SPEECH: Ekiti Has Come Of Age

EKITI HAS COME OF AGE

Remarks by

His Excellency

Dr. Kayode FAYEMI

Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria

on the occasion of the

Independence Day Celebrations / State Merit Awards / Launch of Ekiti Parapo Square

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

 

Protocols

 

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, today is a great day in the land of honour, Ekiti State. This is a day we reflect on where we are coming from as a people, and contemplate on our future, with due consideration of our current struggles. I am therefore delighted that we are today hosting a true Nigerian hero and an exemplar of honour and humility, His Excellency Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd.), former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Today, we celebrate the 54^th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence, as well as the 18^th anniversary of the creation of the land of honour, Ekiti State. We have therefore also found today a most suitable day for us to hold this year’s edition of the Ekiti State Merit Awards and Honours Roll as well as the official commissioning of this edifice – the Ekiti Parapo Square, one of the legacy projects of this administration and our foremost symbol of the heterogeneity and unity of the Ekiti people. The  activities are all part of our end-of-tenure programme of events which we have put in place to celebrate our administration’s Legacy of Honour and Service – Aseyori Ifarasin Pelu Iyi.

 

Today, our state comes of age. It has been 18 long years since our state was birthed on this day in 1996. We have gone through an interesting past, with more than our fair share of unsavoury episodes that have put us in bad light in the comity of states. But we have also made considerable progress as a people. Certainly, we have fared better as an autonomous state, than when we were just a part of the Old Ondo State.

The positive outcome of the devolution of power to us as a state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is therefore a justification of the agitations of those who led the struggle for the creation of our state. It is thus noteworthy, that this anniversary is witnessing the first parade of all the local Governments and Local Council Development Areas making 35 constituent units of our state, which this administration has effected in response to the yearnings of our people.

We are however not there yet, I therefore charge the good people of Ekiti State, to push the bounds of possibilities for our future, by uniting more than ever before to protect our heritage of honour as well as the modest developmental gains we have made in recent years. We must celebrate today by joining our hearts and minds in one accord, and decide to outgrow the teething challenges of statehood such as the arbitrariness we have witnessed in recent times.

 

Our great country is at crossroads now. We have reached a point whereby something has to give. Either we collectively decide to rescue Nigeria from the precipice, or we all live with the consequences of the riotous tendencies of a few. Indeed, fixing Nigeria has to be from the components that make up the country. From the States, through the LGs/LCDAs, the Wards, the Units, the Streets, to every household; change can only happen in our country when we ourselves change.

It is for the foregoing reason this administration has institutionalized our efforts at the restoration of our values. We have sought to redeem the meaning of who our heroes are. We have steadfastly pursued the elevation of honour in our society; to be celebrated far above illicit material possessions. One of such ways is with the State Merit Awards and Honours’ Roll which is now in its 4^th year.

The initiative has become a veritable and solid platform for recognising and honouring Sons and Daughters of Ekiti State – indigenes and residents alike, who have brought honour to our state on account of exceptional accomplishments in their fields of human endeavour. As in the previous years, the list of those to be honoured today is drawn up from a long list of nominees, covering a wide range of fields of human endeavours including Posthumous Awards to eminent personalities from the following categorizations: Academy & Research; Music/Entertainment; Culture & Tradition; the Profession; Commerce/Trade/Industry/Entrepreneur; Philanthropy and Governance & Service to Humanity.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the fact that Ekiti State is the home of intellectuals is incontrovertible.  This informs our decision this year, to celebrate a 24-year-old Dr. Hallowed Oluwadara OLAOLUWA, the Genious of our time-who concurrently pursued BSc. degrees in Maths and Physics with first class in both, and further made distinctions in his MSc.  In January this year, Olaoluwa had his PhD degree in Maths and thus became the youngest Nigerian PhD Holder and of course, the youngest African PhD Holder in Maths. This is a feat uncommon and worth celebrating with a hope that as we honour Olaoluwa publicly today, the younger generation of Ekiti and Nigerian as a whole, will be challenged to brace up with avowed determination to meet up and even surpass the academic excellence already displayed by Dr. Hallowed Olaoluwa. This is just one example of the high achievements of those being honoured today.

At this juncture, permit me to congratulate the awardees of today on their achievements and noble contributions that have marked them out as worthy recipients of the Ekiti State Merit Award. Having been chosen through a selection procedure that was open and transparent, today’s Awardees should see themselves as fortunate icons from their respective fields.  This is considering the fact that many people out there are equally as qualified and would also have their own day for celebration in the future.  I, therefore, charge you, to continue to use your various positions in life to bring honour to Ekiti State, even as you demonstrate excellence at all times as worthy ambassadors of the Land of Honour wherever you are.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly permit me to reiterate the need by all of us to come together and jointly own the Ekiti project which is bigger than any individual.  The past four years under my Administration has witnessed peace and accelerated physical development for which Ekiti State has come to be known as a safe harbour for socio-economic concerns. This has been confirmed by the recent World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ index that recognized Ekiti State as one of four states in the country that have made the “most progress and stood out for introducing several high-impact reforms that narrowed the gap to best practices the most”.

It is in the atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that trade/commerce, academic pursuit and other endeavours can flourish and for Ekiti State to continue to have a pool of achievers worthy of State, National and Global recognition, a peaceful atmosphere is of essence.

As I conclude, I am delighted to announce that after much consideration of options for an appropriate name to be given to this edifice – the 12,000 seater multi-purpose arena to be commissioned, being a place that would host such unity gatherings as we have today, we have decided to give it a name that celebrates the very essence of our heterogeneity and unity – Ekiti Parapo Square. Therefore, be it known by Ekiti Kete, now and for generations to come, that the honourable people of Ekiti have today designated this hallowed grounds as a symbol of our unity, that our God who rules in the affairs of men would bless every gathering held here, so long as such assembly is in the interest of the peace and progress of our people.

 

Thank you all for listening.

 

Happy Independence Anniversary.

God bless the land of honour, Ekiti State.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

Dr. Kayode Fayemi

Governor, Ekiti State

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Ekiti State Government Press Release