FESSU Address State of The State: Full Speech

BEING THE FULL TEXT OF JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE IMMEDIATE PAST AND CURRENT NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF FEDERATION OF EKITI STATE STUDENTS' UNION (FESSU) ON THURSDAY 15 MARCH, 2018 AT THE UNION NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, 48, SIMILOLUWA STREET, ADO EKITI

PREAMBLE:

Federation of Ekiti State Student’s Union (FESSU) in the widest umbrella body of all Ekiti Students (at home and in the diaspora) as it was fundamentally founded at the core of constructive advocacy for decent and affordable education at all levels in Ekiti and beyond. It is also committed to the struggle for democracy, freedom, quality, fairness, justice and progress.

We have from time immemorial been an uncompromising voice of Ekiti indigenous students nationwide and we shall not relent in our bid to agitate for the interest of our members even in the face of oppressors.

It is deemed pertinent at this point, after a long time of wide consultative and Consolidatory moves, to break silence on pressing issues affecting our members. We seek the utmost attention of the government of Ekiti State under the leadership of Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose on the following issues:

BURSARY AND SCHOLARSHIP FOR EKITI STUDENTS

It is worthy of note that since the inception of the present state Government led by Governor Ayodele Fayose, we regret to inform the general public that students' needs were never priorities. We have been left on our own to fend for ourselves with the State Government not taking into consideration the dividends of democracy we enjoy. Overtime, we students have always pride ourselves as major stakeholders of any political settings and subsequently as major political stakeholders, our benefits should not for once be traded or negotiated.  The only dividend of democracy which can be said we enjoy is payment of our bursary and scholarship awards which has not been paid since the inception of Governor Fayose as Ekiti State Governor.

Ekiti students should be reminded that the Com. Obayemi Peter Oluwaseun FESSU National led administration championed the cause and demanded for payment of Bursary which the government played on our intelligence by promising the teaming Ekiti State students and released bursary and scholarship forms in the year 2015 and subjected our members to much rigours of securing necessary signatures to authenticate their applications, only to be denied of the disbursement of the bursary and scholarship

As if that was not enough, the current administration, under the leadership of Com. Adewumi Idowu Peter immediately after our swearing-in swung into actions taking into consideration the first step of the three diplomatic approaches which birthed a meeting with Mr. Governor on 15 May 2017, where he promised to pay the bursary and scholarship. As a result, application form was released which we persuaded our members to obtain, believing that it will not be the same story as 2015 but to our dismay, the 2017 forms have not given birth to the disbursement of our bursary and scholarship, leaving Ekiti Students with no hope of dividend of democracy, since the inception of the government of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

MOBILITY FOR THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF FESSU

As a union that oversees and ensures the utmost welfare of Ekiti indigenous students studying in all higher institutions nationwide and beyond, it is important that such a union be in possession of a bus for easy mobility of its leadership and better administration of the union affairs. Having known this, FESSU National leadership made several requests from the state government. In one of the meetings between the FESSU executives and governor Ayodele Fayose in June, 2016, Mr. Governor promised to provide us with a bus in the next two weeks after the day of the meeting. This issue has since then been one of our demands from the governor, but it is regrettable that we have since then not gotten any result to our agitation in that regard.

FESSU NATIONAL PERMANENT SECRETARIAT

FESSU National, being the indigenous students union in Ekiti state has overtime run its affairs in a temporary secretariat which has debarred us from carrying out our administrative affairs conveniently and berated our esteem among our contemporaries across the Nation. We have thus made several requests from Governor Ayodele Fayose to build an edifice that will serve as National secretariat where Ekiti students will be free to work in to and register their agitations with the national leadership of FESSU as well as serving as studying centre for interested Ekiti Students. Upon several requests, Mr. Governor promised to do justice to our agitation but it is regrettable that nothing has been done in this regard.

INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN THE STATE OWNED INSTITUTIONS

We want to use this medium to outrightly condemn the ongoing strike actions in Ekiti State university, Ado Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, both owned by the government of Ekiti state. We want to use this medium to call on the Ekiti state government to provide required funds to reopen these institutions so as to bring the students back to class. We also encourage the academic staff unions of both institutions to play their parts and get our students engaged with their academics, so as not to become devil's workshop.

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT AND EMPOWERMENT

The youths of any community remain the future of such community. It thus becomes pertinent for a future-oriented government to pay much attention to youths development and empowerment. We frown at the low attention given to this area by the Ekiti State Government and call for an all-inclusive development and empowerment programmes for youths constituency in Ekiti state.

EKITI 2018 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

It came as a shock to us, a news flying around claiming that Ekiti State students endorsed the 'continuity agenda' of the State Government. It then becomes necessary to clear the air on the purported solidarity rally.

The general public should note that the only students' body in our State which represents the interest of indigenous Ekiti State Students and can make positions on behalf of Ekiti Students is Federation of Ekiti State Students' Union, (National Body) which up till now has made no public statement as regards our support to anyone yet.

As a matter of fact, we are very much concerned with disbursement of bursary and scholarship awards for teaming Ekiti students, employment opportunities for our former Union Leaders, fulfillment of the Governor's promises and other pressing issues which we see as priorities.

OUR DEMANDS:

1. That the government of Ekiti State under Governor Ayodele Fayose should put in motion, necessary strategies to ensure the disbursement of Ekiti Students' bursary and scholarship without further delay.

2. That the Governor should immediately provide us with a bus for easy mobility of National leadership of our union and better welfare of our members.

3. That the Governor should immediately order the concerned Ministry to start the building of FESSU permanent secretariat for the benefit of the entire Ekiti Students and effective administration of our dear union.

4. We demand the government's swift intervention in the strike actions looming Ekiti state university, Ado Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere Ekiti and ensure the immediate reopening of both institutions.

5. That the government should create utmost interest in the development empowerment and employment of youths in the state and map out necessary strategies for the achievement of this without any further delay

We are not quite uninformed of the governor's usual way of turning deaf hears to the agitations of meaningful stakeholders, especially, the students and youths in Ekiti State. But if the governor fails to address our DEMANDS before Seven (7) days, we shall be left with no option than to mobilize Ekiti indigenous students nationwide for a parent of all Aluta and shut down the state capital for an aggressive agitation for our rights.

We assure Ekiti students nationwide of the commitment of FESSU National leadership to fight for their interest without minding whose ox is gored.

Thank you.

Signed:

Com. DARAMOLA Temidayo 
Asst. Secretary, FESSU
07068331800

Sen. AFOLABI Boluwaji
Deputy Senate President, FESSU
08139296951

Com. AROWOLO Sanuel O.
National PRO I, FESSU
08146795355

Com. ADEMILUYI Ayodele Joseph
National Secretary, FESSU
08164948767

Sen. ADU Opeyemi Abiodun
Senate President, FESSU
08038243397

Com. ADEWUMI Idowu Peter
National President, FESSU
2347039271954

Sen. Aina Oluwamayowa
Senate Clerk, 2015/2016

Sen. Jeje Idowu Amos
Deputy Senate President, 2015/2016

Sen. Adetunji Victor Damilola
Senate President, 2015/2016

Com. Obasola Sunkanmi
National Secretary, 2015/2016

Obayemi Oluwaseun Peters,
National President, 2015/2016
(Life Member)
+2348063173459