Stop Blaming Jonathan for Recession, Fayose Tells Buhari

Victor Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, wednesday told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop blaming past leaders, particularly ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the current economic recession in the country.

In explicit terms, Fayose told the president that what Nigerians voted for in 2015 was a change for better and that the President should live by that acronym, failing ‘which Nigerians will change the change’.

Appreciating the teachers for making Ekiti rank first in the 2016 National Examinations Council(NECO) in the country, Fayose donated the sum of N50 million to teachers in the state and two brand new Kia Rio cars to the best teachers in both public primary and secondary schools.
Addressing the teachers at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti in commemoration of the 2016 World Teachers’ Day, Fayose said : “ What we voted for in 2015 was plenty and boutiful blessing and not economic recession. Today , Nigerian teachers can no longer afford three-square meals a day.

“Nigerians are not begging for too much, what they want is to change their fortunes for better. President Buhari must stop complaining. He must address this recession that is killing Nigerians.”
Fayose, who promised to increase the incentive to a sum of N100 million in 2017, if the teachers can sustain the feat, said his government would not leave huge debt of outstanding salary arrears as a debt burden for the succeeding government.

He added that his government will continue to treat teachers with dignity and celebrate their competence to help the future of the state, saying his government would soon embark on massive renovation of all schools in the state, assuring that the government would make budgetary provision for it in 2017.

The Deputy National President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Peters Adeyemi and Deputy National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Mr. Kelvin Nwakwo, pleaded with states owing teachers’ salaries to pay up to cushion the effect of the hard-biting economy on the people.
The duo, who commended Fayose for honouring the teachers, called for upward review of teachers’ retirement age from 60 to 65 to arrest premature retirement from the service.

The founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola(SAN) and the former governor of the old Ondo State, Evsan Bamidele Olumilua, praised Ekiti teachers for their patriotic and unwavering zeal for the development of education in spite of the economic challenges. Olumilua said: “Though Nigeria is tough, Ekiti is lucky to have a governor that has been doing what is necessary. The recession we are passing through is not something unusual, but what we need is a man that is connected to God and who can do what is necessary and we have it in Governor Fayose.
“If you can see, Ekiti is making progress because we have a man that is committed to the well-being of the populace and he is ready to listen to you to make your future great”, Olumilua stated.