Full Text Of Governor Fayemi's Address To Ekiti Workers On The Occasion Of The International Celebration Of Workers Day

Text of the Address by

His Excellency

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON

Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria

on the occasion of the

INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATION OF WORKERS DAY

Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

Friday, May 1, 2020

My dear Ekiti Workers

I rejoice with you and other workers all over the world on this memorable day. I congratulate all workers in Ekiti State for joining their counterparts across the world in commemoration of the year 2020 International Workers Day.

Today, we celebrate the dignity of labour and the value of productive work which are necessary for socio-economic development of societies. Today is the Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity. It is a day that is commonly associated with the achievements of the labour movement all over the globe. May 1st 1890, marked the beginning of the celebration of May Day. The initial struggle then for an 8-hour workday, better wages and safe working conditions finally culminated in the victory being celebrated every May 1st. 

The theme of this years Workers Day “COVID-19 Pandemic and its Social Economic Impact on the Nigerian Working Class is very apt considering the prevailing situation. Nigeria as a nation is contending with multifaceted challenges of curtailing the spread of COVID-19 and its adverse effects on the economy and wellbeing of the citizenry.

 Workers Day 2020 is an unusual celebration, occasioned by the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that the whole world is grappling with. I address you today with mixed feelings; sadness that we could not celebrate May Day with pomp and pageantry as it has been the practice annually due to the COVID-19 lockdown that keeps the entire world indoors;  but pride at the commitment and sacrifice that Ekiti workers have made in our effort to curtail this pandemic. 

Though government has continued to provide some palliatives to cushion the effect of this lockdown, we are not oblivious of the fact that the palliative might not be sufficient compared to when you have your whole freedom to fend for yourself. We are equally conscious of the fact that the palliative means more to the masses. That is why the government is focusing more on the most vulnerable ones among us. As a government, we assure you that we shall not relent on this until normalcy is restored.  For the umpteenth time, I urge you all to be your neighbours keepers.

As I earlier said, this years Workers Day is devoid of the usual fanfare due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a global scourge and we are all in it together. As a responsible government, we acted decisively, including taking the tough decisions of imposing movement restrictions and directing the majority of our workers to stay away from the office with a view to preventing the spread of the virus in our dear state. I must commend the hard work and sacrifice of our medical and health workers as well as other government officials in combating the pandemic.

The labour movement in Ekiti State has been both resilient and responsible in its approach to labour matters. I commend the leadership of the States Organized Labour, under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), for standing firm in championing the cause of the workers employing effective strategies characterized by dialogue and responsible leadership. I commend you for your maturity, sacrifice and patience in the face of the difficulties in the global economy. The enduring atmosphere of industrial peace and tranquility in the State enhanced immeasurably the landmark achievements so far recorded by the Administration. The grit, passion, commitment and industry of workers of the State are also commendable.

The welfare and improved working conditions of workers shall continue to be our priority. Salaries, pensions and gratuities are being paid as and when due. I am sure you have received your April 2020 salary and all allowances due to our health workers who are at the frontline of COVID-19 response have been paid.

We continue to pay the N30, 000 minimum wage for junior cadre in the public service and have reinstated merit based appointments to elevate the standards of the public service. Official vehicles have been allocated to serving and some retired Permanent Secretaries while we have increased our investment in training and capacity building for the public service. Also, it is on record that all outstanding promotions as at December 2019 had been addressed across the Public Service. 

Work is progressing steadily on the abandoned structures at the State Secretariat complex to ease the challenge of inadequate office accommodation for our workers. Housing and Car Loans are being granted to workers. Our new policy of six months Maternity Leave for women in the public service which took effect from February 1, 2020, is aimed at reducing to the barest minimum infant and maternal mortality rate, as well as facilitate work-life balance for female workers in the state. All of these are geared toward making life and working more comfortable for Ekiti workers.

