By; OLADELE ADEDAYO, Ado-Ekiti
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the June 18 elections in Ekiti State, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, has assured the commoners in the state that if he is eventually elected governor of the he would repackage the stomach Infrastructure concept adopted by the former governor of the state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
Kolawole said he would promote and rejig the concept to make it acceptable in the delivery of democratic dividends to the populace.
“I will modernise it. It is a good policy. Our people must enjoy the dividends of democracy. Nothing stops a governor from giving out part of the food in the government house to feed the commoners,” he assured
The Efon Alaaye-born politician said his government would reengage workers laid off by the incumbent governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, while also creating an enabling environment for youth to go into farming.
Kolawole made the vow in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Thursday, during an interactive session with journalists on the forthcoming gubernatorial polls, where he described himself as the best to lead the state on account of his past records and experiences in governance.
The gubernatorial hopeful also expressed worries over the high level of insecurity in the state, saying the ugly trend has made it imperative for the residents to reject the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, in the coming election.
He decried the frightening level of kidnapping and killing of residents, which he said, has catapulted the state to high pedestal of being rated as the least secured in the country.
The former commissioner and ex-House of Assembly member, added that he would emerge the most experienced politician to govern Ekiti if elected governor, saying none of the past and present governors parade his “intimidating” records.
He said, “When you take off the Boko Haram zone, Ekiti is the least secured state. You can’t travel from Efon to Ado without fear. We have to revert to the time when Governor Ayodele Fayose reinvigorated the local hunters to tackle insecurity from Ekiti. Our Obas are being rendered ordinary with bandits shooting and kidnapping them for ransoms”.
Stressing more on his experiences, Kolawole added: “I would emerge as the most experienced to be Ekiti governor if elected. Not Niyi Adebayo, not Kayode Fayemi, not even my political leader, Fayose, parades my credentials. None of them held any position before becoming governor.
“I am an indigenous politician who has participated in Ekiti politics in the last 16 years. None of the contestants has been assembly member, councilor, supervisory councilor and commissioner. That shows that I would be the only governor in Ekiti that understands the executive and legislative arms.
“So, I am not rattled by Segun Oni’s Social Democratic Party (SDP). Third force has never made any remarkable difference in Ekiti election as reflected in elections of 2007, 2011 and 2014.
“Oni moving from one party to the other for him to be governor, could best portray him as mere political nomad.
“I am seeking this position with strong pedigree as an ex-Legislator and ex-Commissioner. I am going to be people-centric. All my activities will be centred around the people. If your people can’t cheer you as a governor, you are just a mere visitor, stranger and expatriate”.
He said it was worrisome that the government could not bail out some towns that have been in darkness for decades, promising to reconnect them to the national grid if given the mantle of leadership.
“Some towns in Ekiti East and Gbonyin have been in darkness for a decade. If Biodun Oyebanji could not solve the problem of electricity in his Ikogosi country home and Ipole, would he now be able to solve some of the problems confronting Ekiti?” Kolawole asked.
