Otunba Bisi Kolawole, former Ekiti State House of Assembly Member, ex-Commissioner for Environment and current Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, in this interview with EMMANUEL ADENIRAN, condemns alleged lack of Government’s presence in Ekiti State, Governor Kayode Fayemi’s romance with the Fulanis, his inability to face governance of Ekiti State and preference for junketing around the country canvassing for his 2023 Presidential ambition among other issues.
Excerpts below:
This is a New Year sir, we would like to hear from you about what your party, the PDP has in stock for us in the year most especially in its role as an effective opposition against the ruling APC government in the State.
Well, the intention of the party is not to play perpetual opposition. It is to work towards taking over the affairs of Ekiti State and all efforts are being put together to achieve that goal. And of course, we have misunderstanding in the party, they shall be resolved. It is a matter of time and we will come together and wrest power from the inept government that is there at the moment.
Sir, you will recall that during the last election, and especially during your party primaries, there was an internal crisis within the PDP, are you assuring us that come 2022 governorship election, there will not be a repeat?
I am not God. But what will be will be. There is no crisis-free party. You will agree with me that APC is experiencing theirs as we speak. So, what happened then was not unusual. We will put our house in order in such a way that we will manage whatever crisis that erupts. But, a situation whereby you are making citing what had happened in the past is not the best. Of course, there was crisis in the APC then. But God destined Fayemi to be there and that was how it happened the way it happened. We did everything possible despite the PDP crisis at that time. But if the Governorship Election at that time was conducted under a free and fair atmosphere, the PDP in Ekiti State, despite the crisis would still have won the election.
As Chairman of the main opposition party in Ekiti State, do you think Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s administration has performed well enough? What is your assessment of his administration?
The government is inept. They have not done well. It’s just a government of few people. The people on the street are not feeling their presence. Nobody feels their presence. People at the helm of affairs don’t have the interest of the masses at heart. Unfortunately, this is a very crucial period for the masses and the government is not there to do anything substantial, anything to lift them up, and anything to make life meaningful to them is not in existence in Ekiti State. In summary, the Fayemi government has not done well in any form. Even within his party, the APC, the Intra-Party crisis they are having is just an indication that there is an existence of a bad government in Ekiti State. It is not election year yet. We are just preparing to get to the election year in 2022. Right from the inception of his administration, he has been having problems with his party men and that has reflected on the faces of the masses outside. You know, those party men would have represented him well, relating with the masses, making life meaningful. But then, they are not even happy with him. The government is just there pursuing selfish agenda and the Presidency that the man is shielding will not allow him to concentrate on governance in Ekiti State. So, his presence is not noticed, it is not in existence and it is not felt in any way.
Just some days ago, the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu gave an order that the Fulani herdsmen in Ondo State should vacate their forest reserves and some people have been saying that the Governor of Ekiti State should replicate same action in the state against criminal Fulani herdsmen? Do you equally support this Sir?
It is not a matter of supporting it or not. He doesn’t have the liver or courage to do it because he doesn’t want to offend the Fulanis that he believes will install him as the next President. He doesn’t have the liver to issue such threat. He would rather fold his hands and see Ekiti people being kidnapped. Ekiti people are being killed, they have been made uncomfortable by the Fulani’s criminal activities in the State and he will just look the other side as if nothing is happening in Ekiti. We are no longer free to move. The security is nailed in Ekiti State because he is ready to sacrifice us and please his Fulani paymasters. This is so unfortunate.
So, anybody dreaming that Fayemi will do what Akeredolu has done in Ondo State should just go back to sleep and wake up properly because he won’t do it. You can recollect what Fayose did when he was the Governor. He brought together all the hunters in the state and encouraged them empowered them to go to the bushes and ensure that we had a robbery and kidnap-free state and society then, so that we could move freely. And where it was getting notorious, he mobilized the armed forces there and they combed the bushes and Ekiti State was liberated from all that. We haven’t seen that again since Fayemi came on board. And I am not expecting that to happen especially with his Presidency ambition.
On a final note sir, do you think the Amotekun Corps has fulfilled the purpose of its establishment with the insecurity we are still experiencing in the state and beyond?
Well, in Ekiti State, Amotekun was meant to curb all the vices that you have mentioned earlier but we are still experiencing them. We have not felt their presence as such. They haven’t performed any serious thing that can make one credit them like what is happening in Oyo State and even in Ondo State. We haven’t seen anything to portray them as being gallant enough. Rather, what we are seeing is Amotekun vehicles following Fayemi’s convoy about. He is protecting himself and exposing us. He has joined them with his convoy. His wife is also protected by the same corps while the rest of the state is exposed to danger. I don’t know what they have done. I don’t know what they are going to do but are not feeling the presence of the Ekiti Amotekun Corps yet. We are only hearing the name Amotekun. I overheard somebody calling them “Amo Chicken”. (Laughs).
Your final remarks sir…
Generally, I want to encourage the good people of Ekiti State that it is a matter of time they will be liberated. They have carried water, they have carried palm oil and they know which one is heavier. They have experienced the government of PDP; they are experiencing the APC government now. Their assessments of the two political parties and their governments will make them see light and they will know the truth and the truth will set them free at the end of the day.
I believe it is a matter of time and I want to encourage the good people of Ekiti State to be hopeful that better things are there ahead and we would definitely celebrate at the end of the day. PDP government will come and they should do everything to support PDP government because they know what PDP stands for. Initially, the PDP was blackmailed out of government with talks about corruption and all that. What we are seeing today is worse than corruption. I don’t know which name you can call it- super looting, daylight robbery of the people with recklessness and disdain. I think the government of PDP will restore sanity in Nigeria and in Ekiti as well. We can be assured that our tomorrow will be better than today.
