•Govt should focus on the people, ignore Fayose’s demand —Ekiti elders

I am growing old, almost 70. My strength is failing. I must be taken care of very well because I have paid my dues for this state.” This recent appeal by former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, urging Governor Biodun Oyebanji to extend additional welfare packages to former governors during his impending second term has sparked intense debate across Ekiti State and beyond, drawing divergent opinions from political leaders, public affairs commentators, academics and ordinary residents.

 As the state prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its creation in October, some supporters have described the request as a legitimate call to preserve the dignity of former chief executives who devoted years to public service. Critics, however, insist that the proposal is ill-timed in the face of prevailing economic hardship and competing developmental priorities confronting the state.

 The debate has since dominated political conversations within and outside Ekiti, highlighting the delicate balance between honouring past leaders and meeting the growing expectations of citizens grappling with inflation, unemployment, poor infrastructure and the rising cost of living.

 Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Ekiti has had four former governors, all of whom have actively supported Governor Oyebanji’s administration since its inauguration in 2022. From the state’s first civilian governor, Niyi Adebayo, to Ayodele Fayose, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Chief Segun Oni, the quartet has spoken with one voice in support of the incumbent.

While Adebayo, Fayemi and Oni are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Fayose has remained in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even as he has consistently declared his support for Governor Oyebanji and President Bola Tinubu.

He was recently appointed Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) by President Bola Tinubu, a development that has also fuelled public debate over his latest appeal.

ALSO READ: FG targets one million MSMEs, 50,000 jobs with renewable energy programme

According to the Ekiti State House of Assembly’s Grant of Pensions to Former Governors and Deputy Governors of Ekiti State Law, 2012, as amended in 2014 and 2015, former governors and their deputies are entitled to pensions, accommodation, transport, furniture, domestic staff, medical care and security provisions.

 Fayose made the demand on Monday during the inauguration of a new Government House Lodge built and named in his honour by Governor Oyebanji.

While commending the incumbent governor for fostering political inclusiveness and recognising his predecessors irrespective of political affiliation, Fayose urged him not to stop at symbolic gestures but to improve the welfare arrangements for former governors during his second tenure, which begins in October.

Fayose said: “We have served this state. Priority must be given to former governors going forward. You must take very good care of me henceforth. I am growing old, almost 70. My strength is failing. I must be taken care of very well because I have paid my dues for this state.

 “I need more medical care. I should travel abroad to enjoy myself and I should also be given an official vehicle with a pilot vehicle. The law passed by the House of Assembly stipulates that the government should be changing our vehicles every three years. You are almost four years in office and I am yet to be given one. You must do that, Mr Governor.”

The appeal immediately drew mixed reactions.

Members of the Ekiti Council of Elders urged Governor Oyebanji to remain focused on ongoing infrastructure development, education, healthcare, agriculture and youth empowerment programmes that directly affect the lives of ordinary citizens.

The Secretary of the Council, Niyi Ajibulu, argued that the increased allocations received by state governments were intended to cushion the effects of recent economic reforms on the populace, stressing that former governors should not take precedence over struggling residents.

“There is now much more money coming to the states. The purpose of that money is to cushion the effect of the hardship brought about by the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic challenges. The question is: should former governors now become the priority?” he asked.

 Ajibulu maintained that government spending should focus on projects capable of creating jobs and stimulating sustainable economic growth rather than expanding welfare packages for former political office holders.

While acknowledging the construction of Government House lodges and other public facilities, he said the administration should place greater emphasis on investments that would have a direct impact on the lives of the people.

“What the government should be thinking about is how to reduce the hardship facing the people. Resources should be invested in industries and other productive ventures that can generate employment and improve livelihoods. Those are the kinds of projects that will have lasting benefits for the populace,” Ajibulu said.

 Within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), however, Fayose’s appeal was viewed differently, with party leaders and other stakeholders arguing that the former governor merely expressed an opinion deserving thoughtful consideration rather than outright condemnation.

 According to them, former governors remain valuable assets whose wealth of experience could still benefit the state if they are adequately supported.

 The APC Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, said Fayose was entitled to express his opinion and make requests directly to the governor, stressing that the former governor must have had reasons for making the appeal.

 According to Dipe, the request should be viewed as one of many suggestions from stakeholders aimed at improving governance in the state.

“I’m sure he just made an opinion and a request. He must have a reason for making it, and he knows whether he has been adequately taken care of or not,” Dipe said.

The APC spokesman added that there was nothing unusual about the request, noting that Fayose addressed it directly to Governor Oyebanji, who would consider it alongside other proposals from well-meaning individuals.

