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ilyaorona@yahoo.com Richland, WA, USA

HOW EKITI STATE HAS BEEN SHORTCHANGED:
THE HIGH PRICE OF TAKING BACK OUR STATE AND DIGNITY

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olitical observers within and outside Nigeria have been taking note of events unfolding in Ekiti State for quite some time now, especially since Governor Fayose became the Chief Executive Officer of a state less than 10 years old.

The situation in the state is not getting better, and will not get better as long as characters like Fayose, Niyi Adebayo and their protégés continue to occupy government positions or are allowed to continue parading through the corridors of power. They are holding the state back, and holding the people hostage. Their actions are impeding the future of our children.

Their gross lack of understanding of what it takes to move our state forward is beyond any reasonable person's imagination. They are the byproducts of bad circumstances, with little or no experience in the positions they have found themselves in. They have never worked, never run a corporation or earned a salary, never litigated landmark cases. They are lawless, crude, young Nigerians, not politicians. Their backgrounds and professional experience, if they have any, are unverifiable and full of lies and inconsistencies. These characters failed in their efforts and cannot represent the progressive people of Ekiti State. This time around will be no different.

At the beginning of this administration in Ekiti State, I placed several calls to this governor through one of his protégés. I asked that the governor to look Ekiti's citizens in the eye and lay out his vision, and that of his administration, regarding the direction he wants to take the state. Up to this moment, the administration has yet to develop the Economic Council and Policy Implementation Group to move our state forward. Instead, Ekiti - a state where integrity, honesty, patriotism and sound education are tenets and trademarks - became the laughingstock of our Republic. This administration has yet to develop a coherent policy on the falling standards of education.

All along, I thought my messages were getting to this governor, but he chose not to act on the suggestions I articulated to some of his protégés during his gubernatorial campaign rallies. I'm disappointed that this governor, his cabinet members, and his political advisors have such a poor understanding of the state's problems.

I don't want this governor to fail, because I don't want my state to fail. I was one of the few Ekiti citizens who refused to write off this governor from the outset, and I'm not giving up him now. But he should stop manipulating the citizens of our state. I don't know Fayose and I don't need anything from him. But I don't have to know him or any future governor to give him or her my support.

	There are many things this governor can do to improve and jump-start our industrial base, as I explained during his campaign. They include reopening the Ado Textile Mills and some other policy changes that I discussed with his protégé who is a friend of mine and the chairman of his political party (PDP), Chief Ropo Adesanya.

As a stakeholder from Ekiti State, I want any government in my state to be successful. The success of any governor - past, present or future - is a win-win situation for everyone in Nigeria's new frontier. But this governor is not doing everything in his power to create jobs, improve the quality of our free-falling education standards, or create a climate for industrial development to create better opportunities for our well trained children. I'm critical of this governor because I want him to improve and fulfill his promise to the citizens of our state. My criticism of this governor has to do only with moving our state forward, not with anything personal regarding him or the past governor. I will not shy away from pointing out his weaknesses and where he has gone wrong or has been slow to act.

Omega Bank is not the problem we have in our state. Professor Akin Oyebode is NOT the problem we have in our state. Unemployment, the lack of an industrial base and the falling standards of our education system are the problems facing our existence. This governor must act, and act now. This Administration should know that our own Chief Ojo Falegan, a well respected Nigerian Statesman and Proprietor of Timi Agbale Grammar School at Ede is NOT the cause or responsible for the falling standard of education in our state and the man should be respected and left alone.

There are many things this governor can do to improve and jump-start our industrial base, as I explained during his campaign. They include reopening the Ado Textile Mills and some other policy changes that I discussed with his protégé, who is a friend of mine and the chairman of his political party (PDP), Chief Ropo Adesanya.

Fayose could reopen the Ado Textile Mills within six months for less than $25 million. This textile mill could produce products for our military personnel and the ECOMOG, and a different line of textile materials for export to the ECOWAS states. Indeed, this could have been a source of revenue for our state. To learn how, this writer arranged a trip to Birmingham in the United Kingdom last fall, but no one showed up - meaning that they were not interested in my ideas.

I also suggested to this government the need to establish small agribusinesses such as juice processing plants, and to encourage farmers to grow apples, peas, grapes, oranges, mangoes and "raw cocoa juice." Anyone who has spent most of his or her childhood in the Southwest, as I did, knows that the raw cocoa juice is sweet and that it can be reprocessed to make cocoa juice from it. This governor never listens, or the message never reaches him through my point-of-contact, his protégé.