I would like to salute the dedication of many public officers working tirelessly to ensure delivery on the key projects of our administration including the World Bank assisted potable water project for all Ekiti communities; the New Ado-Iyin Road; the rehabilitation of some community access roads; construction of new schools and rehabilitation of many more as well as our significant investment in service delivery in the Education, Healthcare and Agriculture sectors of our economy. Together, we will continue to make governance work for Ekiti residents.

The challenges before the State are many but not insurmountable. The Public Service Joint Negotiation Council was on the verge of concluding negotiations on the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage when the effects of the deadly pandemic Coronavirus dealt a fatal blow on global economy and indeed, the National and State economy. This may affect the resumption of negotiations but we are optimistic that the battle would be won soon, and that the world economy would come out of the present recession to enable the State conclude on the process and its consequential adjustments.

There will always be challenges in life and what defines invincibility is the way such problems are tackled and overcome. I wish to assure you, great Ekiti workers that, with your support, this Administration will overcome our collective challenges. I solicit more of your cooperation and understanding as partners in the Ekiti project. 

This period may be tough, but we are resilient, strong and courageous  these traits had propelled us to overcome adversities in the past and thrive as a State. As we mark this years Workers Day, let us renew our hope and determination with the belief that this time too shall pass.

I wish to reiterate that the labour movement should not only enquire after what workers can get from Government, but also what they can contribute to support Government in making a difference in the lives of the people especially at this time of economic recession. No doubt, there will always be agitations and struggles. However, these must be focused on realistic goals noting that Government must balance several competing interests.

While thanking you for your efforts so far, I urge you to do more, especially in the area of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). All hands must be on deck, to boost our Internally Generated Revenue to stabilize and free Ekiti State from incessant economic shackles.

 Whatever we do, we must place the interest of Ekiti State above our personal interest.

We celebrate all our workers, particularly our Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, Midwives, other health practitioners and essential workers for their diligence and total commitment to protecting our lives against this scourge. Your dedication to duty is the reason why Ekiti has kept our COVID-19 infection rate in single digit to date. We are very proud of you and grateful for the sacrifices you make on the frontline to keep us safe. Be assured that your sensitive and critical roles are appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to normal life. We should draw strength from the fact that together we achieve more, and indeed, God being on our side, we shall all win.

COVID-19 may have robbed us of the opportunity of celebrating today with the usual fanfare and joy but it will not take away our core values of looking out for one another. In the spirit of the love that binds us as a people and in commemoration of year 2020 May Day, I have accepted the list submitted by the leadership of organized labour i.e. NLC, TUC with details of those identified as the most vulnerable members of your Unions i.e. the Sick (bed ridden), those involved in serious accident and/ or on admission, those that became widows and widowers from January 1st, 2020 till date, and approved money to be given to them as a little leverage of government support in commemoration of this years May Day.

As a government, we are determined to play our part at making work and its environment conducive for Ekiti workers. This, we believe is the only way that we can inspire our workers to give in their best in the implementation of policies and programmes of our government, and development of the State with more commitment. 

I sincerely appreciate the leadership of the Service in our state for their donations to the COVID-19 account and the Food Bank. These gestures demonstrate the Public Service values of loyalty and service to the people. I also wish to use this platform to appreciate other well-meaning Nigerians, Individuals and Corporate Bodies that have donated cash and food items to the Food Bank.

Finally, I urge you all to use the present situation to renew your strength, determination, hope, solidarity and unity for better service to our dear State. I congratulate you for witnessing the year 2020 Workers Day. God bless Ekiti Workers!

I love you all. May God heal the world and keep us safe.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON

Governor

COVID-19- Coronavirus came from Wuhan lab, Says Trump

United States Of America President, Donald Trump on Thursday claims he has  evidence that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan laboratory.

Although, he has declined to give specifics evidence backing his claims.

Speaking at a White House daily news conference, the US president said China either deliberately let it spread or could not stop the spread of the virus.

Mr Trump said he feels confident the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, adding that US authorities were "looking at it very, very strongly".

