Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, says many Nigerians are fed up with the Federal Government, blaming economic hardship and neglect of basic infrastructure under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.
Speaking at a public function in Ekiti, Fayemi did not mince words.
“Except we are deceiving ourselves, Nigerians are not happy with the Federal Government because of hunger and lack of money,” he said in Yoruba, during a meeting that had the Speaker of the State Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, and lawmaker Tope Longe in attendance.
Fayemi pointed to decaying federal roads across Ekiti, especially the Efon Alaaye–Erio axis, and the Omuo Ekiti–Ilasa–Ayedun stretch, describing the daily struggle of commuters as unacceptable.
He also accused the Federal Government of frustrating efforts to improve road infrastructure by refusing to refund over N18 billion his administration spent on the Ado–Iyin Road project.
“They said they didn’t send us to do the road, so no refund was made,” he said. “If they had refunded the money, wouldn’t the governor have used it to do phase two of the road?”
While noting the removal of fuel subsidy and other economic adjustments, Fayemi criticised the speed and style of the reforms, warning that rolling them out without proper support systems has left millions worse off.
“It’s not that reforms aren’t needed, but you don’t implement them overnight and expect people to just adjust,” he said.
He also raised alarm over delayed budget releases to ministries and government agencies, warning that governance cannot run on good intentions alone.
“Even if your intentions are right, if ministries don’t have access to funds, nothing moves,” Fayemi added.
