across the country, to build consensus on the imperatives for rebuilding a new Nigeria.
History has placed on the APC stakeholders and delegates the responsibility of choosing a candidate that is best positioned to move Nigeria forward – and we hope they make the right choice in the person of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, for a New Nigeria.
*Akin Rotimi writes from Ado-Ekiti*
Politics
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
Pro-Tinubu Group Demands Sack of Badaru, Other Ministers Who Lost Polling Units in Bye-Elections
The Asiwaju Network has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately disengage underperforming ministers who failed to deliver their polling units and wards during the just-concluded bye-elections.
The group also urged a cabinet reshuffle to inject fresh energy and ensure that only those who can add political and governance value remain in the Federal Executive Council.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja and signed by its president, Alhaji Musa Ibrahim Dandoka, the Asiwaju Network said the results of the elections were a litmus test that exposed the political weaknesses of some ministers entrusted with strategic national assignments.
At Babura Kofar Arewa Primary School in Jigawa State, where the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, cast his vote, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 308 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which managed only 112.
Badaru, a former governor of Jigawa and APC chieftain, left the venue without addressing journalists after casting his vote amid heavy security presence.
Dandoka said it was troubling that, despite his high office, the Defence Minister could not secure victory in his polling unit.
He argued that such political setbacks undermine the strength of the APC and the credibility of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope government.
“This defeat is both embarrassing and unacceptable. A minister who cannot win his polling unit cannot claim to possess the political capital required to defend the APC or promote the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda. President Tinubu must act quickly to weed out weak links in his cabinet and replace them with men and women who have proven grassroots capacity,” Dandoka stated.
The group noted that Badaru was not alone in this failure, stressing that another minister from Jigawa and one from Enugu State also lost their wards and polling units.
According to the group, these developments point to a worrying trend of disconnect between certain ministers and their political bases.
“Ministers are not merely technocrats. They are political leaders of the party in their states and zones. If they cannot hold their homes together, then they do not deserve to hold on to strategic national offices. The bye-elections have sent a clear message, and it is that some ministers have lost relevance and electoral value,” the statement reads.
The Asiwaju Network maintained that the APC’s strength lies in grassroots mobilisation, and any minister unable to inspire loyalty within his immediate constituency is a liability.
Dandoka emphasised that President Tinubu’s success in governance must be matched with political consolidation, which requires capable and electorally grounded cabinet members.
“President Tinubu has been bold with tough decisions on subsidy reforms, the economy, and security. Nigerians are beginning to see the fruits of those reforms. But he must also be bold enough to reshuffle his cabinet. A government of results cannot afford ministers who are passengers. The President needs proven drivers of the Renewed Hope vision,” Dandoka said.
The group also commended loyal APC members and supporters who defied intimidation and attempts at rigging in Jigawa and Enugu, saying their resilience was the true strength of the ruling party.
“These members stood firm when those at the top failed to inspire confidence. They turned out in their numbers to defend the APC’s relevance even when some of their supposed leaders abandoned them. These grassroots soldiers of democracy must never be taken for granted,” Dandoka added.
The Asiwaju Network further urged President Tinubu to take the bye-election results as a warning, cautioning that retaining non-performing ministers would embolden the opposition and demoralise party loyalists.
“The message from Jigawa and Enugu is clear: the APC cannot continue to reward failure. A minister who cannot secure a few streets in his ward has no business in the Federal Executive Council. Mr President must urgently rejig his cabinet or risk carrying dead weight into future electoral contests,” the coalition warned.
Reaffirming the group’s loyalty to Tinubu’s leadership, Dandoka said Nigerians expect a government that rewards competence and accountability, not excuses and political failures.
“President Tinubu has the people’s mandate. He must not allow weak ministers to drag down his vision. A decisive cabinet reshuffle now will send a strong signal that the Renewed Hope government is serious about performance, delivery, and results,” he declared.
Customs at the Crossroads: When Lawmakers Look Away and the Executive Looks Aside
By Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi
In a democracy, legislative oversight is the scalpel that cuts through deceit, inefficiency, and corruption in public institutions. It is the people’s last institutional shield against abuse of power. But what happens when that shield becomes a shelter for the very rot it is meant to expose? And what happens when the Executive arm, whose duty is to supervise its agencies, pretends not to see?
