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Tag: Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji

  • Oyebanji: Of continuity, consolidation and sustainability in Ekiti

    Oyebanji: Of continuity, consolidation and sustainability in Ekiti

    By Segun Dipe

    Drive down to Ekiti today to see change. It’s an unusual change derived from continuity of a party in government. Until recently, the state was known for the power-must-change-hands kind of politics. But for the first time, in 2022, the people voted for change in the form of continuity, and this has resulted in a tremendous transformation. The people experienced a smooth exchange of baton within a party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and everyone became eager to see the outcome of the experiment.

    Today, the experiment seems to have been worth it. Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, aka BAO, is not allowing the electorate to regret their choice of voting for him as a symbol of continuity in the state.

    Continuity, if allowed to thrive and not taken undue advantage of, can lead to a better network in many areas of life. People feel the impact, the society feels the impact, projects feel the impact, and even the workers, who are usually afraid of allowing a political party to rule them back to back, lest they are taken for a ride, are now feeling the positive impact of continuity.

    In many of his pre-, during and after election speeches, Oyebanji had vowed not to re-invent the wheel, but to sustain the legacy of his immediate predecessor in office. He promised that if he would be remembered for anything, it is that he was able to complete all the projects embarked upon by ex-governor, Kayode Fayemi.

    Oyebanji is not a neophyte to governance. He had served in many governments; he had seen the impact of discontinuity across Nigeria and their untold effects on the people. Even where it was being argued that government was a continuum, Oyebanji knew what power lies in a governor to redirect his energy and want to breathe fresh air, instead of being suffocated by the legacy of a predecessor. But he decided not to toe such path common to many incumbent governors.

    The effect of charting new paths by succeeding governors has shown tell-tale signs that no real baton exchange was done. The baton must have been deliberately dropped and the speed of progress impeded by egoistic tendencies. Much as every government initiates projects with the intention to develop the society and improve on the welfare of the people, completing them by succeeding government becomes an impossible task, especially when it is another party that has produced the succeeding government. The new party in power would want to initiate an entirely new project and abandon the one inherited from the previous administration.

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    The reason for the above is predictable. Most governors who come on board afresh are legacy hunters. They want to erase what was, and replace them with what is. They want to start on a clean slate and rush to finish their own projects so as to carve out a niche for themselves. In essence, they do not want to waste their energy and resources on projects for which they might have to share the credit with their predecessors. This justifies why we see abandoned projects littering the space, not minding the amount of money that might have gone down the drain as a result. These are the projects tagged white elephants.

    In the right sense of it, toeing the line of continuity of government (CoG) is the best way to go. It results in consolidation of all that is good and prospers the society. Projects are sustained and people can have a long term vision without disruption.

    One such project that the people of Ekiti can point to as a gain of continuity is the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport (EAICA), which recently received the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to commence flight operation from December 15. When compared to what is happening in a contiguous state that had equally embarked on the same huge project, we see the effects of continuity or discontinuity in the outcome today. We see how party succession has played a part in the execution. Earlier in the year, Oyebanji had assured that the project was not a white elephant as some cynics kept insinuating. He further assured that the airport would become operational before the year rolls out. And the promise has been kept.

    Why didn’t Oyebanji come up with the usual excuse that would have kept the project in abeyance? Why didn’t he cite poor siting of the airport as it’s happening in another state right now as reason for slowing down on it, so he could seize that opportunity to either gift his own community with it or forget about it and start something else from the scratch? He could justify such options, but he chose the path of honour, put Ekiti interest first and prove to the world that continuity pays.

    The cargo airport is not the first project that Oyebanji had inherited from Fayemi and would see to its completion. There is the Rural Access and Agricultural Project, RAAMP, which was initiated in 2021, during the second term of Fayemi and which Oyebanji has sustained. There is the Ado-Ekiti Ultra-Modern Bus Terminal, which was inaugurated by Fayemi in his time, and which Oyebanji in his tenure, allowed his predecessor in office to commission for operation last year. There is the Traditional Council Chamber also commissioned in 2023 by Oyebanji, but which was a brain child of Fayemi. These are just very few of such projects that continuity of a party in government has cured of going the way of white elephant.

