EKITI: FAYEMI AND THE BLOOD OF VENGEANCE

When I wrote early this year that Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was going the way of Alaafin Aole of the old Oyo Empire, many of the governor's supporters called me unprintable names. Then, I had likened Fayemi's vengeance mission in Ekiti to that of Alaafin Aole, the one popularly referred to as Oba Afepeja (the monarch who fights with curses). Alaafin Aole's seven years reign in the old Oyo Empire was characterised by wars against towns and individuals that the monarch perceived had wronged him in the past. It was this vengeance mission that led him to wage war on Apomu and Iwere-Ile in contravention of his oath and the curse placed by Alaafin Abiodun, an action that led to the collapse of the old Oyo Empire in 1793.

And today, with Governor Fayemi's actions in the last three weeks, it has become evidently clear that like Alaafin Aole, Dr. Fayemi will not relent on his vengeful agenda until he also meets his own Apomu and Iwere-Ile.

In furtherance of his agenda of “pull his predecessor, Chief Segun Oni down at all cost”, last week, Fayemi went to town with an imaginary

N5.4 billion fraud story. Up till today, no one, including media men that have feasted on the alleged N5.4 billion scam has seen the so-called White Paper in which Oni was indicted. Again, Oni's call that the white paper should be published has not been heeded, more than one week after it was made. Most absurd too was the fact that Oni was never invited by the committee that came up with the report.

At the same time Fayemi was wasting scarce public fund to promote his agenda to diminish the impeccable profile and integrity of Chief Oni, who is noted for probity, accountability and transparency, he also with no just cause sacked the Vice Chancellors (VC) of the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), Prof Dipo Kolawole, the University of Science and Technology (USTI), Ifaki-Ekiti; Prof Oye Bandele and the defunct University of Education (TUNEDIK), Ikere-Ekiti, Prof Akin Ogunlade. The three VCs were sacked without recourse to the governing councils of the respectful universities.

In the particular case of Prof. Dipo Kolawole, whose tenure has been widely adjudged as the best in the history of UNAD, the law guiding the appointment of the VC, as contained in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of UNAD was duly followed on his appointment and he could only be removed through a joint meeting of the University Senate and Governing Council. Even if there was a case of any act of misconduct against him, the Senate and Council must invite the VC to defend himself. If he is found guilty after his defence, the Senate and Council would make recommendation to the governor, as the visitor.

Apparently because a man who seeks vengeance always closes his mind to reasons and common sense, Fayemi chose to sack a VC, who was never indicted by the Senate or Council for any wrong doing. Most ridiculously too, the governor opted to do so via radio announcements in utter disregard for laid down rules and civility.

Ridiculously, Fayemi and his government have been labouring to justify the sack of the VC with a story on the purported indictment of Prof Kolawole by an imaginary External Audit Report. In other words, a university VC is first sacked and the government can later go to press with an audit report, indicting him!

Most importantly too, going by newspaper reports on the purported audit report, Fayemi has not seen the report, meaning that the removal of Prof Kolawole by the governor could not have been based on a report that the governor is yet see. So could Dr. Fayemi have removed Prof Kolawole, acting on an audit report he had not seen?

Universities are supposed to be an academic environment insulated from partisan politics. But in Fayemi's Ekiti, universities must be part of the political chest game he is playing as part of his government of vendetta.

It is for this same pursuit of vengeance that, University of Science and Technology, Ifaki-Ekiti (USTI) must be scrapped as it is located in the hometown of Chief Oni. And more importantly too, Ifaki people have never voted for Fayemi's party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). It was for this pre-conceived aim of scrapping the university that Fayemi organised the Education Summit that recommended that Ekiti State cannot fund more than one university.

Funny enough, it was the same style and excuse of “no money” that was used by the Ayo Fayose administration to scrap the UNAD College of Medicine established by the Otunba Niyi Adebayo administration that Fayemi has employed to scrap USTI established and adequately funded by the Oni-led administration. Ostensibly, Fayemi has vindicated those who believe that he is an academic version of Fayose.

Sequel to this vengeful agenda, a trip to South Korea by 34 students of USTI for a one-year Exchange Programme with the Semyung University, Jecheon City, Chungbuk, South-Korea has now hit the rocks. The one-year programme would have enabled the students to obtain dual degree certificates. It was part of the deal sealed with the South Korean University by the Oni-led administration late last year before his ouster and was expected to be almost free with the government paying only travelling expenses of the students.

As was the case of Alaafin Aole, Fayemi is waging war against anybody he perceives as his enemy. Number one on his list is Oni and everything that has his touch must be pulled down.

Apparently, Oni's major sin for which he (Oni) must be pulled down was the ongoing National Judicial Council (NJC) probe on the judicial abracadabra that brought Fayemi to power.

Already, Ado-Ekiti General Hospital projects, School Feeding Programme, provision of free laptops for students, Scholarship Programme and other initiatives of the Oni-led government have been cancelled. Also, the Cuban Doctors at the University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti Ophthalmology Centre have been sent back to their country all in an attempt to obliterate Oni's legacies.

Definitely, like I wrote earlier, Fayemi is not going to hearken to words of reason. He is not going to be mindful of the fact that power is transient. Even though in the pursuit of vendetta, his credential as an apostle of rule of law has been tainted so much that his colleagues have been advised not to behave like him; the blood of vengeance is going to continue to run in his veins. Painfully, he will continue to seek vengeance until such a time that he goes the way of Alaafin Aole, who met his ignoble end after going against his oath by wagging war on Apomu and Iwere-Ile!

Olayinka, a journalist wrote in from Okemesi-Ekiti