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Dear Sir,
I feel humbled congratulating you for being privileged again to pilot the affairs of Ekiti State as in the capacity of the Executive Governor. The tasks of governance at this level, to the satisfaction and admiration of all and sundry, are no doubt Herculean and require wisdom from God. I am sure Your Excellency prays consistently for that wisdom and I join you requesting the same from God.
However, all stakeholders in Ekiti State, especially those of us who are indigenes residing outside the state, view with keen interest the current happenings in the state. Permit me to make it known to you that there is cause for worry. Those of us who constitute your admirers based on your antecedent as an active and performing governor during your first time out are presently not happy at the turn of events.
The cause for worry is not far-fetched. The lingering crisis in Ekiti State House of Assembly indeed undermines and of course constitutes a dent on the integrity, legality and legitimacy of the act of governance in the state at the moment. To add more to the injury, your critical position on the eligibility of the All Progressives Congress’ presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, amounts to doing things in excess, far beyond the morally acceptable level other people do. You have consistently cast a doubt on the health status of Buhari to the extent that people begin to question the motive behind your intention. From the news emanating from the media daily, you have become an object of uncomplimentary comments and we feel the move is a stain on the integrity of the good people of Ekiti State.
Your Excellency holds an exulted position of dignity as the number one citizen and whatever pronouncement from you is assumed to represent the voices of Ekiti people. Ordinarily, following the Peoples Democratic Party and the Presidency dissociating themselves from you, one expects you to soft peddle at that point. It is being assumed that if indeed Buhari has a health challenge as being suggested by you, a situation that is absolutely normal for every human being anyway, we should be our brother’s keeper by constantly praying for them and wishing them well.
Your Excellency, Ekiti people view your current preoccupation as a complete deviation from the subject matter of giving them the desired and expected dividends of democracy. People are beginning to wonder if you have time left for your prime responsibility and commitment to boosting and enhancing the aggregate quality of life of the people of Ekiti State, the main motive behind your being overwhelmingly voted into power last year. I am not a politician, though from my conversation with quite a few individuals including your party members, I observed people who are even supposed to be close to you as advisers have decided to distance themselves from you believing that you would not listen to them. We derive pleasure on your success as a governor. Of course, your accomplishment is our pride.
It is important at all times we visualise the remote consequences of our present actions. While as politicians, it is important and expected to defend and protect the course of our party, we should embrace love and healthy rivalry believing that we all belong to the same country working towards the same common goals of moving our nation forward. We cannot all stand aloof watching your taking an extreme position on critical issues while colleagues of yours in similar positions are diplomatically taking things easy and lightly. Truth expression when the need arises and when it matters most is borne out through love and genuine desire.
Above all, Ekiti people are proud of you as their governor. We are firmly behind you and identify with your course only when your action and inaction are such that will not make us hide our faces in private and public. Finally, “he who reproaches is honoured at last than he who polishes someone with wrongdoing” says a particular quote from the biblical Proverb.
Matthew Adeleye
Ota, Ogun State
