(Politics) Mark my word, Jonathan’ll win again –Fayose

Why is Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter
Ayodele Fayose, spending millions of naira
to oppose the candidature of General
Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives
Congress ( APC ) on pages of newspapers?
You may also want to ask why he is
campaigning passionately for President
Goodluck Jonathan, at the time his
government is facing serious financial
problems? The people also want to know why
Fayose was unable to celebrate his first 100
days in office and what he is doing to
ensure Ekiti people who voted for him en
masse about six months ago do not regret?
Can his Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP )
still record a landslide victory in the coming
election as it did during gubernatorial
election last year? These are some of the
questions Adegbite threw at him when this
reporter had a chanced opportunity to quiz
him in his office, Ado – Ekiti, recently.

These are excerpts from the exclusive inter­
view which lasted just 5 minutes.

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOUR ADMINISTRATION
FACED IN YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE AND
HOW ARE YOU HANDLING THEM?

Well, I have said it repeatedly and it is
public knowledge that Ekiti has a lot of
financial issues and we still have it. Beyond
Ekiti too, the dwindling oil fortunes is
another major problem too.

The borrowing
by the immediate past administration has
handicapped this government.

That is the
truth. It is like any major family, if you
don't have funds you could hardly do
whatever you want to do.

Within the ambit
of availability of funds we are doing our
best. We might not be able to move as much
as we have loved to move, but we are
bringing experience to bear.

And we are
doing everything possible to take advantage
of the people who can assist us to navigate
our challenges. But substantially it is
financial. The payment of the outstanding
salary arrears has been impossible because
I have only got three allocations since I got
here. And before I got here, owing workers
salaries was the order of the day.

Since I got here I have renegotiated some
of our debts, at least to give us leeway to
stabilise and pay some of our debts. We
have been able to pay salaries.

We have been
paying salaries with all deductions sent to
the workers. Not that alone, I had paid the
salaries of workers for January on January
21; which was the trend when I was here
between 2003 and 2006.

And I want to let them (workers) know that
I am still working hard. And at the slightest
opportunity we would be able to deal with
the issues of salary. I prefer not to do any
other work and ensure salaries are paid to
doing a lot of projects and not pay workers
because so many lives are supported by
these salaries. That is why so many
emotions, feelings are attached to the
issues of salaries. In some states in the
South- West, they are owing workers three
months and even more than that but as God
will continue to help me the issue of salary
is a priority.

If you go by our programmes, in areas of
welfare and stomach infrastructure, these
are what we are talking about.

There is no
point using money you could use to pay the
salaries of workers to do other businesses
or go into other things apart from giving
them that right to earn their wages as and
when due. We have Leave Bonus outstanding,
we have the actual wage outstanding which
were not paid by the last administration. I
hope, by the grace of God that as time goes
on, we would be able to pay.

DO YOU HAVE ANY RÉGRET OVER THE WAY THE
LAST ADMINISTRATION RANTHE STATE?

You see, one thing about me is that I don't
want to talk about the past administration
anymore because as the Chief Executive I
am to find solution to the problems they
created. Once in a while, where it is
necessary to show the background of where
the debt is coming from, we can talk about
it. But I don't want to dwell on it. If they
have done well Ekiti people would not have
voted me into power. but because they
didn't do well and the wanted someone who
can clean the mess and redeem this state,
that is why they voted for me.

You see I am used to clearing debts.Y ou see
APC (All Progressives Congress) are fond of
taking bonds, getting loans and leaving
debts for next government.

The last time I
came it was debt and debt and debt that I
met in 2003 . I came, cleared the debt and
left a huge some of money, about
N10.4Billion in the cover of government (in
2006). I am glad Dr Kayode Fayemi
admitted that he only met N3.5Billion in the
cover when he took over from PDP
administration of Engr. Segun Oni (in
October 2010).
So, that means I am doing well.

And this
time around I need the patience of the
people. I am not a magician.

How many
months now? Just three months. I am sure
that with the patience of the people we
would overcome these challenges.

APART FROM PAYMENT OF SALARY, WHAT
CAN YOU POINt AT AS YOUR ACHIEVEMENT
WITHIN YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS?

Number one is the new market built along
Baptist Church and Post Office Road (in
Ado- Ekiti) constructed by us.

There is
another road being constructed off Mattew
Street, and the rehabilitation of Mattew
Street, Odo-Ado Road (in Ado-Ekiti). The
security vehicles purchased for the security
agencies would be commissioned too on
Monday. One thing with me is that I have
seen this commissioning of these projects
here and there as a routine. To me the word
commissioning should not be something one
should be doing to show-off or play politics
with, that I want to commission this and
that. I will still do the commissioning if it is
going to sound right in the ears of my
political opponents. We would do it for them
to make them happy. We are very proactive
about doing drainages. At the end of the
day we would ensure that everything that
needs to be rehabilitated is rehabilitated.

Road maintenance is going on where it is
needed. Work is already on-going between
Ayetoro- Ekiti, Ewu and Iye-Ekiti.
Construction work is going on between
Opopogboro and Afao Road.

Construction
work is going on between Opopogboro to link
Police Headquarters. Our target again,
beyond this, is our one year in office. Ours
is to give our best, we are not into
competition with anybody. We are only here
to please the people, and within the
available resources; because we don't have
the resources. We would do our best.

PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JOHNATAN'S VICTORY IN
THE COMING ELECTION, WHY ARE YOU SO
PASSIONATE ABOUT HIM SINCE YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY PDP GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA?

