From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Dr. Wole Oluyede, an Australian based Medical Doctor and governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for the June 18 election in Ekiti State, has said his administration will carry out radical development that will focus on wealth creation, encourage commercial agriculture, attract investments, and make education impressive by giving requisite motivations to teachers if elected governor.
He lamented the economic situation of the state with over N88 billion debt, N37.8 billion indebtedness on retirees’ gratuity and arrears of workers’ salary,
Oluyede made the statements on Thursday, at his residence in Ikere-Ekiti, during an interactive session with newsmen on his programmes for the state.
He promised not to run a theoretical government, but a practical government that will provide solutions to problems.
” Under my government, students will have access to informal and formal education. We need to have education system that is geared towards problem solving. In Britain, Uk, Australia, and China, they started teaching students how to solve problems from age 3.
“In the area of health, our hospitals will be equipped based on needs and not by just purchasing equipment that will not be useful. We will ensure effective communication among the primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions for quality healthcare delivery.”
Condemning the opposing views of governors on autonomy for local government, the Medical Practitioner said : “Why are local governments not autonomous? If government is local, then development will be local.
“If elected governor, all the LGs allocations will go to them directly to bring development. Too much control of government make things difficult. We must make government more accessible to people by removing bottlenecks, that is what is obtainable world over”.
He expressed concerns on the over reliance on federal allocations and why politicians are not interested in how to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“As I was told, the state had borrowed up to N88 billion. We have 2.3m well educated persons having nothing to do. If all Ekiti is to share from the N2.3 billion monthly allocation, then it amounts to N1,100 per month and N35 per day. This is extreme poverty and there is no plan on how to get out of this.
“Our politicians are no longer talking about how to improve our IGR. Our election is now see and buy. Until we gain the insight and believe that we are poor, we are not going to solve our problem”.
On why he left the All Progressives Congress(APC) and defected to ADC,
Oluyede explained that : “I left their ranks because they were not solving the problems they were supposed to solve. We have a serious problem in this country and until we reason well, they will remain there.
“The way they pick candidates for elections is totally corrupt, inept and uncaring. When you see a set of people who make decision based on self, then it becomes challenging.
“I am not desperate to be governor, but I am desperate to win and correct or solve Ekiti problems. Our people must make a choice. We have plans in ADC, but I looked for plans in other parties, I have not seen any”.
He promised that his government will tackle the menace of insecurity headlong, to be able to attract investments to the state.