The unfolding drama between the National Assembly and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) reveals more than a policy dispute. It exposes a dangerous triangle of confusion, complicity, and economic sabotage. At stake is not only the rule of law but the survival of an economy already gasping under inflation, a weak naira, and suffocating costs of living.
The House Talks Tough
In June 2025, Nigerians saw a glimpse of legislative courage when the House of Representatives Committee thundered at Customs:
> “Nigerian Customs Service, by June 30, must not collect CISS again. You are to collect only your 4% FOB assigned by the President. Even the 7% cost of collection you currently take is illegal—it was an executive fiat of the military, not democratic law. Any attempt to continue these illegal collections will be challenged in court. The ‘I’s have it.”
The voice was firm, the ruling decisive. Nigerians expected a turning point.
But the righteous thunder of the House was quickly muffled by the Senate’s softer tone, which suggested not the enforcement of the law but a readiness to bend it.
Senate: Oversight or Escape Route?
At a Senate Customs Committee session, Senator Ade Fadahunsi admitted openly that Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023. Yet rather than demand an end to illegality, he extended a lifeline to Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi:
> “If we come back to the same source… the two houses will sit together and see to your amendment so you will not be walking on a tight rope.”
But should Adeniyi be handed a loose rope while Nigeria’s economy hangs by a thread?
Instead of accountability, the Senate Customs Committee floated adjustments that would make life easier for Customs. The nation was given hints about fraudulent insurance and freight data, but instead of sanctions, what we saw was a search for escape routes. This is not oversight—it is overlook.
Smuggling and Excuses
The Senate Committee also lamented cross-border smuggling—Nigerian goods like cement flooding Cotonou, Togo, and Ghana at cheaper prices than in Nigeria. Senator Fadahunsi blamed the Central Bank’s 2% value deposit for encouraging the practice.
But where are the Senate’s enforcement actions—compliance checks, stiffer sanctions, cross-border coordination? None. The result is predictable: smugglers prosper, reserves bleed, and ordinary Nigerians pay more for less.
A Bloated Customs Budget
The Service’s 2024 capital allocation ballooned to ₦1.1 trillion from ₦706 billion. Instead of channeling these resources into modern trade systems, Customs is expanding empires of frivolity—such as proposing a new university despite already having training facilities in Gwagwalada and Ikeja that could easily be upgraded.
Oversight is not an afterthought; it is the legislature’s constitutional duty. To see waste and illegality and yet propose amendments that would legalise them is to turn oversight into overlook.
Customs has about 16,000 staff, yet many remain poorly trained. Rather than prioritise capacity building, the Service is busy building staff estates in odd locations. How does Modakeke—an inland town with no border post—end up with massive Customs housing projects, while strategic border towns like Badagry, Idiroko, and Saki remain neglected? Is Bashir Adeniyi Comptroller-General of Customs—or Minister of Housing?
The 4% FOB Levy: A Policy Blunder
The central controversy is the Federal Government’s plan to replace existing port charges with a new 4% Free-On-Board (FOB) levy on imports.
Nigeria is an import-dependent nation. This levy will instantly hike the costs of cars, spare parts, machinery, and raw materials—crippling industries and punishing consumers.
Already, the consequences are biting:
A 2006 Toyota Corolla now costs between ₦6–9 million.
Clearing agents who once paid ₦215,000 for license renewal must now cough out ₦4 million.
New freight forwarder licenses have jumped from ₦600,000 to ₦10 million.
Customs claims the revenue is needed for its modernisation programme, anchored on a software platform called B’Odogwu. But stakeholders describe this so-called “Odogwu” as epileptic—if not comatose. Why commit trillions to a ghost programme that will be obsolete by January 2026, when the Nigerian Revenue Service is set to take over Customs collections?
Industry Raises the Alarm
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the levy will worsen inflation, disrupt supply chains, and hurt productivity.
Lucky Amiwero, President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, calls the levy “economically dangerous.” His reasoning is straightforward:
The 4% FOB levy is much higher than the 1% CISS it replaces.
Peer countries like Ghana maintain just 1%.
The new levy will fuel inflation, raise the landed costs of goods, and destabilise the naira.
He also revealed that the Customs Modernisation Act, which introduced the levy, was passed without Senate scrutiny or meaningful stakeholder consultation. He estimates that the levy could add ₦3–4 trillion annually to freight costs—burdens that will be transferred directly to consumers.
Who Is Behind the “Odogwu” Masquerade?