Nigerians don't like the truth, human beings
don't like the truth generally. My position is
not only about being passionate about
Jonathan, because I am a PDP member. I am
a loyal person. Even if you abandon yourself,
I will never abandon you. People know me for
that. I am a loyal man, I don't care about
what the people say. The moment you show
me a trace of loyalty I will live for you.

Jonathan deserves to be president again. I
am not a pretender. I will say it anywhere.

If he is not doing very well I will tel l you he
is not doing very well. Nigerians do not
appreciate people until they leave office.

It is regrettable that the APC is a
collection of strange bed fellows. People
whose agenda is conspiracy, where you see
snakes, goats and lions co-existing over
night. Conspirators don't make it to heaven.

And these APC people cannot make it to the
Government House inA buja because they
are conspirators. Obasanjo that is
criticizing Jonathan is a PDP member either
formerly or presently. Some of the
governors who defected were part of the
sixteen years administration of the PDP.

They have all done their first tenure.

They were part of the sixteen years. I re­
member a comment made by the APC,
General Buhari was saying he is going to
banish poverty, but the poorest states in
Nigeria, Zamfara and Sokoto, are APC
controlled states. So we should be realistic
and should not fool ourselves.

So, for me,
my position about Jonathan, I am loyal. I am
PDP man. I am working for Jonathan.

The second leg is that let's call a spade a
spade. Don't say the truth only when it is
convenient for us. We should see truth as a
way of life. Do you understand? In a
situation when your brother is an armed
robber you don't say no, it is not like that;
simply because it would afect you. That is
not principle. That is not ideology, it is
"roguelogy", from the word rogue. So, the
other leg is that if it were to be PDP that is
carrying Buhari about at 72; Buhari is a
grandfather, grandpa. If it is PDP, the APC
would have used propaganda to destroy
them.

In Nigeria, anyone who is between the ages
of 35 and 60 you can become the president
of this country. We are talking of active
age. Even if it is 65. Are we saying we
cannot get a man who is young at heart
enough, that can pilot the affairs of this
country? You will see the gullies in Buhari's
neck. He is weak. It is not his fault. He is
tired. Since the beginning of this millennium
did you see America, Britain, Germany,
Japan, China or Russia electing a 70-year-
old man as their president?
The challenges of leadership in this age
demands the energy of young people, the old
people would be at the background ofering
their wise counsel. Why do you have age 65
as maximum retirement age in every
organisation and corporate establishment in
Nigeria?
I am telling you, mark my word, Buhari
would never win. I want you to mark it. Jona­
than will win again. Buhari cannot win. Let us
watch events. PDP is a party with a great
spread. It is like Ekiti now, would I come
out and say there is no APC here?
No! There is APC. To what degree is the
issue. So is the spread of PDP everywhere.

We have 21 states out of the 36 states.W e
are not selling propaganda. We are telling
them that we are actually existing
everywhere. The margin may not be as it was
in 2011 but we will still win.

Some people are
saying if Buhari gets there would he not run
after me?
This is not his Kingdom. If I don't want
Buhari to come to my state, he would not
come . I am not somebody you can harass.
Politics is issue of choice. I have chosen
Jonathan. Jonathan is my choice. They chose
Buhari and that is politics. The president is
supposed to be president of everybody.

Jonathan is the president and he would still
remain the president. Do you understand?
I am saying with all due respect, I do not
wan t Buhari to die and that is why I am
raising the alarm now. I am raising an alarm
that this man is tired, weak and not strong
enough. Nigeria youths, we have active
youths, out of the over 160 million
population. We have over 75,000 active
individuals between ages 35 and 65. We
should look for men who have what it takes.

I am sorry to say this, if they vote Buhari
we are only voting analogue president. In a
debate they should give telephone to
General Buhari to type love letter to his own
Hajia. Or they should give him a word
processor and let him log on to the
Internet, he would miss it.

Some people
want to possess Nigeria and that is why
they want to put Buhari there.

They have an
agenda. Like I said, one day I would be
vindicated either in the office or out of
office. Buhari is tired, weak; a 75-year-old
man, when we are not in Zimbabwe. I take
exception, with all due respect.

Whoever
becomes Nigeria president cannot tell me I
cannot work in Ekiti, so what is the big
deal!?
You predicted your victory when the gov­
ernorship election was coming last year.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE COMING
NATIONAL AND STATE ASSEMBLIES ELECTIONS IN
EKITI?

That should be taken for granted. Where
would APC get votes from. I won in all the
16 local government areas in the state, in
158 wards. They went to court, I defeated
them in court. Maybe you don't know my
political history. If it were to be in the Bible
days they would have written about me,
maybe they would be calling me Psalm 153 or
Psalm 151 written about the God's grace in
Ayo Fayose.

The first Ekiti man to defeat two
incumbent governors in each attempt. A man
who went on exile and came back to unseat
two incumbent governors. This Fayose did
not just unseat the incumbent but defeated
the incumbent governor in the whole 16 local
government areas in the state and in 158
wards, in a free , fear and transparent
election.

Mark my word, I am the first person in
Nigeria history to defeat incumbent
governors on two occasions. I am popular
and it is God who has made me popular. And
you see, I am not a pretender.

I am not
going to say yes just to impress you. My no
remains my no. Even if you bring heaven to
bear, I will stand there. I am a clear a
person. It is not what we ea t that make us
fat but the grace of God that are abound in
our lives.

I want you to mark it. Jonathan will win.

SOURCE: daily sun