    Oyebanji is not just continuing the legacy of his predecessor in office; he is also consolidating on those of other former governors that had ruled in the affairs of the state since its inception. He is busy tapping from all his predecessors in office, beginning from the first civilian governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, to the second civilian governor, Segun Oni, to the third, Ayodele Fayose and then his immediate predecessor, Kayode Fayemi, who happened to be both the fourth and sixth in office. He consulted them all and consolidated all their achievements into one. So when next you want to have a peep into the strategy being employed by the sitting governor and why he is enjoying peace like a river in deploying the gains of democracy to his people, look no further than that he has taken from all who governed before him. Wisdom.

    Oyebanji is consolidating to safely navigate the hitherto stormy waters of Ekiti politics. His mantra is “No foe.” Those expecting the governor to heap blames on any former governor for whatever might have gone wrong in the past will therefore have to wait till eternity. Oyebanji sees the good in every past government and moulds every experience into a superb whole.

    Now, how sustainable is such consolidation? Sustainability, through the eyes of the United Nations, means to responsibly meet the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. If Oyebanji must play according to this rule, then he must not embark on palliative projects, but enduring ones. To do so is to establish a growing rapprochement between himself and the electorate, who entrusted him with their votes in 2022. He must not only gain the people’s hearts but also earn their trust that he won’t compromise the future with the present.

    It is rare in this country, Nigeria, to compare the present with the past and not to wish for a return to the past. But with Oyebanji in the saddle in Ekiti, everyone is praising the present as an improved version of the past. Not a few believe the present must sustain for a while and Oyebanji must be encouraged to continue in government till he is statutorily barred from doing so. The governor has also allayed the fears of his people, promising not to abuse their trust now or in the future.

    Oyebanji is presently stabilising the fortunes of Ekiti State. No risk can be dangerous than thinking there is someone who can perform any better magic. Such deception had pervaded our political space for long and it is about time to give stability a chance, especially when there is a justifiable reason for doing so.

    By the way, every December 21 is the birthday of our phenomenal Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. He doesn’t celebrate it and this year will not be any different. But it reminds us of his good deeds and determination to share prosperity among his people. Your Excellency, surely, the lines will continue to fall for you in pleasant places.

    •Dipe is Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State.

  • ‘How Oyebanji’s six-point agenda is bringing better days in Ekiti’

    ‘How Oyebanji’s six-point agenda is bringing better days in Ekiti’

    Back in his home state Ekiti, having garnered wealth of experience working under three governors in Lagos, Dr. John Moyo Ekundayo, now Special Adviser/Director-General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD), in the Ekiti State Government, speaks with Gboyega Alaka on Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s two years focused and accelerated impact, the role of his office, which has seen him get denigrated and praised, and an ongoing mind-shifting mission to re-orientate the public service workers for better productivity.

    You are Special Adviser/Director-General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, in the Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji administration in Ekiti State. Tell us about it. Is it a new creation or an already existing office?

    No, the position, Special Adviser/Director General Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, OTSD, is not a new creation. It was created in 2012 during the first term of the former Governor John Kayode Fayemi. It came about as a result of a reform recommended by the DFID (Department for International Development) of the United Kingdom. They did a lot of introspection into the civil service and came up with the idea of having an office that will coordinate the policies, strategies, programmes and projects of government, so that there would be service delivery. In essence, it was to oversee all what the ministries, departments, agencies of government were doing to contribute to the execution of the strategic trust of the government in power. The Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BOA) administration came up with six strategic actionable pillars, which I’m sure we will be talking about in the course of this interview. Our office is to oversee how well things are going, what are the milestones? What are the targets; what do we need to do? What are we not doing right? What are we doing right that we should intensify efforts on?

    How is this office different from the one you occupied in Lagos until recently?