"We're going to see where it is - we're going to see where it comes from," he said. "There's a lot of theories."

"“And I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves because they’re like the public relations agency for China,” Trump added.

Trump suggested that information from the investigation into the origins of the virus was forthcoming, saying opaquely that China has been “somewhat transparent” and raising the possibility Beijing may have “made a mistake.”

Enemy of The State By Femi Adeniyi

ENEMY OF THE STATE

You have possibly watched the 1998 action-thriller film with the above title, starring Will Smith. It was the box office hit story about a group of people plotting to kill an American Congressman, and the tape of the plot was discovered.

Well, an Enemy of the State struck in Nigeria on Monday, but this time, it was no fiction. It was real life act of sabotage from somebody who does not wish his own country well at all, and who derived a sinister kind of pleasure from undermining the system.

President Muhammadu Buhari was to broadcast to the country by 8 p.m, to give an update on the battle against COVID-19, and what becomes of the lockdown that had lasted four weeks, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun States. Kano was also a point of heavy interest, with the strange deaths ravaging the state. Was it COVID-19 or not?

As the country waited for the President with great expectations, a purported copy of the broadcast began to circulate on social media from about 4 p.m. Whodunnit?

I took a look at the circulating document, and within one minute, I knew that it was a rogue copy. What immediately gave it away was the paragraphing. It was completely different from the one I had been part of producing, and which had been recorded for broadcast by the President.

Another tell-tale to the dubiousness of the document was the date it gave. It said the lockdown in the affected states and the FCT would be eased from May 2, while the authentic copy bore May 4. There were some other discrepancies. Paragraphs that had been excised from the final copy were still intact, and the document was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, which you would rarely find in a presidential broadcast, which would have passed through a number of select and trusted hands.

I made a few phone calls to those of us involved with the script, right from origination, which was from outside the Presidency, to final editing, which I did, and the conclusion was easy to reach. Somebody had spirited out the original draft, which had gone through many stages of fine-tuning in terms of content and language, and thinking that it was a world exclusive in terms of artifice and underhand action, he fed it into the social media.

Who would do such a thing, except an Enemy of the State, someone who wants to ridicule the government, cause utmost confusion in the polity, and smirk his lips in malevolent pleasure, as the government, and possibly the media handlers of the President were flagellated, and taken to the cleaners.

Yoruba people talk of ‘ba ase je.’ Somebody who spoils the feast. Everybody is rejoicing and making merry, and he comes to pollute their joy. He could bring extremely bad news that sends everyone scurrying home, or looking for cover. He could even urinate in the big pot of soup in the full glare of the merrymakers. Or he could pour sand in the big pot of rice on the fire. Ba ase je (spoiler of the feast) can strike in many ways. That was the same thing the Enemy of the State did.

Igbo people speak of the proverbial lizard that ruined his own mother’s funeral. That was what the hidden hostile hand did. But he forgot that in these days of technology, almost everything leaves a trail. Before the end of that evening, computer evidences had narrowed down the suspect, and he was already answering for his evil action.

There is the house mouse called ‘oofon ‘ in Yoruba. And there is a delicious soup made from beans called ‘gbegiri.’ Yes, do you remember the popular amala and gbegiri politics as championed by Lamidi Adedibu in Oyo State in those days?

 That’s the soup I’m talking about. What happens when the house mouse urinates inside the bowl of gbegiri soup? Lassa fever! That’s why we have the Yoruba saying; oofon to si gbegiri, ki eleko ko eko e dani. Translating this into English makes it lose some originality, but let me try. The house mouse has urinated in the pot of gbegiri soup, let all merrymakers find their ways home. That was what the evil mind attempted to do by leaking the presidential broadcast hours before it came. But he fired blank, having laid hands on a wrong copy.

However, if that person had got the final, authentic copy, that is the same way he would have leaked it. To what end, to what purpose? Sinister. Sneaky. Hateful.

