From: WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and son of the
former Governor of the old Ondo State, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, has said that treasury looters will have no breathing space under President Muhammadu Buhari. He, however, urged the president to be more proactive to ensure that looters have no breathing space under the APC-led federal government .
Olumilua, who was the Senior Special Assistant on Project Monitoring
to Governor Kayode Fayemi, however, observed that lack of clear cut
economic focus accounted for high level of poverty in Ekiti State.
Speaking at an interactive session with newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the governorship aspirant , said President Buhari has done well in the area of loot recovery but added that enough corrupt individuals must be committed to jail to serve as deterrent.
“The reason why Nigerians thought the anti-corruption war is not
working is that enough people have not been jailed for corrupt
practices.
“By the time one sacred cow is jailed, others will sit right. I
observed that the reason why corruption has not gone down was that
there are no consequences for treasury looters and this perspective
has to change”, he said .
He said his former principal, Fayemi lost the 2014 governorship
election, because some foreigners were appointed into his cabinet,
which he said made the APC members felt aggrieved.
“The APC members were so aggrieved to the extent that they worked
against us on the day of election. The defection of Hon Opeyemi
Bamidele also affected us. But this time, we will put our house in
order”.
He regretted that all the past governments in the State have failed in
forming economic direction in the area of agriculture, where Ekiti
has comparative advantage because of its favourable climatic and
soil conditions.
“The largest employer of labour in Ekiti is agriculture, but what
have we done about it ? Israel is a desert but it exports food items
even Nigeria used to import from there.
Ekiti has one of the best climate in the world, so if properly
harnessed can feed Africa.
“It is sad that nothing is propelling our economy, even foods are
more expensive in Ekiti, a majorly agrarian environment than in
Ibadan and Lagos”.
He said Ekiti core values of industry and scholarship are gradually
being eroded, saying all these will be critically addressed to make
the state regain its lost glories.
Olumilua added that the former first lady, Mrs Bisi Fayemi fought
tooth and nail to give recognition to women and prevent violence
against women through initiation of laws to give them freedom.
“I am going to bridge that gender gap by giving 40 per cent of
appointments to women so that they can exhibit their potentials”, he
promised.