    Yes, I was Director, Monitoring and Evaluation in Lagos State under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB). I became the head of that department, which will have to prepare what is called pre-payment certification, without which no payment can be made, and it doesn’t matter who you know. I oversaw that department, working under Govs. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Akinwunmi Ambode and the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for six years before retiring in January 2021. Basically, that department monitors the programmes/projects of the government, evaluates them, reports back to the government, looking at certain indices and milestones, and then recommends for payment. Hitherto before the inception of that department, there were agencies of government that were not actually executing their projects who wanted payment and were getting payments. But since that department came up in Lagos, hardly will you see any of the projects being abandoned in the state.  The pace may be slow, maybe due to the contractor not measuring up, but that could also lead to him being blacklisted.

    What then are the responsibilities of OSTD in Ekiti?

    What I was doing in Lagos is a subset of what I am doing in Ekiti now. Monitoring and Evaluation is just one component of what we do in the Office of Transformation and Service Delivery. Our main mandate is to oversee the policy trust of the government, and especially the six strategic agenda or pillars of the administration. We are to monitor, track, evaluate the progress of the processes of achieving these strategic agenda –  what works, what doesn’t work, why it doesn’t work; and make a report.  Already, we have carried out two evaluations, evaluating the appointees, the special advisers, the commissioners; prior to the evaluation, we set out on what is called pre-evaluation interface or parley, where we met with them and let them know the metrics with which we would be evaluating them. In the end, some of them complained that ‘hey, you don’t even know the condition under which we’re working, yet you’re asking for results.’ And we capped it up by saying ‘don’t worry, we will visit you’, and we did. We visited 52 MDAs, all of which were not in one place like we have at the Lagos State Secretariat. In fact, after the whole exercise, three of my staff members broke down.

    I imagine that this role would put you at loggerheads with other appointees and top officers; how have you managed that?

    (Laughs) You are not far from the truth. I remember Mr. Governor telling me at the outset that I ‘Dr. Ekundayo, you will step on toes, but the success of this administration depends on you’. And though I wondered within myself if I was the Head of Service, Chief of Staff or SSG,’ I took the bull by the horns. Of course we were called names – EFCC, ICPC, policemen…; but we were also called some nice names like coach, class captain… But we didn’t allow that to distract, discourage or denigrate us. We focused on the assignment. And I was glad when we met with the governor, because my team actually requested to meet with Mr. Governor, which he graciously granted, and he said to us: ‘You have surpassed my expectation.’ That really encouraged me. But that does not mean that we’re resting on our oars. As far as I am concerned me, we have only scratched the surface.

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    How would you describe working with Governor Oyebanji?

    I will say it has been pleasant working with him, and that is taking cognisance of the challenges. He is a listening governor; he is assessable, friendly, but firm. That he is friendly does not mean he suffers fools gladly. He listens, but then, you have to be sure of your point. Let me also tell you that coming with my experience in Lagos, working in Ekiti is a different ballgame. True it is still a civil service, but different context. There are certain mentalities that we discovered that made us introduce what we call ‘Mind shift’. We discovered that people had fixed mindset, which was against growth or expansion, and which frustrates empowerment, equipping and everything development. So I realised we needed to first sensitise the people; so we called the different levels, including political appointees at different times, and told them it was going to be in series, starting with Mind Shift Series 1.

    Speaking of ‘mind shift’, are the people not accusing you of bringing Lagos ‘wahala’ to Ekiti?

    Of course, that is expected. I have heard side comments like, ‘this is not Lagos,’ but you know what? After some time, some people started saying, why did this man stay in Lagos for so long? Because we facilitated a lot of positives, such that it is the agencies that are now inviting our people to come and take them on ‘Mind Shift sessions. And I allow them to fly, because they already have the training and part of my PhD thesis is to empower people. Servant leaders empower followers.

    Lets’s look at the six pillars.