Some people hate their own country, and ironically would be the first to complain that things were not going well. Every act of the government (any government) they would undermine. If they can stick a knife into the soft underbelly of government in any way, they do it with relish, and would be the first to grumble that things were not going right. Enemies of the State.

If the person that leaked the unedited draft of the broadcast had access to more sensitive national documents, he would do the same thing. If he cottons on information that could sell Nigeria to the enemy, ho would gladly do it. Thou art in the midst of foes, watch and pray.

I am surprised that a large number of people, including newspaper houses, fell for the gambit. They took their information from the wrong source, and ended up publishing falsehood. That was what the Enemy of the State wanted. Cause maximum confusion. And he succeeded to some extent.

There is a way we release information from the media office of the President. And the media knows it. If a presidential speech was to be given ahead, there would be an embargo on it for a particular time. The circulating copy bore no embargo, yet they fell for it. And got embarrassed by publishing inaccurate information. Serves them right, do you say? The final copy was released by 8.06 p.m, good enough time for a newspaper to still produce and get early to market for the next day.

The social media is being used for every purpose: good and bad. It is the bastion of fake news, hate news, concoctions and all sorts of conjurations. Will the users and consumers be more discerning? It is said that the person that stole a keg of palm oil from the rafter is not the only thief. The person that collected the keg from him is also a rogue. Those who began to share an obvious leak, rebroadcasting it, are also not guiltless. Be quick to hear, and slow to speak.

It was amusing to me to hear armchair critics blaming the media office of the President for the leakage. Ignorance. Why pontificate about what you don’t know? They were on radio and television stations the next morning, magisterially shooting breeze. It was Dr Reuben Abati, immediate past media adviser to a President who gave some proper perspectives on how a presidential broadcast is originated and produced, and how it was improbable that the leakage came from the Presidency. The lesson? Seek information, get your facts right, before arriving at a conclusion, lest you look foolish and uninformed.

Some people are not interested in the well being of their own country. Sad, very sad. Such would sell their mothers, and their country for thirty pieces of silver. Thou art in the midst of foes, watch and pray.

.Adesina is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari

Nigeria 🇳🇬Records 204 New Coronavirus Cases, Total Now 1932

204 new cases of COVID-19 have just been reported in Nigeria

‪80-Kano‬

‪45-Lagos‬

‪12-Gombe‬

‪9-Bauchi‬

‪9-Sokoto‬

‪7-Borno‬

‪7-Edo‬

‪6-Rivers‬

‪6-Ogun‬

‪4-FCT‬

‪4-Akwa Ibom‬

‪4-Bayelsa‬

‪3-Kaduna‬

‪2-Oyo‬

‪2-Delta‬

‪2-Nasarawa‬

‪1-Ondo‬

‪1-Kebbi‬

‪11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria‬

‪Discharged: 319‬

‪Deaths: 58

As at April 30 2020, 34 states and the FCT have recorded at least one confirmed case of #COVID19 ‬

‪71% of all cases are from three states‬

Ooni donates 4 modular motorized fumigators to Ekiti

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has donated Four motorized modular fumigator to the Ekiti State Government, as part of his contributions to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. 

The monarch also engaged the service of a drone sprinkler–fumigator for the state government for a particular period of time. 

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who received the donation, thanked the monarch for the gesture. 

Speaking earlier, Oba Adeyeye said the reality of the Covid-19 has necessitated the need to look inward for home made solutions, as the country must not rest on its oars.

Oransaye’s report : Buhari Approves merging of Govt Agencies – Finance Minister

By Adeoba Olusegun

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the merging of some government agencies in order to reduce cost of governance based on Oransaye’s report.

The Minister of Finance, Ahmed Zainab made this known while speaking on Channels TV Program ‘Politics Today’.

She said, “We are looking at doing that (reducing cost of governance). The President has approved that this administration should implement the recommendations of the Oransaye report.

“So, the Oransaye report is a report that has reviewed the whole of the size of government. It has made very significant recommendation in reducing the number of agencies, merging some agencies together.”

Source: Elombah.com