Abejide: Farming Decline, Middlemen Drive Poverty in Ekiti; Faults Insecurity Claims  

… Defends Smooth Primaries, Urges Sportsmanship

By Joseph Sunday 

Ekiti Local Government Service Commission Chairman, Chief Samuel Abejide, has blamed the decline in farming and the activities of middlemen for rising poverty in Ekiti, while faulting claims that insecurity is preventing residents from farming. He also defended the conduct of recent party primaries as smooth and urged those who lost out to embrace sportsmanship.

Samuel Abejide, Chairman of the Government Service Commission, Ekiti State, shared his views on recent political and economic developments in the state during an interview with pressmen.

On the recently concluded party primaries for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and the Senate, Abejide said the process was smooth and without hitches. Addressing reports that some aspirants had publicly expressed displeasure, he stressed the need for sportsmanship. “Primaries were conducted, results were declared, and winners emerged. At times people may feel aggrieved, but there should be the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said. 

He added that party primaries are governed by each party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, and that internal mechanisms exist to resolve disputes rather than “externalising” them. “The people have spoken and the party has spoken. I believe in party supremacy,” Abejide stated.

On rising poverty in Ekiti, Abejide acknowledged the trend but linked it to broader factors. He noted a decline in farming, saying: “During my days, even after primary school we went to the farm to meet our parents. Now, everybody wants a white-collar job. That has contributed immensely to reduced food production.” 

While describing the cost-of-living crisis as a global issue, he argued Ekiti has peculiarities, including middlemen who “take raw materials from producers and then increase prices unreasonably.” 

He said government has intervened in such cases, adding that Ekiti “should not be one of the states crying over increase in raw food prices.”

On insecurity and farming, Abejide disputed claims that insecurity was stopping people from farming in areas like Oke Ako in Ikole. “I am from that place. Don’t exaggerate,” he said. “Everybody can simply go to their farm and do the needful, even better than when there was the issue of herders ravaging farms. We have better yields now than before.” 

He described Ekiti as “one of the safest states in Nigeria,” noting that while border areas have vast uncultivated lands that could harbor criminals, the state government remains “on top of the situation and very proactive.”

On expectations for the incumbent governor, who has emerged as candidate for the next election, Abejide said he prays for continued grace and unity. “Have you ever seen an election less than a month away with this type of peace? Have you ever witnessed a situation where all past governors from different parties support the incumbent? There must be something behind it.” 

He praised the state’s road network as “one of the best in Nigeria today” and commended prompt payment of public servants’ salaries. On what the governor should do next, he said: “He has his own plans mapped out and he is executing them progressively. I will advise him to maintain them religiously, especially at the grassroots level. Ekiti has one of the lowest allocations, yet we still see results. The government is utilising the statutory allocations maximally.”

On the June 20 election, Abejide urged massive turnout. “It’s not about apathy or saying ‘he has already won.’ Like he rightly said, we want to win all the polling units, wards, and local governments. Not only winning, but increasing the votes for him and for the President. That is the project.”