    The six strategic pillars of the Governor Biodun Abayomi administration are: Youth Development and Job Creation – because the bulk of our people are youths and women; the second is Human Capital Development, which is about Education, Health, Social Investment to alleviate poverty in Ekiti; the third is Agriculture and Rural Development; to this effect we have farms up to about 2000 acres through our ‘Bring Back the Youth into Agric’ programme. I was part of the governor’s entourage on Independence Day, when we visited Iyemero, Oke-ako, Gede, Emure Eporo, Ikere, Aramoko Erio, even my own town Ido Ekiti, where we have cluster farming. So the days of Awolowo farm settlement are back in Ekiti, and it is for real. Any journalist can come over to see for themselves. The fourth pillar is Infrastructure and Industrialisation; many roads are being constructed, some have been completed, some are due for commissioning this week and next. We have the ring road being constructed that will round Ado-Ekiti; the phase 1 is ongoing; phase 2 will take off later.  Then we have power connections. Many people do not know that there are communities that are not collected to the national grid and have not had power for over ten years, like in Ekiti E, Ayekire, Gbanyin area, and some other local governments. In the course of this second anniversary celebration, the one of Igbara Odo, Ijero will be commissioned, with transformers to communities. Also we have Ero dam, Egbe dam, Oreje dam are all connected to the national grid during this administration. There is also Arts, Culture and Tourism. Our troupe, Ekiti Troup, recently won an award in Brazil as the best. They performed at the Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife recently and the Ooni of Ife was so impressed that he decided to take them to Brazil. In tourism, we are doing well. Ikogosi is not just about the warm spring, it is Ikogosi Warm Resort and we have five star accommodations, international cuisine; and the roads are good now, wherever you’re coming from. Lastly, we have Governance, which is the foundation for everything. Pensioners, under the incumbent governor, are having the best of time. Two months back, he gave out N1billion to pay gratuities; and in the last three days, to mark the administration’s 2nd anniversary, he released N3.5bilion in one day to pensioners, and they were all just happy. Other benefits such as car loans, housing loans have been restored and a lot more are coming to make life better for the people. In all, I give this government a pass mark.

    But all this requires huge financing, Ekiti is not among the highest earning states, whether in federal allocation or IGR, how does the government manage?

    That is a very salient question; in fact our budget is the least among the 36 states and the FCT.  The good thing, however, is that our overall budget performance was 91 percent for budget 2023. Regarding funding, our governor was criticised earlier in this administration for shuttling between Ekiti and Abuja, but thankfully that has begun yielding dividends. Some government agencies like the Fashion and Garment hub from the office of the Vice President, the ICT centre through that same office, have come to Ekiti. Mr. President has been so supportive of the state and this has really helped us in delivering in the area of infrastructure other areas of governance. I also need to mention that when the incumbent governor came in, the IGR of Ekiti was about 600 million naira; but as we speak, we are N1.5 billion per month, and we have not taken off with our Land Use Charge. We already have the law and the governor has sensitised the stakeholders, so it can only get better. Kudos to the Executive Chairman of the Ekiti Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Olaniran Olatona; he was headhunted by Mr. Governor himself, who also gave him autonomy.

    Is Ekiti looking at producing just food crops for food security or exploring cash crops to earn foreign currency and make farming worth the while of the young farmers?

    It’s both. We are also targeting tree crops. We have an investor, already the Governor and the Commissioner of Agric is aware, who wants to invest in oil palm massively. And Mr. Governor is saying, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll give you land. That’s part of the appeal he made to the traditional rulers during the budget stakeholders engagement in Aramoko, Ifaki and Ilawe, where he told them ‘please give us land’. So the government is ready to clear free of charge, give seedling and also off take. Prior to this time, some people would come from Ibadan, Ilorin, and other places and give our farmers stipends, because they know they had difficulties accessing credit. Thank God we have cooperatives in Ekiti now, where there is funding, so farmers only need to join cooperatives to access capital. We also have investors who are interested in big time farming – tree crops such as cashew, oil palm, cocoa. Rice farming is also on. Our rice is what they carry to other areas and call ofada rice. We have low land rice, we have upland rice in Ekiti; all these are things we want to rejig. The governor has promised to build houses, complete with all amenities and infrastructure like solar light, satellite dish, so that they can feel at home. We want our people looking for jobs in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, who are looking for miserable 100,000 naira white collar jobs, to come home and invest in intelligent farming, where they can invest 500,000 naira and make N3million in four months. Do you know that carrot grows in Ekiti, even ginger?

  • Oyebanji @ 2!

    Oyebanji @ 2!

