Ekiti State chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has debunked allegations of corruption levelled against Governor Biodun Oyebanji by the former chairman of Ado Local Government Area, Mrs Omotunde Fajuyi.
The ex-council chairman, alongside other members of the Make Ekiti Great Again, had at a press conference accused the governor of corruption, claiming the administration was the worst in the history of the state.
Speaking yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the CNPP Chairman, Mr. Victor Akinola, said Mrs Fajui led against the Oyebanji administration, adding that they were discorted to score cheap political gains,mislead Ekiti people and incite them against the administration.
The CNPP chairman added that those allegations were a ploy to distract Oyebanji, who has turned around the fortunes of Ekiti.
He said the Ado-Aramoko Road, which was allegedly abandoned by the state government, is a federal road, claiming Oyebanji have been mounting pressure on federal authorities to ensure its rehabilitation.
He stressed that the state government has reconstructed two state alternative roads, including Ado-Ilawe-Igbara Odo-Igbara Oke Road and Ilawe-Erijiyan-Ikogosi-Ipole Iloro-Efon Alaaye-Osun State Boundary Road, to provide access to travellers going to Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Lagos states.
The statement read in part, “As partners in the Ekiti project, we will not fold our arms and keep silent when some individuals or groups go to the airwaves to churn out deceit, lies, misrepresentation and distortion of facts all in a bid to score cheap political points. Individuals or groups wishing to occupy positions of power to make positive changes are free to do so by joining any of the registered political parties of their choice, canvass for the votes of the electorate who have the power to speak with their votes.
“The recent press conference addressed by promoters of MEGA can be best described as a tissue of lies, cocktail of falsehood, salad of blackmail and blatant misrepresentation, distortion of facts on what is on ground in Ekiti and a failed attempt to distract a performing Governor in person of His Excellency, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, who has been acknowledged within and outside Nigeria to have positively turned the fortunes of Ekiti around with verifiable indices on ground.
“The CNPP is firmly on ground in Ekiti State and political parties who make up the group has its members in all nooks and crannies of the State where the impact of governance of the Oyebanji Administration is being felt through the implementation of the six-pillar agenda which include Governance, Youth Development and Job Creation, Human Capital Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Infrastructure and Industrialization and Arts, Culture and Tourism.
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“When lies, falsehood, half-truths and misrepresentation of facts are left unchallenged, there is a high risk of them being believed and taken as the gospel truth by the unsuspecting members of the public who are consumers of news on the print media, electronic media, internet and social media platforms. As responsible and patriotic citizens of Ekiti State, we are compelled to debunk the lies churned out by the trio of Abimbola Olawumi, Motunde Fajuyi and Gbenga Babawibe in the press conference they addressed in the name of MEGA. These individuals are non resident in Ekiti so they are not in tune with the reality on ground and that is why they have stayed outside to throw stones at their father’s land and we are in receipt of credible intelligence that they are being sponsored by politicians.
“Their allegation that roads are in ruins, schools are collapsing and hospitals are without beds or medicine are false and far from the truth. Governor Oyebanji has carried out comprehensive rehabilitation, construction and reconstruction of roads in all parts of the state which were inaugurated during the first and second anniversaries of his administration. Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated some of the roads in June 2024 while former governors Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose Segun Oni, Kayode Fayemi and other eminent personalities inaugurated roads and other projects during the anniversaries.
“The Ado-Aramoko Road, which was alleged to have been abandoned by the Ekiti government is a federal highway but efforts are on to mobilize the contractor to site with Governor Oyebanji mounting pressure and making contacts with the federal authorities to ensure the rehabilitation of the said road. But the mischievous MEGA politicians failed to tell their audience that the state government has reconstructed two alternatives which are state roads to provide access to those travelling to Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Lagos States. These rehabilitated alternatives are Ado-Ilawe-Igbara Odo-Igbara Oke Road and Ilawe-Erijiyan-Ikogosi-Ipole Iloro-Efon Alaaye-Osun State Boundary Road. Presently, Ikere-Igbara Odo Road is undergoing reconstruction to link up with Ilawe-Igbara-Odo-Igbara Oke Road.
“The Oyebanji Administration has invested in the health sector with new projects at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), nine General Hospitals and over 200 community health centers across the state. All these health institutions enjoy regular supply of drugs through the Central Drugs Store in Ado Ekiti. We want to state emphatically that the videos of dilapidated schools and health centers shown by the MEGA deceivers are old pictures which do not portray the present realities on ground. Interested persons are free to visit the sites of these projects to conduct a fact check to confirm their present state.
“The CNPP also wishes to state that the present administration in Ekiti State has provided employment for thousands of youths through recruitment into Civil Service, Teaching Service, Local Government Service, Fire Service, Amotekun Corps, Agro Rangers, Anti-Grazing Marshals while thousands of youths are also engaged through the Bring Back the Youths into Agriculture scheme in three clusters across the state to boost food security. All these are verifiable facts any interested person can have access to without let or hindrance.
“The Oyebanji Administration also prioritizes empowerment of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through provision of soft loans through collaboration with Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, Small and Medium Entreprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and other sister agencies which has boosted the capacity of small business owners, market women and artisans. Besides, the Governor also empowers petty traders and youths with cash to boost their trade and procure tools and equipment through his ‘Ojuse BAO’ initiative.
“We in the CNPP also have the fact that the Oyebanji Administration has spent over N14 billion on the renovation and construction work in 203 public secondary schools under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a World Bank-assisted project. Another recruitment exercise is ongoing to employ new set of teaching and non-teaching staff into public schools by the Oyebanji Administration.
“The allegation by MEGA liars that the civil servants are overburdened and underpaid is not correct. We recall that Governor Oyebanji started implementing the new minimum wage of over N70,000 with the November 2024 salaries which elicited widespread joy among workers who trooped to the Governor’s Office to show their appreciation shortly after they received alerts. The Governor has also increased subvention to state-owned tertiary institutions while the Legislature and the Judiciary now enjoy financial independence. We are aware that the Governor has not stopped the wage bonus award earlier approved for workers before the implementation of the new minimum wage while the free bus shuttle for public workers and pupils and students in uniform still continues to make life easier for the beneficiaries.
“As Governor Oyebanji takes care of serving workers, the Ekiti CNPP knows for a fact that he also takes care of pensioners. It is on record that Mr Governor regularly pays the monthly pension of retirees and has also paid a backlog of gratuity to many sets of pensioners. Oyebanji’s payment of gratuity peaked with the disbursement of N3.5 billion to 829 beneficiaries, which represented the single largest payment of gratuity to one set of beneficiaries in the history of Ekiti State.
“We understand that Governor Oyebanji embarks on trips to the federal capital but these trips are in the interest of the state and have yielded dividends for the development of the state. The visits to development partners, federal agencies, the Presidency, the National Assembly and other places have benefited the state immensely. For example, Mr Governor’s visit to the Defence Headquarters attracted an Air Force base to the state; visit to Ministry of Aviation facilitated the approval of non-scheduled flights to the Ekiti International Agro-Cargo Airport; visit to the National Assembly and Federal Ministry of Works led to the commencement of work on Ado-Ijan-Imesi-Ikare federal highway. It is not easy for the Governor cannot sit down in Ado Ekiti and influence projects to the state, agitate for better welfare for the people of the state and appointments of deserving Ekiti indigenes to key positions.
“Contrary to what MEGA deceivers want the public to believe, Governor Oyebanji upholds probity, accountability and transparency in governance and there is evidence to show for these hence the allegation of mismanagement of public funds leveled by these detractors only exists in their imagination. If they want the public to believe them,they must be ready to provide proof to back up their claims”.