Bianca Iboma
Prince Wole Adeyanju is one of the governorship aspirants in Ekiti State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He believes Ekiti needs urgent transformation, but says only a visionary leader could achieve that for the state.
Why are you in the race?
I have seen the many frustrations of my people. Ekiti is a state where the people are predominantly farmers. But sadly most of them have abandoned farming preferring to trade instead. The people have left farming mostly to the non-indigenes especially the Ebira people and people from other parts of Nigeria.
The non-natives handle farming professionally with seriousness, while our people have been pursuing other career. Those who farm sell their farm produce to us at self-determined prices.
The youths of Ekiti presently prefer petty businesses and riding of Okada to farming. These trends are unacceptable in a place that is supposed to be an agricultural or industrial state. We need sporadic transformation from been called a ‘Civil-Servant state’ that depend mostly every year on Federal Government allocations. Our youths should be encouraged to take farming profession important.
The challenge is that they view it as a dirty and menial job. If elected, my intention is to boost the agricultural sector of the state. The youths would be gainfully employed as a lot of job would be created from the agricultural technology. The way farming was practiced in some years back has changed. As a farmer, you don’t need to be dirty. Our esteemed graduates, how many of them know that with the advancement of technology, some of our food crops when processed can be used for other products outside the common ones we know.
Cassava alone has about 300 by-products that can be exported, processed and even in powdered form. But the youths have to be empowered for them to utilise their potentials. Farming mostly has been abandoned thinking it is meant for semi-illiterate or illiterate persons. Our ancestors that practiced farm settlements systems, built hurts as their accommodations near their various farms to enhance serious and reliable agricultural practices and production. The productions are used by industries as raw materials.The youths have gotten education but they have to make good use of that knowledge. Agricultural produce is one of the means that would determine our economic survival.
With the motley crowd of aspirants in Ekiti APC, do you think you can survive the process?
I am a Prince from Ikole and I believe my people know my capability and would give me the chance to serve them at a higher level. I envisioned prosperity for my people, with the help of God, I will make it.
Although, some observers have said that with the number of aspirants, the party may prune it down, officially, I think we have about 33 aspirants. But during the primary some aspirants would go based on the screening process. My people want a leader who has their welfare at heart. They want someone who can add value to their lives, it is not about the campaign promises but the effect of a change and improved standard of living.
Ekiti is experiencing a wide range of economic and social development issues that need to be addressed urgently, so the state can be transformed. Ekiti people have suffered poverty, neglect, lack of capacity for public governance that needed to be tackled. Basically, I think I would survive the process. It is all about the performance.
Although there are several curves in life, people design a means to get over and move on. I don’t need to trade words or discredit other aspirants before I can gain political office. It is a race, whoever turns out to be the winner should be accepted. I only have an ambition to be the governor of Ekiti State and I maintain my ambition, there is no arm in trying. I don’t need to attract hatred before I can participate in a governorship poll. If it is for the development for the state then let us join hands and make it work.
Ekiti has solid minerals but has not been fully harnessed, what plan do you have for such resource in the state?
Government is all about planning, well, Ekiti need to set up cottage industry that can enhance the solid mineral exploration in the state. If that feat is achieved then our economy in the state would be revamped and the welfare of the citizens would experience a turnaround. The only way we can make significant progress in Ekiti State, is when we create an enabling environment for investors. The successful takeoff of economic diversification would bring significant success to the state.
The mining sector would be regulated in such a way that not everybody can just walk into the mines and begin to operate. There would be a procedure and the state can become a major mining destination. If Ekiti diversify it internal revenue generation, our economy would be improved and everybody that regards Ekiti as a poor state would begin to sing a different song by the time the reforms take root. Ekiti needs a visionary leader, who is able to annex the resources in the state to boost it economy.