I spoke to this governor on the campaign trail about the need for our state to have a small-scale oil refinery in Ekiti State, but he doesn't understand what that means. About the need to develop an animal-feed business - again, no response. How about establishing a rice industry in all the local areas of our state? I was only 10 years old when I started helping my mother to travel to Igbemo-Ekiti, Usi-Ekiti, Iworoko, Ikole-Ekiti, and other small towns known to harvest rice in the 1970s, so that I could help her take care of her financial responsibilities as a single mother, despite the fact that I had come from a wealthy family. My mother would prepare cakes from corn that was made to look like flour, mixed thoroughly with palm oil and banana (we call this corn cake Egute) and enfolded in a plantain or banana leaf. That was my personal experience with poverty, and I wonder how many young people today can do the same for their parents without being influenced by irresponsible and lawless 419ers. Many friends and others of my generation did the same or similar things for their parents, because this was no big thing at that time.

My experience back then, as today, tells me we can grow rice successfully in Ekiti State, and we can grow cocoa in Ekiti State. Why has this government and the previous government refused to understand this and invest in such small industries? The answer can be traced to two things: either they don't understand, or they are greedy and are looking out for their own pocketbooks, just like the leaders of the republic we call Nigeria.

Let's look at the prospects for these industries. First, if we reopen and expand the Ado Textile Mill with modern technology, it is capable of employing close to 500 full-time workers and providing a good source of revenue for the state, the city and other secondary businesses. These secondary businesses could include textile distribution centers in places such as Ikole, Aiyedun, Omuo, Aramoko, Efon-Alaye, Osi, Igede, Iyin, Ode, Ilawe, Usi and others.

Second, if this present government or the previous governments had the interests of Ekiti citizens in mind, they could have brought juice companies or other industries to Ekiti State. We would not need to grow the grapes or citrus for the first two years of bringing a juice plant on line. The state could import frozen concentrated juice for the first two years of plant operations, and begin to encourage farmers to grow citrus and other fruits. The state can partner with Welch's, Ocean Spray, TreeTop and other juice companies in the state of Washington, where I live.

By the way, juice plants in about two or three locations in Ekiti State are capable of employing about 1,200 employees. In addition, other businesses will spring up and everyone will benefit. Farmers will make money, young people will have a place to work, and government tax revenues will increase. The cost for such plants (the two juice plants), if we partner with any of the companies I suggested, could be less than $250 million.

We know Nigeria as a society that likes to party and party hard. Our society is "Ariya Society" and also known as "Sowanbe." You can call Nigerian citizens to any serious meeting and be stood up, but if you call them to "Ariya/Sowambe," then you are talking! This indicates to me that Nigeria is not a serious nation, but a republic that has misplaced its priorities. However, breweries were also suggested along with juice plants. This government or the previous government could have collaborated with Anheuser Busch in Missouri to bring a brewery to our state. A brewery could create close to 2,000 jobs.

Third - and this is the mother of all manufacturing businesses - a small or medium size refinery would be capable of refining 250,000 barrels per day of crude. The pricetag for such an industry would range from 1.5 to 2.5 billion dollars. Such a refinery is capable of creating 3,000 good jobs with an additional 2,000-3,000 jobs from refinery-related industries for over 30 years. This is how this government or the previous administration could raise the money for such a project:

• Ekiti State should own 40 percent of the refinery

• Split about 20 percent of the company with the surrounding states of Kogi, Ondo and Osun. Make them the stakeholders, just like Odua's business concept.

• Ekiti State should make an effort to sell about 10 percent of the refinery to Omega Bank, instead of Fayose fighting Omega for the bank's poor management and lack of transparency, as he (Fayose) alleges.

• Allow the technical partner - Conoco/Philips or companies such as Raytheon, Fluor Daniel, Washington Corporation or Snamp-Progretti that know how to build refineries - to own 20 percent and to attract these company to our state will require certain level of seriousness from our state government. Some of us can initiate talk with these companies only if our state government is serious..

• The federal government interest would be limited to 10 percent or they could take a hike.

	This governor is not responding to the needs of the citizens. Instead, he is insulting everyone in the state, including our intellectuals, our traditional rulers, our parents and, more importantly, the Omega Bank. It is the only bank that employs our children in the state when other banks have refused to open locations in many of our rural towns in the state.

Ekiti State is not only the fountain of knowledge, but there are many of us from this state who have a vision for our state and our country. If this government is ready to use the talents of its citizens, many of us are ready to help. Prof. Mobolaji Aluko did just that about two years ago. We don't have to be politicians at the federal or state level of our government, or advisors to any government, to help develop the infrastructure and plans being discussed here. This governor is not responding to the needs of the citizens. Instead, he is insulting everyone in the state, including our intellectuals, our traditional rulers, our parents and, more importantly, the Omega Bank. It is the only bank that employs our children in the state when other banks have refused to open locations in many of our rural towns in the state.

This is the wrong approach for Fayose. Many of us will like to help him and help our state, but each time we try, the response is something like, "Thank you, but we don't need your help."

The people of Ekiti need to fight to take back their state. The stakes are too high for the Nigeria new frontier, and no governor should be allowed to trifle with the future of our children. This governor must put an industrial and economic plan into high gear. I wish him God speed.