The haste to enforce this levy, despite its looming redundancy, raises disturbing questions. Who benefits from the “Odogwu” project draining trillions? Why the rush, when NRS will take over collections in a few months?
This masquerade must be unmasked.
The Price Nigerians Pay
For ordinary Nigerians, this policy translates into one thing: higher prices. Cars, manufactured goods, and spare parts are spiraling beyond reach. A nation struggling with inflation, unemployment, and a weak currency cannot afford such reckless experiments.
So, while the Senate looks away, the Executive cannot look aside.
The Executive Cannot Escape Blame.
It is easy to focus on the failings of the legislature. But we must not forget: the Customs Service is an agency of the Federal Ministry of Finance, under the direct supervision of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun.
If Customs is breaking the law, wasting resources, or implementing anti-people policies, the buck stops at the Executive’s table. The Minister of Finance is Chairman of the Customs Board. To fold his hands while the Service operates in illegality is to abdicate responsibility.
History gives us a model. In 1999, the Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman, was specifically assigned to supervise Customs and report directly to the President. Meanwhile, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala focused on broader fiscal and economic policies. That division of responsibility improved accountability. Today, the absence of such an arrangement is feeding impunity.
President Tinubu and his Finance Minister must act decisively. Oversight without executive will is a dead letter.
A Call to Accountability
The truth is stark:
Customs has been operating illegally since June 2023 to the Senate’s own confession.
The 4% FOB levy will deepen inflation and worsen economic hardship.
The Ministry of Finance bears ultimate responsibility for Customs’ conduct.
Until importing and consuming, Nigerians demand accountability—of the Comptroller-General, the Senate, and above all, the Finance Ministry—this bleeding will continue.
Nigerians deserve better. They deserve a Customs Service that serves the nation, not a privileged few. They deserve a House that enforces its resolutions, not one that grandstands. They deserve a Senate that upholds the law, not one that bends it. And above all, they deserve an Executive that does not look aside while illegality thrives under its ministry.
Only public pressure can end this indulgence. If Nigerians keep silent, we will keep paying the price—in higher costs, weaker currency, and a sabotaged economy.
Citizens’ Charge: Silence is Not an Option
Fellow Nigerians, the Customs crisis is not a drama for the pages of newspapers—it is a burden on our pockets, our businesses, and our children’s future. Every illegal levy is a tax on the poor. Every abandoned oversight is an open invitation to corruption. Every silence from the Executive is an approval of impunity.
We cannot afford to fold our arms. Democracy gives us the power of voice, the duty of vigilance, and the right to demand accountability. Let us demand that:
The Senate and House of Representatives stop playing good cop, bad cop, and enforce the law without compromise.
The Ministry of Finance takes full responsibility for the Customs Service, supervising it in the interest of Nigerians, not vested interests.
The President intervenes now, before the Service crosses the dangerous line of turning illegality into policy.
History will not forgive a people who suffered in silence when their economy was bled by recklessness. Silence is complicity. The time to speak, to write, to petition, to protest, and to demand is now.
Customs must serve Nigeria—not sabotage it.
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also the President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:[email protected]
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Aare Adetola Emmanuel King Congratulates Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on Election Victory
The Chairman/CEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, has congratulated Hon. Adesola Ayoola-Elegbeji on her resounding victory in the just-concluded by-election for the Remo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
In a goodwill message issued by him, he described the victory as “a historic moment for the Remo people, coming at a time when the constituency yearns for a leader with vision, courage, and genuine commitment to service.”
He noted that the outcome of the election was an attestation to the trust and confidence reposed in Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji by the people, adding that her sterling qualities, integrity, accessibility, and compassion for the grassroots had endeared her to the electorate.
“The overwhelming support you garnered at the polls is proof that you are the right voice at the right time to carry the aspirations of Remo to the national stage,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the by-election followed the painful demise of the late Hon. Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ijaya), Aare Adetola Emmanuel King said Hon. Ayoola-Elegbeji’s emergence symbolizes the continuity of purposeful representation. He expressed confidence that she would not only sustain the legacy of her predecessor but also surpass it with new energy, innovative ideas, and progressive leadership.
The Adron Group Chairman further prayed for divine wisdom, strength, and compassion for the Member-Elect as she assumes office, expressing confidence that her tenure will usher in meaningful development, economic empowerment, and greater opportunities for the people of Remo Federal Constituency.
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