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Full text of Press Conference On The Inauguration Ceremonies For Dr John Kayode Fayemi
Text Of A Press Conference On The Inauguration Ceremonies For Dr John Kayode Fayemi As The Sixth Elected Governor Of Ekiti State Held On Wednesday October 10, 2018 At AB Hotel, Ado-Ekiti
Protocols
Gentlemen and ladies of the press. You are welcome to this press conference heralding the inauguration activities marking the assumption of office by the winner of the July 14, 2018 governorship election, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, who was candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in that election.
This event is significant because it marks the beginning of the new order in the reclaiming of Ekiti land and restoring her values. It is also significant in calling attention to the transformation that will emerge from Fayemi’s administration that will take effect from October 16, 2018 .
As noted in Dr Fayemi’s speeches before, during and after the election, the task of curbing the drift to squalor and abject poverty to which Ekiti State was subjected must be embraced by all men of vision, integrity and good will. They must move away from their comfort zones to the rescue of Ekiti people, who were being made to live with poverty as a way of life.
Of course the Governor-elect knew that this is a daunting task. But then Dr Fayemi knows that the Ekiti conundrum is not an insurmountable challenge. Ekiti people themselves knew and still know that the outgoing administration holds no promise for them in their thirst for prosperity.
It is against this background and, motivated by his place in history at a critical time in the rescue of Ekiti people that Fayemi traversed the 132 towns and villages in Ekiti State to sell his campaign promises to the people that there was hope in the reclaiming of Ekiti land and restoration of its values and dignity to reshape their collective destiny for good again.
Of course, Fayemi had no problem convincing the people in all the communities he visited, for in any of those communities, he could point to a minimum of four projects executed while he was governor between 2010 and 2014.
It is therefore not surprising that Ekiti people, desirous to save themselves from misrule went to the polls on July 14, 2018 and voted for a man they believe could make a fundamental change in their lives. July 14, 2018 governorship election was therefore a vote for freedom, progress and growth by Ekiti people.
It would be a new dawn on October 16th as Dr Fayemi will be back on track to take the government back to the people again for accountable government that will also make Ekiti people active participants in the way they are governed.
This knack for institutionalisation of participatory governance by Fayemi has reflected in the stakeholders forum commissioned by him where Ekiti people spoke in conference on their expectations from the government.
To enable Fayemi explore the pool of ideas that would be generated at the stakeholders summit, the new administration decided to rally and mobilise critical stakeholders, including professionals and other strata of the society, to brainstorm on the development plan, using both formal and informal strategies in mobilising human and material resources to achieve the objective of rescuing Ekiti State again.
Now the journey for the actualisation of Ekiti dreams starts on October 16, 2018; the date fate has chosen for Ekiti State to recover her destiny and turn around her fortune.
Suffice to say that this kind of historic and historical occasion held to celebrate the freedom of a people cannot go without pomp and drums with dignitaries in attendance to join in the celebration.
Expected to grace the occasion on October 16, 2018 is President Muhammadu Buhari, the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, who will be the Special Guest of honour at the occasion.
He will lead top dignitaries, including state governors, ministers, military and paramilitary top leaders, party leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, clergy, civil society groups, artisans, market women and the general public, to celebrate the day with Ekiti people.
Activities outlined as part of the inauguration ceremony of the new governor are as follows:
• Inauguration Lecture/Book Presentation/Photo Exhibition and Award of prizes to winners of the JKF Inauguration Essay Competition on Monday October 15, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. The title of the essay competition is “Reclaiming Our land, restoring or values: My Ekiti Dream”.
The Guest Lecturer is Prof Niyi Osundare.
• On October 16, the new governor and his deputy will be sworn in by the Chief judge of Ekiti State at the Ekitiparapo Pavilion along new Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti. Reception takes place at the same venue after the swearing in ceremony.
• On Wednesday October 17, there will be Town Hall meeting in Ekiti North Senatorial District holding at Odo Udo Primary School grounds, Ojido Road, Ido-Ekiti in the morning, while on same day, Ekiti South Senatorial Town Hall meeting holds at Ereja Park (round-about) in the afternoon.
• An inter-faith thanksgiving service holds in the morning of Thursday October 18 in Ado-Ekiti, to be followed by Ekiti Central Senatorial District Town Hall meeting in the afternoon at Aramoko Motor Park, Aramoko-Ekiti.
• On October Friday 19, the thanksgiving Jumat Service holds at the Central Mosque, Ado-Ekiti,
• On Saturday October 20, Ekiti Arts, Culture and Talent Fair holds at Ekitiparapo Pavilion along New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti.
• Thanksgiving service holds on Sunday, October 21, at St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Church, Old Motor Park, Ado-Ekiti, while a civic reception will take place at the Eyitayo Lodge, Isan-Ekiti country home of the new governor.
Gentlemen and ladies of the press, as partners in progress in representative governance, it is expected that you will live up to the standard of your noble roles as information managers in all these events as part of your contributions to the success of the inauguration ceremony.
Through features, interviews and routine reporting, your role as the fourth estate of the realm is expected in the moderation of all the activities marking the inauguration of the new governor in highly professional manner as part of your contribution to the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
Thank you and God bless.
Yinka Oyebode
Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee,
2018 Ekiti State Governorship Inauguration Committee
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
https://www.stanbicibtcbank.com/nigeriabank/personal/products-and-services/all-loans/stanbic-ibtc-mreif-home-loans
More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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