    On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (aka BAO) marked his second anniversary as Governor of Ekiti State, having been sworn in on October 16, 2022.

    Oyebanji’s two-year anniversary celebrates his dedication to Ekiti State’s progress. He has masterfully navigated Nigeria’s intricate politics, balancing competing interests and fostering growth through strategic investments in key sectors. With his ‘homeboy factor’ and extensive experience serving two former governors in six different capacities, the governor has managed to unite various tendencies within the state, bringing about peace, stability and development.

    In today’s political landscape, where transactional politics and the interests of the elite often take centre stage, BAO’s focus on transformational leadership, compassion and empowerment is a breath of fresh air. In a country where politics often takes a backseat to petty squabbles and power struggles, it is refreshing to see a leader who walks the talk! His initiatives – fixing community power issues, boosting agriculture, and creating a digital hub in Ekiti, among others – will have a lasting impact.

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    Oyebanji’s leadership shines as former Governor Ayodele Fayose, from a rival party, publicly endorses his vision. It suggests that his commitment to the people is genuine, and that his vision for Ekiti’s future is one worth fighting for.

    His second anniversary offers a chance to define his historical legacy and position him as a key trajectory in driving growth, especially by quadrupling the state’s GDP at the end of his Second Term. Therefore, BAO should draw inspiration from Apostle Paul’s wisdom:  “… forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, press toward the goal for the prize …” (Philippians 3:13-14).

    May Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s next two years be filled with even more innovative solutions that inspire future leaders!

    May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

  • Oyebanji: Two years of purposeful leadership

    Oyebanji: Two years of purposeful leadership

    In two years, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, political scientist, former university teacher and governor of Ekiti State, has achieved what some governors in other states could not achieve in eight years.

    As he has demonstrated, the secrets of his successes are rooted in determination, vision, focus, discipline, candour, and humility. Unlike those who personalise power and make these attributes the casualties of governance, Oyebanji has embraced and fine-tuned them into cardinal principles of governance as an Omoluabi governor living up to the state’s appellation of the Land of Honour and Integrity.

    The affectionate son of the legendary professional teacher from the rustic Ikogosi has chosen a good path in life. He is endowed with a good character, the beauty of simplicity, and a disdain for haughtiness.

    Hardworking, dynamic, and discerning, the governor is ever witty, calm, and precise. He is imbued with native intelligence and an undiluted capacity for solving problems. He does not wage a war or expect a rebellion from any quarters. He listens, fulfills promises, and governs with compassion and piety.

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    A man of immense tenderness, Oyebanji has touched everyone, especially those around him with a high sense of modesty, forthrightness, and integrity.

    The natives are impressed by the opportunity the governor has created for inclusive administration guaranteed by the exponent of ‘soft power,’ a home-grown leader and youngest founding father of Ekiti who laboured along with the elders in agitating for the creation of the state.

    Any decision his administration takes is buoyed by the interest of the people through decisive steps, boldness and courage. There is no secrecy as the government’s plans and activities – and the reasons behind them – are explained to the public.

    Since Oyebanji clearly understands the philosophy and principles behind the birth of the state, it is normal for him to always aspire to govern in accordance with the vision of the founding fathers.

    The progressive and a democratic governor runs a people-oriented administration that permits indigenes and residents to make their inputs. The initiation of policies and implementation of programmes are dictated by the needs analysis. Since the governor is accessible, feedback becomes easy.

    Accessibility is key. Thus, the governor is not remote to the people he governs. This principle facilitates access to information. As governor, he has not severed links with his roots. He maintains a cordial relationship with old acquaintances, including childhood friends, former school mates, colleagues at work, former teachers, tailors, cobblers, and even the bukateria he patronised when he was growing up.

    Although elected on a partisan platform, Oyebanji remains the governor for all, irrespective of political leanings. The composition of leadership structures at the local governments reflects the political diversity in a state that is culturally one indivisible zone.

    Ultimately, there is a sense of participation, and belonging. Never has Ekiti enjoyed this type of peace, harmony, and amity, with four former governors – Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni, Ayodele Fayose, and Kayode Fayemi – mounting a protective shield around BAO and endorsing him for a second term. It has never happened before in Ekiti.

