Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi
Keynote Address by Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti State
delivered at the National Convention of Egbe Omo Yoruba (National
Association of Yoruba Descendants in North America (USA and Canada) held
at Hilton BWI Airport Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, USA between
September 6 and 9, 2012.
Mo ki gbogbo omo Yoruba n’ile l’oko, ni ona odo. Mo ki yin wi pe, eku ise: ODUDUWA A GBE GBOGBO WA O. Amin.
I feel extremely delighted standing before you this great day. I feel
even more honoured that I am standing before some of the world’s most
sophisticated, educated and cultured people who, occasioned by different
circumstances, have found themselves living and working in the United
States and Canada.
I stand before you as a servant, a messenger and also as an elected
leader of our people, my people, at home. I must confess that I cherish
the invitation extended to me and my colleagues in the South West and I
relish the request from you to give an insight into our dream for the
people of the South West, about the form and character of governance,
which we hold in trust for you, the people. Despite all the tribulations
of the past, it is a great thing that todayNigeriahas a constitution
and that the country has adopted democracy as the form of government. We
are marching forward, but we should not delude ourselves that we are
already at the destination.
One thing is clear, this millennium has witnessed one of the most
amazing events in world history. For instance, never before has
democracy become so profound that it has assumed the status of one
language that unites the world, one slogan spoken by everyone across the
continents, from Europe toAmerica, from the Pacific to the Atlantic,
from Asia toAfrica. Democracy and its soul mates, liberty, freedom and
justice, has become a wind that requires no entry visa into any
territory; it has been sweeping across the world like a cyclone. This
offers a huge window of opportunity for Nigerian and the people of the
South West to explore to the brim.
The Yoruba People in History
Each time I look at the circumstances of my birth, I always have a
million reasons to thank my creator. As Yoruba people, we have a rich
history. We have every reason to be grateful to nature and creation. We
have a wealthy homeland, located in the midst of a vast, beautiful
tropical forest; varieties of rolling hills and dancing slopes – a fauna
and flora that create a most astonishing picturesque mosaic; a retinue
of gorgeous birds and reptiles, and even rare animal and plant species.
We are endowed with everything that a nation needs to survive. Our
territory is graced by a vast ocean, with thousands of tributaries that
snake through our villages, our hamlets and the backyards and hearts of
our great cities. Our land is rich in inexhaustible natural resources
including but not restricted to oil and gas, many of which are yet to be
explored. In the realm of the art, in philosophy, epistemology and
cosmogony, the Yoruba people have a remarkable past. Long before the
coming of the Europeans, we had set up great Kingdoms and a system of
government that cared for the people and that does not promote
despotism.
In our age long system of government, the King had his limitations.
There was separation of power, for instance between the King, in the Old
Oyo Empire and the Oyo Mesi and then the Balogun or the Aare Ona
Kakanfo, who was only fashioned to administer the theory and practice of
war. Our forebears built one of the most sophisticated armies ever
known to history. At a time in the 18th century, the Oyo Empire was
reputed to have had about 100,000 soldiers. Of course, we also fought
wars, even among the sub-Yoruba ethnic groups.
History says that the Yoruba military was so awesome that in mid-19th
century, the King of England had to invite the then leader of the Ekiti
Parapo War, Ogedengbe, who had established a flourishing defence trade
with Hamburg in Germany. Ogedengbe was said to have been invited for a
state visit toEnglandwhich he declined, saying he was too busy with the
affairs of the state. The fact is that wars were the past time of only
great and powerful nations in the primordial era and even now; weak and
impoverished nations do not fight and cannot sustain wars. This only
demonstrated the prowess of Yoruba nation in the ancient times.
Our history is not restricted to wars. It is noteworthy that the
Yoruba in the 11thcentury had a flourishing textile industry. The then
authorities provided clothing for the old, the young, armed and
defenceless people alike. We even had extraordinary steel and iron
industry and a time-honoured economy and commerce. Our business men and
women centuries ago were active in the trans-Atlantic trade. However,
like all nations that witnessed colonial invasion, due to the incursion
into our homeland by foreign powers, there was a tremendous damage to
our being and essence, a huge, inestimable loss in material, cultural
and spiritual terms to our past and to our common future. One of the
most outstanding developments in our history was the forceful
amalgamation ofNigeriain 1914 when the British brought all the ancient,
sometimes viciously antagonistic nations into one entity calledNigeriaas
announced by Lord Lugard. Of course there are great nations that
emerged out of conquest or out of mutual aggregation of values and
traditions from whence the lowest common factor of governance and
development were woven.
