The Ekiti Youths Vanguard, a group of concerned youths in Ekiti State, has commiserated with the families of three teachers who died on Wednesday in a road crash along Ise Road while allegedly coming from a compulsory “Operation Show Your Certificate” ordered by Governor Ayodele Fayose last week.
The Ekiti Youth Vanguard blamed the unfortunate incident on Fayose, who they accused of deceiving the teachers during his campaign that he would ensure security of jobs for them without creating conditions that would make them suffer unnecessary hardship.
In the accident, two men from Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti and a pregnant woman from Orun High School, Orun-Ekiti, died instantly.
“We share in the grief of this moment with these families and we pray that this terrible incident will not repeat itself,” said Charles Fakunle, the Coordinator of the group, who regretted that government by deceit would always leave the people with sad tales.
Fakunle’s words: “It is regrettable that we are seeing this kind of calamity. About three weeks ago, Fayose called the teachers to a meeting where he assured them of security of their jobs with the best of goodies. He began the drama in that meeting when he started crying and reeling on the floor thanking the teachers for their support. He apologized for whatever he would have done to offend them in the past, promising to make life comfortable for them.
“The unsuspecting teachers rushed to the governor on the floor, lifting him up and begging him to stop crying. Second day, he held a meeting with his aides who he did not allow to make contributions that he would conduct “operation show your certificate” to detect ghost workers among the teachers, including cutting the number of teachers and cancellation of special allowances for teachers in core subjects and those serving in rural areas.
“It is painful that teachers allowed themselves to be deceived, even though they know that Fayose does not stand by his words. Fayemi approved special allowances for rural teachers and those teaching core subjects that makes Ekiti teachers the highest paid teachers in the entire Nigeria.
“Unfortunately after Fayose infiltrated their ranks, they turned their backs on Fayemi calling him all sorts of names. Fayemi never conducted any verification after introducing biometric e-payment that automatically eliminated ghost workers. What he wanted to do was trying to update the knowledge of the teachers through training. But the teachers refused and decided to make Fayemi their enemy.
“Fayose also cancelled electronic payment introduced by Fayemi and reverted to pay-at-sight. The teachers took blood oath during the election never to vote for Fayemi because they said the governor was creating hardship for them. Now this is the result of love and promises made by Fayose to the teachers.” Fayoses’s hurried cancellation of the exercise and his government’s denial that the exercise never took place after the death of the three teachers is an insult to the memory of the dead and unpardonable wickedness! Fakunle lamented.