    There is also peace in the government, indeed, among the organs of government. There is neither adversary nor misfortune; mutual suspicion nor distrust. There is no division in the ruling state chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), led by the governor. Also, there is no tension between the governor and those typically described as ‘Abuja politicians.’ There is a great deal of synergy aimed at attracting more democratic dividends to the state from the centre. Inter-party relationships, especially between the ruling APC and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is not characterised by enmity, bitterness, and rancour. The blood of state elders, traditional rulers, the political class, religious leaders, civil society groups, women’s groups, retirees, youths and students, and people with disabilities flow through the veins of BAO’s government.

    Today’s government in Ekiti also satisfies the necessary criterion of gender sensitivity. While the governor’s wife, Dr. Olayemi, is implementing laudable policies and programmes specifically targeted at the womenfolk, Deputy Governor Monisola Afuye, and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) are women.

    Oyebanji fills the consciousness of Ekiti. He is hugely popular because he defers to the people, whose priorities and preferences shape his interventions in various sectors – education, health, agriculture, civil service, infrastructural development, and agriculture. In this respect, he presides over a government of responsibility and accountability.

    The distribution of developmental projects across the local governments and senatorial districts reflects equity and balance. There is no complaint about lopsidedness or skewedness. Two years after, there is no burden of debt incurred by the administration.

    It is also gratifying that the governor has paid attention to grassroots development by mobilising and energising the local government administration to prioritise infrastructural development premised on the peculiar environmental preferences. At the state and local government levels, there is public confidence in governance.

    The lesson is instructive. It is not the amount of money illegally taken from the treasury or the colossal abuse of power in high places, the disdain for the electorate after election, and the misuse of authority to feather personal nests that constitute the making of history. What would matter, in the long run, is the legacy a governor leaves behind to be treasured by generations yet unborn.

    In the future, historians would retain a fondest memory of the BAO years, reminiscent of how the people of old Oyo Empire relished the memorable reign of Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu, how the Southwest has continued to treasure the premiership of the indomitable Chief Obafemi Awolowo and how the people of old Ondo State have retained nostalgic feelings for the historic Adekunle Ajasin era.

    Remarkably, these achievements were recorded with scarce resources. Many stakeholders have attributed Oyebanji’s remarkable feat to his prudent management of scarce and transparency in the art of governance. Even the second year anniversary of his administration is being marked with sober celebration; no room for frivolous spending.

    Unlike when Ekiti was in the news for intrigues, acrimony and violence, there is now clear orderliness. Politics is a harbinger of strife, antagonism and divisiveness. But today, Ekiti has moved from partisan divisiveness to becoming more cohesive and united than it ever was during the previous dispensations.

    As a major participant in government – from special assistant to chief of staff, commissioner, director of a major board, and Secretary to the Government – Oyebanji truly rose through the ranks. Along the line, he must have studied his bosses, emulated their positive steps and learnt from their foibles. The former governors were not living in Ekiti, unlike this homeboy. They only returned to the state to contest.

    Oyebanji is a researcher and party strategist; he is in a vantage position to know the perception of the people and their expectations about governance.

    However, the burden is on the governor to sustain the tempo of achievements to the end. He should never be carried away by praise singing, either in the party, on the street, or in the media. Adulation is sometimes characterised by eye service and hypocrisy. Ahitophelean advisers often secretly creep in through the walls of flattery. As an experienced politician, Oyebanji should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. There is still so much to do in Ekiti and for its people in the face of limited resources.

    Ekiti is lagging in many areas. The state needs special attention and assistance from the Federal Government, particularly in infrastructural development. Many federal roads across the state are collapsing, becoming death traps.

    Oyebanji should rededicate himself to service delivery as he enters the third year of his first term. Members of his team also deserve commendation. A tree does not make a forest. Undoubtedly, the governor has led by example.

    For him to take the state to greater heights, he needs the support and cooperation of all Ekiti people because governance is a collective responsibility.

  • Oyebanji: When integrity is sine qua non

    Oyebanji: When integrity is sine qua non

    • By Segun Dipe

    People with good intentions make promises; people with  integrity keep them -unknown.

