PTV News Media: Ekiti 2022: Dr Bolaji Akinyemi's PVC-Naija Embarks On Community Political Education Mission

By Adesoji Moses Adio-Saka

As part of its efforts to educate, enlighten and inform Nigerians about eradicating political ignorance, reducing voters’ apathy and engendering more participation in subsequent elections, Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi and his PVC-Naija team went on a mission to Iddo-Ekiti, Iddo-Osi Local Government Area, Ekiti State, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, for "Community Political Education," in preparation for the state's governorship election in 2022.

The King of the peaceful town, Iddo-Ekiti, Olojido of Iddo-Ekiti, Oba (Captain) Ayorinde Ilori Faboro appeared pleased as he rushed back to the palace from a Community project site which he had earlier gone to inspect to receive the PVC-Naija President, Dr Bolaji Akinyemi and his team.

Oba (Captain) Faboro explained that he was so delighted to meet with the team leader and President, PVC-Naija, Dr Bolaji Oluwayanmife Akinyemi, and affirmed his privilege to have read some of Dr Akinyemi’s write-ups.

The Oba spoke extensively on the frustrations that are hurting his people's lives and futures, as well as significant decisions made by others outside the town who are not politically powerful enough to make them. Precisely, he wasn’t pleased that known misfits who have no interest in the growth and development of the town are the ones handpicked for laudable contracts, which are later, either half-constructed or never executed.

Dr Bolaji Akinyemi & Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro

While at the palace, the PVC-Naija team was privileged to meet the Chairman, Iddo-Osi Local Government Area, Honourable Sola Ogunsina who was likewise delighted at the PVC-Naija’s mission in the town to be dispense political education to the people, and immediately expressed his desire to be part of the move.

However, before debarking from the palace for the programme, Oba (Captain) Faboro led the PVC-Naija team to the Tourist site in his compound were stationed the first car in Ekiti Stae, a British right-hand Hudson, and other automobile relics parked. The bridges to Ado were primarily constructed for these cars' usage under the reign of Oba Adejuwon.

The session, which began at 11:15 a.m. with an opening prayer and lasted four hours, saw Dr Bolaji Akinyemi engage the people with presentations on ‘Values of Your Votes’ by establishing with statistics that Ekiti state is the most knowledgeable people in Nigeria with the highest number of Professors per family, while the Yoruba tribe of ‘Okuns’ in Kogi State, is the tribe with the highest number of Professors in Nigeria!

Ekiti 2022 will determine Nigeria 2023; therefore, all Ekitis, both at home and abroad, must be engaged in the Ekiti Governorship election and must demonstrate their knowledge through their ballots in order to lead Nigeria ahead.

Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi

“What are the values of your votes?” Akinyemi asked rhetorically, and answered in the richness of Yoruba language, spiced with adages, and confirmed in Chinua Achebe’s quote, “Adages are the palm oil with which the yam of words are eaten.” “Atanpako lonikimi ika, baba omo ku, omo d’eyo”.

The thumb is the power to coordinate the fingers; if the fingers are taken off they are practically useless! He called on the Ekiti people to take responsibility for being the political thumb that will coordinate other states while fingers in hand call Nigeria to move it forward.

With a second adage still on the thumb, he strengthened his conviction of Ekiti at leading the country with: “Atanpako ni juwe ookan, omoodin ni so ibi ti o ba lo”.

The thumb shows the direction to the index or little finger discretion. “Ekiti ni atanpako ati omoodin Nigeria bayi. Lati juwe ookan ati lati so ibi ti a o ba lo.” Meaning Ekiti is both the thumb and the little finger to give direction and discretion to Nigeria.

He went on to analyze the role of Atanpako (the thumb) in electoral decisions with points such as fingerprint and the mystery of Identity, Iteka ati adiitu idanimo.

Electoral decisions in the days of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo were based on controlling the country's progressive politics; education, health, and safe and affordable housing without omitting infrastructure development in the Unity Party of Nigeria's promises of an egalitarian society!

High Chief Babatope Akinyele

However, he advised that in future Ekitis would need to rank the governor as first on the safety index, and how sure will Ekiti be among such a person before considering free qualitative education, affordable health services to be powered by affordable health insurance policy, housing and infrastructure promises of such a candidate must be strongly considered.

Harping on the ‘Omoluabi’ values of the Yoruba nation, Akinyemi concluded on: “eni a biire, ti obi to, to si tun tun ara e to, eni ti ki se oni jagidijagan! Omoluabi lana, omoluabi loni nikan la le reti omoluabi lowo e lola.”

He said in the closing remark, “Oni, nitori ola wa." ”Whatever we are doing today, we must keep tomorrow in view.”

The people were unbelievably patient throughout with questions that emphasized their interests in the growth and development of the town asked, and answers provided

The major issues of Voters Apathy’ and the myth that politics is dirt were thoroughly demystified and the people understood why they must all participate in the electoral process.

Hon. Sola Ogunsina

On vote-buying, Akinyemi said, If an ordinary piece of paper (according to current happenings and events surrounding party primaries) can be purchased for #100 million by aspirants of a particular political party, then no vote is worth less than that, and that their votes should be for the candidate who can painstakingly achievable policies, increase the economic worth of everyone in Ekiti to a minimum of #100 million over a period of 4 years.