In our own case, the reverse is the case. As a nation, we have not
been able to transform our diversity into strength. In 2014, It will be
100 years sinceNigeriaas we now know it came into existence, yet we are
still confronted with various contentious issues on how to run the
world’s most significant black country. There is yet no consensus on the
constitution which is the grundnorm of any society, no harmony on even
the system of government and the character of federalism
thatNigeriashould adopt.Nigeriasince 1966 has moved from a federal state
into an over-centralised entity that makes many of us to continue to
express concern about the future of the country. You may wish to
recollect that at independence in 1960,Nigeriahad three different
regions, East, West and North. It is noteworthy that some of the most
outstanding legacies in each of the region were established during the
era of regional autonomy.
In the South West for instance, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo
established the first TV and Radio stations in sub-Saharan Africa, Cocoa
House was built from revenues generated from cocoa and coffee, the
University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) was built by the
old Western region and today, even across the world, OAU is reputed to
be one of the most outstanding real academic estates in the world. I am
sure that many of my brothers sitting in this hall today are
beneficiaries of the Free Education programme introduced by the late
Chief Obafemi Awolowo under the auspices of one of the best organized
political parties inAfrica, the Action Group, (AG). In the North and
East, it was in the regional era that institutions like
theAhmaduBelloUniversity, (ABU) andUniversityofNigeria, (UNN), were put
in place, so also were economic conglomerates like the Oodua Group of
Companies and the NNDC – the Arewa conglomerate.
At independence in 1960, there was regional autonomy and each region
had its own constitution. There were only about 26 items in the
exclusive list of the Federal Government, today there are 66 items on
the exclusive legislative list of the Federal Government. Suddenly, this
unity in diversity was trampled upon by the military, with far reaching
consequences. During these terrifying years of military rule, the
Yoruba people andNigeriaat large suffered startling damages. So many
vast business estates like the then affluent auto and textile industries
and our flourishing farm settlements disappeared. A once vast regional
economic bloc became prostrate, leading to huge human migration. In the
80s and 90s, the Yoruba people and indeedNigerialost moral and economic
values that we have kept for many generations.
We lost our dignity. We lost our egalitarian tradition and our
survival as a people faced a peril. These agonizing years of military
repression bruised our psyche, our sense of judgment, our ethics and our
sub-consciousness as a people greatly diminished. The totalitarian
imposition and horrendous decimation of the Yoruba educational system,
our economy and commerce by the military hegemony forced many Yoruba
people to relocate from a once cherished homeland into Europe
andAmerica. Today, these people have produced children, forming a
generational chain that might be lost forever. Many of these children
may never dream of returning home, they may never speak their mother
tongue, and may never be taught their own history and values and may
even view any rendition of their culture and heritage with dreadful
resentment. We suffered. A once boisterous Yoruba economy was
sacrificed on the altar of parochial political interests by the
military. The military ruined the people and its wealth, turning a rich
and prosperous people into scavengers and destitute.
However, good enough, in 1999, a new civilian dispensation came into
place due to our campaigns and sacrifices. While in exile, we lost our
freedom. We had hope of a greaterNigeria, but we knew that he who lives
on hope alone feeds but on a lean diet. We took practical steps to
remove the usurpers from the positions they stole from the people. Our
success was partly fueled by the tidal waves of freedom that continues
to hit the world till date. At this point, I wish to pay tribute to the
heroic role played by the Egbe OmoYoruba in that struggle. Throughout
the difficult era, your organisation was marvellous. You did not betray
the Yoruba people. You stood by justice and truth. This explains the
respect and reputation the Egbe continues to enjoy today.
The State of the Region: Challenges and Prospects
What have we gained these past years since the military left the
political stage? One great thing is that we shall never return into the
ignominious days of military rule. Today, the reality is that there is
no alternative to democracy. The world has no alternative.Africahas no
choice.Nigeriahas no option. The Yoruba people have no preference except
democracy which gives us the most enduring foundation to build the
treasures that ensure the greatest good for the greatest number of our
people. However, democracy, which is the right of the people to freely
elect their leaders, while offering the best opportunities to transform
the society, only automatically transforms into good governance when it
is operated by honest, dedicated and visionary leadership. In 1999, we
had a muddled constitution that was imposed by the military, yet in its
state of imperfection, it was by far better than the retention of
continuous military rule.
However, for the people of the South West, we have had our own dose
in the struggle to ensure that democracy equates justice and liberty and
that the right people are elected to steer the affairs of the states.
Before the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) came into power, it was a
terrifying, dreary epoch. This was partly due to the hangover of
military rule. For instance, in 1999, we had a generation of people that
have neither seen nor witnessed democracy and have been used to a
martial culture, where truth was defined by might, yet this generation
was old enough to cast their votes. They have never heard of Awoism,
they have never heard of free and compulsory education, or the four
cardinal principles of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN). The
talk of the glorious days of the Yoruba, was, to them, like the mewing
of a lost cat in the wilderness.