“It is a welcome development. He spoke directly to the governor and not to anyone else. We believe the governor will consider it along with other requests from well-meaning people,” he said.

Another party stakeholder, Johnson Adeolu, described Fayose’s request as “reasonable and forward-looking,” insisting that improving welfare for former governors should not necessarily come at the expense of developmental projects if properly planned within the state’s financial capacity.

He noted that several states across Nigeria maintain different welfare arrangements for former governors, arguing that Ekiti should not be an exception.

According to him, “Today’s governor will become tomorrow’s former governor. Strong institutions should outlive individuals.”

Despite those arguments, opposition to the proposal continued to gather momentum among public affairs analysts, opposition politicians, academics and ordinary residents, many of whom insisted that government resources should be directed primarily towards addressing the economic challenges confronting the people.

A public affairs analyst and Chartered Librarian, Elder Ayo Arogundade, urged Governor Oyebanji to disregard Fayose’s demand and channel more attention and resources towards the welfare of pensioners, workers and ordinary citizens rather than expanding welfare packages for former governors.

Arogundade maintained that the state’s limited resources should be deployed to address pressing welfare concerns affecting retirees and the wider population.

He specifically appealed to the governor to prioritise the payment of outstanding gratuities and other entitlements owed to retirees, particularly pensioners from tertiary institutions, stressing that many had served the state diligently for decades and deserved better treatment.

Arogundade argued that former governors had already benefited from generous severance packages upon leaving office and should not continue to receive additional privileges at the expense of the general public.

“If I have my way, once a former governor leaves office and receives the statutory severance allowance, that should be the end of it. Public office holders should return to their previous professions or businesses after service because the resources of the state belong to all the people,” he said.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state also faulted Fayose’s call for enhanced welfare packages for former governors, describing the demand as selfish, insensitive and out of touch with the realities confronting ordinary citizens.

According to the ADC, “It is unfortunate that such a demand is being made at a time when many pensioners are still awaiting the payment of their gratuities and pensions, public hospitals are struggling with inadequate facilities and shortages of essential drugs, while economic hardship continues to force many pupils and students out of school.

“The demand amounts to greed and insensitivity from someone who has already enjoyed huge severance packages, pensions and other privileges funded by taxpayers.”

The party urged Ekiti residents to reject the proposal and called on Governor Oyebanji to channel available resources towards improving the welfare of workers, pensioners, farmers and other vulnerable groups across the state.

It also appealed to the Ekiti State House of Assembly to review and repeal the state’s pension law for former governors and their deputies, arguing that the legislation places an unnecessary financial burden on the state while many deserving retirees continue to face hardship.

Dr Isaac Oladeji, a political scientist in the Department of Political Science at Ekiti State University (EKSU), also faulted the call for enhanced welfare packages for former governors, insisting that government resources should be directed towards improving the welfare of ordinary citizens rather than a privileged few.

Reacting to Fayose’s demand for additional benefits for former governors, Oladeji described the request as inappropriate, particularly coming from someone who, in his view, should be demonstrating statesmanship.

According to him, true statesmanship is reflected in advocating policies that improve the lives of the people, not in seeking additional privileges for a select group of political office holders.

“What a statesman should be looking at is the welfare of the people, the welfare of the citizens, not the welfare of a clique,” he said.

He argued that good governance is measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of the majority rather than catering to the interests of a privileged minority.

“Governance should be about the people, not about a few or a selected few. For me, that is not good governance, and it is not something the governor should take seriously,” Oladeji added.

The political scientist maintained that at a time when many citizens are grappling with economic hardship, government attention and public resources should be focused on improving living conditions rather than expanding welfare packages for former political office holders.

An Ado-Ekiti resident, Ajayi Oluwole, said any support for former governors should not undermine investments in education, healthcare, rural development, social protection and economic empowerment.

He observed that good governance requires balancing respect for former public office holders with the urgent needs of citizens, stressing that public confidence in government grows when people see tangible improvements in their daily lives.

For Governor Oyebanji, the controversy presents yet another test of leadership. His administration has earned commendation for promoting political reconciliation, fostering bipartisan relationships and recognising the contributions of former leaders irrespective of political differences.

Whether or not the governor decides to review the welfare packages for former governors, analysts believe his decision will ultimately be judged against his administration’s ability to sustain infrastructure development, expand social services and improve the economic well-being of ordinary Ekiti residents.

Across the political divide, one message appears consistent: while honouring former governors is a legitimate responsibility of government, the welfare and prosperity of the people must remain the overriding priority of governance.