Recently l ready in awesome, the public outcry about higher cost of living in Ekiti compared to other neighbouring States. This is a confirmation of my age long outcry that the present administration of Dr. Fayemi is government screwed in favour of the elites against the spirit of welfarist/populist agenda on which APC was built.
The present administration as represented is government of the people by the people for the elites. This is daily manifesting in the oratory and body language of the government in contrast to what is applicable on the street. People are crying and wailing calling for the attention of the government for immediate intervention in ever increasing high cost of living in Ekiti forgetting that when the foundation is faulty, there is nothing the builder can do. The foundation of the present administration is faulty and it will be difficult to get things right amidst the surrogate praise singers who surround and never meant well for Dr. Fayemi.
It is a known fact that comparing the cost of transportation, cost of average food stuffs and generally cost of living, Ekiti ranks highest within the South West if not over the entire 36 States of the federation.
Take a look at the reasons. Ekiti is a landlocked State and possibly the only State in the entire federation with single lane roads leading and out of the State. Ekiti is predominantly agrarian with over 75% of the population as peasant farmers. Just a little above 25% of the population are found in civil service i.e which provide the liquidity through salary payment to the entire State in buying produce from the over 75% peasant and small holder farmers. Ekiti is a State with limited industry yet in all these, 6% in 2019, down to 3% in 2020 and up to 7% of 2021 of our total budget for the periods are for the agricultural and rural development areas against over 30% of the budget yearly for the governance. The roads leading to the State are in bad shape, moving produce from the hinterland is not only difficult but an herculean task. As we speak, we can not produce what to eat not to talk of earning income from what we produce due to the insensitivity of our government.
Ekiti of today is a misnomer considering the fact that, we rank as the only State without economic team but believe in grammatical impracticable developmental oratory of our government without input from experts or his advisers making the government so disconnect from the reality.
The present administration is making life difficult for the common man with their inordinate ambition other than providing a robust agricultural policies that can migrate our small holder farmers to mechanised farmers. It is not only suicidal but deliberate wickedness that till date, for over 2 years of administration, they can not boast of providing 20 tractors or high yield farm seedlings to our farmers cooperatives in order to increase our agricultural output thereby guarantee food security. Rather, the chunk of the State budget is beung devoted to building an airport and other unproductive projects with no direct benefit to the average Ekiti man on the street.
Commercial drivers, okada riders, landlords, market men & women etc in Ekiti state on the surface may appear to be exploiting the citizens but truth is that no impetus to help them render humane service is going to them as economic agents from the state government. Hence, theyre forced to pass the brunt in terms of high costs ti the masses.
In our Ekiti of today,we produce nothing and therefore very little is chasing after little. The incumbent government of Dr. Fayemi has failed in providing the true top bottom leadership to make his administration all inclusive. Its simply a government of the few for themselves.
The Fayemi regime is more concerned with “2023 Mandate” than the present plight of the ordinary Ekiti man and woman on the street that voted him into power.
This government is all about “amori ibaaku “.
There is no amount of campaign or blame game we can share and put on the heads of the commercial drivers, okada riders, landlords, market men & women etc when we talk about the present exploitation of the people in Ekiti state today. The hardship is a direct result of the incompetence, policy somersault, deceit and misplaced inordinate ambition of Dr. Fayemi and his administration.
Ekiti people are groaning today and l hope it will not snowball to a repeat of 16:0 electoral somersault. Time would tell.
An hungry man is an angry man, it is never too late.
Mowitemi!
And with this,
I remain,
HC Ade
(I am unrepentant welfarist and progressive politician not a political jobber)*