This was compounded by the fact that the military that handed over
power to civilians was also interested in continuing the rot through
their protégés. This was largely responsible for the brutal repression
of our people, through massive rigging of the elections and outright
stealing of ballot papers by the enemies of the people. However,
majority of Yoruba people still ensured they fought hard to retain a
fast slipping tradition of politics characterized by the desire to serve
the people. The emergence of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) was
informed by the fact that we know that the historic responsibility of
those manning the affairs of the South West is to lift a drained people
to their feet. But we also realise that the oak tree is not felled in
one stroke. Our political tendency has one huge advantage. We understand
the past, we appreciate the present and we can predict the future. We
were part of the real struggle against military rule, we were involved,
hand-in-hand, in the open, in the trenches, on the streets and in the
dark alleys, in the great effort to save Nigeria and Yorubaland from
extinction.
Unfortunately, for sometime, those who saw the campaigns of the
people against military rule as anathema suddenly shot themselves into
power using the same military tactics that they had used to oppress our
people for decades. During this reign of pseudo-democracy in the South
West, many people lost their lives for instance in Ogun, Osun, Oyo,
Ekiti, Edo and Ondo states in the historic struggle of the people to
reclaim their mandate.
We appreciate these struggles, this iron-cast determination of our
people. We feel honoured that the entire Yoruba territories rose up
against unelected leaders who emerged by sheer wielding of guns and
bayonets and this has earned us immense respect as a determined people
who will resist oppression and cheating at all times.
Today, it is factual that those of us elected owe the Yoruba people a
lot; we feel indebted to them. The only way we could pay back is
through good governance, through fairness, transparency, the recognition
of the people as the custodian of power and the unflinching belief in
the indomitable prowess of the ordinary man and woman on the street, as
the real owners of political power.
Regional Integration: The Journey so far.
Since the ACN took full control of most parts of the South West, we
have been faced with the challenge of building individual states in the
South West and at the same time seeing ourselves beyond the artificial
territorial constructs called states, recognizing the sanctity of the
Yoruba nation as one indivisible entity, with common history, shared
dreams, aspirations and common destiny. Each state in the South West has
its own peculiar strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We
are convinced that the best way to ensure development in the South West
is not to allow ourselves to be enslaved by artificial boundaries but
rather to build a future founded on our history and our shared values
and aspirations as one people. One practical step we took was to adopt
the philosophy of Regional Integration.
I wish to take snippets from the framework of this noble idea as
conceived. The ‘main objective of the Development Agenda for Western
Nigeria is to accelerate the growth of the Western Region in a viable,
equitable and sustainable manner. The Master Plan will complement
existing development plans already prepared by the component states
within the region.” I read the following from the document “there are
Yoruba states endowed with sea ports, others are not, some are
sanctified with evergreen, tropical and lush green vast land, others are
not, some are blessed with hills and mountains, giving credence to the
immense traditional tourism corridors, while others are not. For some of
the Yoruba states, the influence derives from skilled manpower, for
others it is industry. We can become a strong and virile people, if we
harness these potentials, if we think together and act together for the
common good of our people.”
So, the idea of regional integration was fashioned to strengthen the
unbreakable umbilical cord that binds the Yoruba together in matter and
in form. The inaugural meeting of the South West governors took place in
Ado-Ekiti and was attended by the authorities in the South West states.
Five of the Governors came personally to that inaugural meeting – Ondo,
Osun, Oyo, Ogun, and of course the host Governor whileLagosandEdosent
representatives. At that meeting, far reaching decisions were taken and
without any reservation, we agreed to work together as one people. There
have been issues raised on the fact that the political parties in the
South West are not one, and that this might be a stumbling block. We
recognize the fact that there are political tendencies in Yorubaland and
as a people innately and viscerally committed to democracy – our
culture allows the blossoming of a thousand flowers, however, this
should not be antithetical to regional integration just as the various
political tendencies in Western Europe do not impede the idea behind the
formation of the European Union, (EU).
I hereby quote from the working document of the Development Agenda
for Western Nigeria, (DAWN). ‘Irrespective of the different party
ideology exhibited byOndoState, the development opens a new opportunity
for deriving the benefits of economies of scale in the development
process of this region. What are we going to make of this new
opportunity? The answer is to go back to what worked in the past… in the
present context.” The document added “the purpose of the new initiative
is to foster regional integration as a catalyst for decentralization.
