Kayode Fayemi’s Mid-Summer Night Dream

The Minister of Solid Minerals and former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi has been going around telling Nigerians that he would exploit the solid mineral potential of the country to turn around our economy. This minister says Nigeria will soon be creating jobs and earning big forex from solid minerals. I watched him recently in Isan Ekiti during a thanksgiving marking his ministerial appointment boasting: “Just look at the stones across the country, if it is just to cut and polish and use as tiles, one cannot imagine the huge economic gains and the employment it will generate, let alone the export earnings that are involved.” I am sure many of us can still remember that Fayemi was governor of Ekiti State for four years and the economy of the state was left prostate despite its huge solid minerals like clay, feldspar, tantalite stone, Kaolin. This same man who ran an elitist government in Ekiti State is now telling us that with him in charge as the minister of solid minerals, Nigeria will soon start creating jobs and earning good forex from solid minerals. There is so much deceit in our system. I can bet my life, if Fayemi is left as minister for ten years, solid minerals will continue to contribute virtually nothing to the nation’s economy. Obi Ezekwesili said more than this when Obasanjo made her the minister of solid minerals.

Yemi Adebowale
THISDAY