TheCable

The True Face of Ekiti, which says it is a non-partisan movement of Ekiti citizens seeking to protect the interest of the state, has asked Ayodele Fayose, the governor, to explain why the state was excluded from the federal government’s school feeding programme.

According to the movement, Ekiti state was the only state excluded from the school feeding programme, recently flagged off by the federal government.

“We do not buy the state government excuse that the federal government deliberately shut out the state from this programme for political reasons,” the group said.

“Over time, the present administration in Ekiti has proved to have a way of sniffing out information from the federal authority, why was this particular one missed? The Ekiti government owe her citizens some explanations on why the State refused participating in a national programme that was alleged by Senator Babafemi Ojudu to have been in its planning stage since last year September.”

In a statement issued by the state on Sunday, Lere Olayinka, the governor’s spokesman said “for a programme that was held on June 9, 2016, mail was sent by one Titilola Adeyemi to the state commissioner for budget and planning, Hon Gbenga Olajide on June 8, 2016 at exactly 3:56pm, asking that list of participants from Ekiti State be sent before the close of business that same day. No prior invitation was received.”

“The commissioner sent a mail on June 9 requesting clarification on the mail sent by Titilola Adeyemi but up till now, no response has been received. How could Ekiti State have participated in a programme held on June 9 when invitation was only received on June 8 at 3:56pm?”

The True Face of Ekiti says it “can’t but wonder why the state government only concerned itself with clarifying why the state wasn’t represented at the flag-off ceremony but tactically ignored the exclusion of the state in the school feeding program”.

“Well-meaning indigenes of Ekiti should be interested in knowing why our state was the only state not listed among the benefitting states and not why our delegates were not sighted in Abuja for the funfair.

“We are aware that a process must have led to the eventual flag off of the programme, the big question is, was Ekiti State represented in this build up towards the Launching of the School feeding program in Abuja? If not, why?”

The group quoted Ojudu, the political adviser to the vice president, as saying “the program in question has been in plan for nine months, all the States of the federation nominated contact person who have been working hard in conjunction with officials of the federal government.

“My findings revealed that all attempt to bring our people aboard either by letters or visitations have been rebuffed. I am sufficiently educated to know the implication of our non-participation in such a program.

“No blackmail will therefore stop me from crying out. Let those who are Fayose’s drum major continue to lie, blackmail and insult me, it will never stop me from protecting Ekiti interests wherever I find myself.”

The group said it wonders why took Ojodu “nine solid months to realize how important this programme is to the people of Ekiti. Why choose to cry out now that the name of Ekiti was finally omitted from a programme being financed by the Federal Government using our Commonwealth?”

“We would have viewed the Senator’s cry as being patrotic if it had come months earlier, when it would have saved us this national embarrassment; why crying when the head is already off? Why wait until again we are in the news for yet another wrong reason?

“What was the efforts of the Minister representing Ekiti State in the Federal cabinet towards ensuring that Ekiti pupils are not deprived of their right to this free daily meal? What about other prominent Ekiti Sons and Daughters holding several vantage positions in the federal government, why did they all turned the other way?

“We sincerely would have avoided commenting on this particular issue for we do not believe in crying over spilled milk but we couldn’t hold back when we read a statement by Senator Ojudu that all hope isn’t lost after all.

“According to him ‘If he sends a team today it is not too late. Let him (the Governor) send his men to meet with those in charge and work out the logistics. We are the only state that is not showing interest’”.

The True Face of Ekiti however called on the governor, Kayode Fayemi, minister of solid minerals; Segun Oni, APC deputy national chairman South; Niyi Adebayo, the first civilian governor of the state and other political actors to work together to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme in the state.