Former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has advised Nigerians to do away with people with questionable background.

Fayemi said this at the maiden symposium of the Advanced Media and Communications Academy held in honour of Yemi Farounbi and Ayoola Olukanni at the University of Ibadan on Wednesday.

In his speech, ‘Our New Nigeria: The role of professionals in government’, Fayemi said technocrats and professionals must be allowed to handle government affairs at all levels in Nigeria.

He was represented at the event by the Director of Publicity, All Progressives Congress (South West), Dr. Ayo Afolabi

Fayemi, who admitted that among the politicians, there were qualified persons who did not make noise about their professional background, said “We must denounce many of those whose rise to the limelight was aided by corruption and deception, those intelligent rogues who profit from the misery of others.

“We must rekindle the patriotic spirit that favours the common good over personal interest in every area of our national life, so that finally, government can deliver on its promises of tangible and intangible goods.

“We must be reminded that certificates are awarded to those who are considered worthy in character and learning. We must start putting round pegs in round holes, and entrench meritocracy which enlists true professionals in every area of our national life, from the artisans to the public service to the private sector, even to the sanctums of faith.”

Fayemi rued how many in public service were retired because of quest for ethnic balancing and ‘sectional arithmetic’.

“In the process, we have sustained huge losses of trained manpower, repositories of institutional wisdom and experience who should otherwise be serving as mentors to incoming generations”, he lamented.