There are several dimensions where one can identify the influence of the
integration process in the evolution of the decentralization model. The
European regional development policy for example makes provision for
financing for the poorest regions in the EU. These also provides
incentives to become a more competitive and efficient economy and to
require more policy and budgetary discipline.”
Below are some of the areas of proposed integration of the South West states:
Common Resources and Possibilities for Joint – Ownership
1. Transport:
i. Fast Rail
ii. Water
iii. Highways
2. Education:
i. University of Technology
ii. Universityof Education
iii. University of Agriculture
3. Energy Research Projects
i. Small Hydro
ii. Solar
iii. Wind
iv. Transmission Stations
4. Tourism:
i. Security(eSurveillance)
ii. Emergency Management (Contact Centre)
5. Information& Communication Technology (ICT) and eGovernment:
i. Interoperability Framework
ii. eGovernment
iii. eGovernance
iv. GIS–
a. Tourism Development Decision Support
b. Water Systems
c. Transport
d. Emergency Management
e. Land& Urban Development
f. Agriculture & Forestry
g. Mineral Resources
h. Power Systems
i. Education& Health
j. Demographics
k. Environment
We have been moving forward in this direction. It is noteworthy that
after the historic meeting at Ado-Ekiti which I hosted, there have been
various practical steps taken by the state governments to promote
regional integration. In reality, we are working towards ensuring that
the regional integration agenda is people-driven. Some of the steps
taken include the setting up of the Technical Committee (TC) for the
implementation of the roadmap to economic recovery of the South West
states. The Technical Committee has on its team three representatives
from each of the South West state and they are complemented by
representatives from theYorubaAcademy. An interim secretariat has also
been established.
The TC has now been expanded to include experts drawn from various
fields without consideration for the political affiliation of members.
The team has been having series of sleepless nights debating and
providing solutions in the areas of agriculture, industrialisation,
economics, art, philosophy, security, infrastructure, housing and every
other area crucial to the overall development of the people of the South
West. The technical committee has also met with each of the Governors
and the legislatures in the last six months and a draft Implementation
Plan has just been submitted for the consideration and eventual approval
of the Western governors. That Plan takes adequate notice of the place
of the Yoruba Diaspora in recognition of the crucial role men and women
sitting in this hall will play in the transformation of our motherland.
We are making efforts to ensure the integration agenda becomes the
document of the people, the people must own the processes and its
practical implementation which informs the various meetings currently
on-going with strategic social and political forces in Yorubaland on the
Regional Integration theme. We are equally not unmindful of the need to
enter into collaborative partnerships with other regional compacts like
BRACED in the South-South, the Northern Governors Forum and the South
East Governors’ Compact. We are also not unmindful of the importance of
carrying our representatives both at the state and national assembly
along in the formulation and implementation of the regional integration
plan. Indeed, the Yoruba Assembly that just met inIbadanon August 30 is a
non-partisan move that has enjoyed the support of the Governors in its
efforts to have a common position in the on-going constitutional reform
process. I believe many in this Hall have already seen the outcome of
that Assembly and its recommendations.
We recognize the fact that the South West people have passed through
various difficulties and this in itself has brought a feeling of inertia
since a blithe heart is likely to think more of gloom. For regional
integration as a development strategy to be effective and actionable,
there is the necessity of an essential reform of governance in the
Southwest towards a more performance-based model that locates people at
the centre of the programmes and agenda of the government. As such,
governance not only has to be inclusive and accountable, but its impacts
and achievements have to be measurable in order for its legitimacy to
be guaranteed. Equally, the civil service as the engine room of
governments in the region has to be re-professionalized and returned to
its merit-based and glorious past that obtained in the old Western
Region. Therefore, for the regional agenda to thrive, there must be a
credible, performance-based coordination between States and their local
governments that is governed by cooperation and commitment to the public
good, and joint actions by State governments in the Southwest in the
areas of capacity-building, service delivery, and performance
management.
It is this performance based governance that is gradually returning
to our region and it is restoring the people’s hope in democratic
institutions as we have seen from their endorsements of our tested and
trusted governments inLagosandEdoStates. It has also enabled the
building of a fresh partnership with the people and bringing a new
reality where myths and fiction once lay siege. We are convinced that
the people of the South West have confidence in us having elected us as
their leaders. But even as they trust us, we also know that eternal
vigilance is the price to pay for our freedom and we expect our people
to continue to hold our feet to fire. We are also committed to
sustaining this trust through the overall transformation of the entire
South West by making the territory a place for everyone to live a decent
and prosperous life.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the state of play on
regional integration. I thank you all for your time and once again, I
deeply appreciated the opportunity given to me to speak to a great and
inspiring audience of this nature. Thank you. Oodua A gbe wa o. Ase
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