It was a carnival-like atmosphere in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday as the old, young men and women trooped out in large numbers to witness the inauguration of Ayo Fayose as the new governor of Ekiti State.
At the ceremony, six APC members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly that defected to the PDP, were all received by the PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu.
The defectors are Olowo Ajiboye, Adeloye Adeyinka, Abeni Olayinka, Fatunbi Olajide, Olugbemi Joseph and Adeojo Ayodele.
The people roared with songs as Fayose, decked in a white dansiki and sokoto, arrived at the venue at 12.40pm in a light green 1965 model Mercedez Benz W110 in company with his wife, Feyisetan.
Three police helicopters hovered the sky of Ado Ekiti while four Armour Personnel Carriers were stationed at strategic locations.
The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, personally led the police team that provided security for the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, who administered the oath of office on Fayose and his deputy, Olusola Eleka.
Before delivering his inaugural speech, Fayose ordered the observance of a minute silence in honour of a former state Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Omolafe Aderiye, who was murdered by some gunmen.
Aderiye, a staunch supporter of Fayose, was killed on September 25 in the wake of violence that erupted in the state. The governor also asked for a minute silence for the ‘burial’ of the APC in the state.
One of the highlights of the speech was when Fayose decreed “stomach infrastructure” at the ceremony which was not attended by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
According to Punch, he said:
“My emergence is divine. That is why the more they fight me, the more they make me popular. When they write about me in the papers, they want me to be the governor of their imagination. But I am governor of your imagination. I am the governor that eats boli with you; the governor that drinks agbo jedi with you.
“You have successfully supported me to serve you and send them back with their agenda to their master in Lagos.
“Today I declare peace, prosperity, progress, employment, food and stomach infrastructure,” he said.
The governor added, “I will dedicate myself to your service; I will banish hunger in your midst; I will work hard to put food on your table. Whether they call it food infrastructure is their business because I’m going to appoint a Special Adviser for Stomach Infrastructure.”
“If I put car on the road and I’m hungry and my children can’t go to school, that car is meaningless. But putting food inside the stomach is very important. I’m breeding your chicken for Christmas; I’m getting your rice ready to do stomach infrastructure….”
Fayose went ahead to appoint Sunday Anifowose as Personal Assistant on Special Duties and Stomach Infrastructure, to help assist the needy in the state.
The jubilant crowd shouted ‘yes oh’ in appreciation.
Workers suspend strike
Meanwhile, Ekiti State workers have suspended the two- week- old strike they declared over the the non- payment of their two-month salaries and allowances. The State Joint Negotiating Council Chairman, Oladipupo Johnson, broke the news to Punch in Ado-Ekiti.
He said the workers agreed to suspend the strike in order to honour Fayose after a meeting with the Head of Service, Mr. Bunnies Famosaya.
Musicians, including Yinka Ayefele, thrilled the crowd.
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