A prominent socio-political group in Ekiti State, the E-Eleven has said the honourary Doctor of Letters Degree conferred on former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, by Lagos State University (LASU), is well-deserved.
It commended the university for honouring Fayemi, who was the former chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
In a statement by its chairman, High Chief Kola Akosile, the group said the award to Dr Fayemi was well merited and a testament to the impact and significant achievements of Fayemi over time, spanning fields such as academia, civil society, security, and politics.
To mark its 40th anniversary and 26th convocation, LASU announced the conferment of honourary doctorate degrees to a few outstanding Nigerians, including Mr Babatunde Fashola, the former governor of Lagos State; Femi Gbajabiamila, former speaker and the chief of staff to the president, and Fayemi who is being honoured for his impact in the areas of human rights, national integration and African security development.
“We are very excited about the honorary degree to Dr. Fayemi, the former Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) who notably had refused all types of traditional titles and awards in recognition of his outstanding achievements over time.
‘’This honour coming now speaks to Fayemi’s commitment to public service, intellectual prowess, and steadfast leadership which has an enduring impact on Ekiti State, Nigeria, and beyond. We are proud to have him as a revered member of our community, and we believe that this honorary degree further validates his exceptional contributions to society.
‘’Particularly as governor, Fayemi was exceptional and made significant achievements in critical areas such as governance, boosting transparency around government revenue streams; workers’ welfare, ensuring prompt payment of salaries and other emoluments to workers, as well as pensions and gratuities to retirees.
‘’More notably, his tenure as governor witnessed the restoration of the Omoluabi values of Ekiti State through the promotion of several initiatives and his own personal commitment to integrity and principled leadership,” the group said.
According to the group, it believes that the achievements and successes of Dr. Fayemi are too many to be listed but noted that his tenure as governor demonstrated a profound commitment to the welfare of Ekiti people and caused notable advancements in infrastructure development, and attracted valuable investment opportunities to the state.
‘’We recalled too that before his foray into politics, Dr. Fayemi was an outstanding civil society leader who co-founded the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), one of the foremost think tanks and civil advocacy groups on the continent. He also played key roles in the fight against military dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in Nigeria and on the continent, including the founding and running of Radio Kudirat.
‘’We, therefore, believe that LASU could not have made a better choice in conferring a prestigious honorary doctorate degree on Dr. Fayemi. The E-Eleven expresses its deep appreciation to LASU for its discerning judgment and commitment to honoring outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields. By recognizing and celebrating exemplary leaders, LASU continues to inspire the younger generation and foster a culture of excellence,” the group said.
