Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Sunday said Ekiti state is missing out on some of the socio-economic programmes meant to benefit it because of the refusal of Fayose-led government to participate.
This was as he charged all well-meaning Ekiti people to prepare to send the present government packing with their votes in the next governorship election to pave way for meaningful development to take place in the state.
Ojudu made the disclosure at separate meetings he held with APC leaders, party executives and other stakeholders in some of the local government that make up the Ekiti South Senatorial District on Friday in continuation of his Community Mobilisation Outreach Programme which he had kick-started in Ekiti North earlier in the year.
According to the Special Adviser, Ekiti has suffered for too long under the current political leadership, subjecting the state to untold ridicule and exposing Ekiti sons and daughters at home and abroad to embarrassment of the highest order.
He informed his audiences at the various locations where he was received with fanfare that with the cantankerous and combative stance of the the present administration, Ekiti state is losing out on billions of Naira that could have come into the state in form of support from many of the intervention initiatives by the federal government to cushion the effect of the recession and restore the economic health of the nation. Some of these federal offerings which other states are taking full advantage of but which Ekiti government has so far refused to participate in include the free rice mill programme, the free school feeding programme, the cocoa plantation renewal scheme, the free tractor and land clearing programmes, the rice outgrower scheme, among others.
Ojudu noted at the various stops in Omuo, Agbado, Emure & Ise that liberating Ekiti State is the task of all Ekiti people of voting age as no Nigerian from other states will come and help them out of the abyss. He encouraged party faithful to forget any unpleasantness of the past so that they can unite and mobilize their communities to vote in the best interest of the state and the people in the June 2018 governorship election.
Reacting to his charge, the stakeholders expressed appreciation to the Special Adviser for taking the time out to share vital information on what Ekiti state can benefit from the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and his promise of support to chase out the PDP-led administration in the state that is making the lives of the people difficult and which obviously has made Ekiti worse than it was when they took over in 2014. They also called for unity among the leadership of the party at all levels to ensure success. They assured Ojudu of their readiness to put in their best to ensure that the APC wins the upcoming election so that the progressives can once again restore Ekiti to the path of greatness.
The very exciting day ended with a party which saw Senator Babafemi Ojudu and his entourage made up of political leaders, former political office holders, businessmen and women as well as colleagues and staff from the Presidency taking to the dance floor.