RASHEED BISIRIYU

Similarly, he cautioned his estranged deputy, Mr. Biodun Aluko to be man enough to retrace his steps for him to be reintegrated fully into his administration.

Gov. Fayose spoke yesterday at Champion Arena, the interview session with senior editors of Champion Newspapers Limited (CNL) held at the organisation’s Lagos head office.

The governor had recently been criticised by his political opponents for running the state like his private estate.

However, tackling such critics, Fayose said no torrent of criticisms or campaign of calumny would make him bow to pressure from any quarters.

"They said I am tough, it is true. If you are not tough you can’t rule people like that because the average person in Ekiti State is tough.

"You now need a tougher person to be their governor. I can’t surrender the mandate to a king, leader, who is not a politician but believe that the governor must be in his pocket, no it is not right.

"They were on ground when they elected me ... We will respect you but don’t put me in your pocket because I will not fit into that pocket.

While defending his action on the college of medicine of the state university, Gov Fayose said academic programme was merely suspended to enable the state government adequately cater for the university because of paucity of fund.

"My predecessor created the college for political reason. Education should not be politicised," he said adding that the state’s rating in university education had improved from 35 position to 7 out of 36 states.

He also reeled out a record of achievements in the state in the last two years since he mounted the saddle which he said had already been acknowledged by prominent Nigerians like President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Sam Aluko, a renowned economist and Chief Olu Falae, a former Alliance for Democracy (AD) Presidential candidate.

Specifically, the governor said he was already tackling accommodation problem in Ekiti with the completed housing project, building a befitting stadium and dualising some major roads, completed some roads and 12 on-going road projects.

"The state used to have N31 million as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Today, it is over N100 million. I have blocked most of the revenue leakages in the state. We inherited N1 billion debt as salary arrears. Today, I am not owing. We pay salary on the 20th of each month. And I do a compulsary saving of N100 million (monthly) from our revenue," he said.

On his frosty relationship with the state deputy governor, Fayose described it as unfortunate and prayed for him (Aluko) to retrace his steps for a new harmonious relationship.

According to him, the 1999 constitution was very clear on the status and duties of a deputy governor adding that the number two man must always take instructions from the governor.

"If he (Aluko) respects the constitution of Nigeria, we will take him back like a prodigal son but I still love him," Fayose stated.

Meanwhile the governor has differed with those clamouring for the removal of the immunity clause currrently being enjoyed by the President, Vice President, state governors and their deputies, from the 1999 constitution, warning that the situation could adversely affect the nation’s development.

Although he took exception to some chief executives hiding under the immunity clause to engage in curruption and other practices, the governor however advocated strong measures to prevent politial office holders from abusing the privilege of such office.

He asserted that the nation’s demcracy is not ripe for the immunity clause removal, especially where political opponents take delight in bringing frivolous petitions against governors.

"Immunity clause removal is not good. It is equally bad for any chief executive of a state to do things that are not good. Without immunity, you will find out that the governors will be in court everyday, because the petitions (against them) will be political, very frivolous and self-serving.

"Though the court may decide that they are political, the time you need to develop the state would have been wasted," he said.

The governor also recommended a jail term for people who bring up frivolous petitions just to ridicule their governors or president.