    Sine qua non is a Latin phrase that means “without which not” or “an indispensable condition.” It refers to a necessary condition or element that is required for something to happen, exist, or be true.

    In other words, a sine qua non is a crucial factor that is essential for a particular outcome, event, or situation to occur. Without this factor, the outcome, event, or situation would not be possible.

    Integrity, on the other hand, implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a high degree. People with integrity have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Leaders who make integrity their watchword tend to embody trust and create the foundation for long-term success.

    Ekiti is a very complex State to govern for the fact that limited resources are often thrown at limitless needs, with the people feeling entitled, it is quite tough to meet every need. It takes the citizens’ trust for the governor to be acceptable. In a political landscape like ours in Nigeria, often marred by corruption and self-interest, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of Ekiti State, codenamed BAO, stands out as a shining example of what it means to be integrity-driven. His unwavering commitment to the betterment of his constituents has earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of the governors driven mostly by integrity in Nigeria today.

    BAO’s integrity is not an artificial one. He also backs it up with action, and he is consistent with it. In his words: “If I make a promise, I will surely see to its fulfillment.” Meaning that he walks his talk, and does it so humbly that one would almost take it for granted as an auto-run venture.

    While declaring open a three-day retreat for the heads of local governments and local council development areas, LCDAs, of the state last June, Gov. Oyebanji urged them to borrow a leaf from his administration by placing high premium on professionalism, discipline, compassion, and teamwork in order to drive substantial improvement in local government administration in the State.

    The Governor further said the only way for them to earn the trust of the people was such that they would discharge their civic responsibility with utmost sincerity, integrity, efficiency and professionalism. He encouraged them to uphold the highest ethical standards of honesty and transparency in all their dealings.

    Inconsistency is the antithesis of trust. A person commits the fallacy of inconsistency when he or she makes contradictory claims or when his actions are incongruous with his words. Oyebanji is very consistent in his dealings. He seems to have perfectly rehearsed and perfected his acts as if he knew he would someday mount the saddle.

    Oyebanji does not only govern with integrity, he keeps his ears to the ground to listen to the yearnings of the people. Like he would often tell his aides: “don’t try to gag anyone, let them voice their feelings freely and let us endeavour to assuage them.”

    It is two years now that Oyebanji canvassed, earned and mounted the saddle to govern Ekiti State. Right down the line, his passion to govern with integrity and prioritise the needs of the people has not waned a bit. He works relentlessly in and out of the box to meet every expectation. While traversing the length and breadth of the State passionately, asking the citizenry to trust him with their votes, Oyebanji made a lot of promises that not a few began to wonder if he was not over-promising. He indeed promised much. For every concern, he had an assurance to give. In general, he promised shared prosperity, that he won’t rest on his oars until every home feels the positive impact of his governance. He promised to give every son and daughter of Ekiti a sense of belonging and make them to be proud of their State under his watch. He promised every community a touch of governance in terms of projects and appointments.

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    Oyebanji promised the youths, he promised the aged, he promised the women, he promised the children, he promised the royal fathers and the subjects, he promised to make every religion count, he promised the investors, he promised the farmers, he promised the market women, he promised the artisans, he promised the transporters, he promised the teachers, he promised the students, he promised the workers, he promised the retirees, he promised the unemployed, he promised the out of school, he promised the politicians, he promised the apolitical., he promised the indigenes and non-indigenes alike. In his words, there would be something for everyone in his government, and no one would doubt where he stands as the governor on any matter.

    Today, two years into his government, it can be said of Gov Oyebanji that he has not failed any of his promisees. Give it to him that he prioritizes integrity, he regards it as the paragon of his values. He not only preaches it, he embodies it in his official and personal lives. Add to this his non-treacherous nature. He honours all his predecessors in office and continues to value the ladder he climbed to reach the top.

    By swashing about with qualities like honesty, transparency, accountability and by accommodating criticisms of all sorts, Oyebanji has given everyone a reason to trust his leadership and warm up to him. Even his critics today are of the view that the mantle of leadership should rest on him much longer.

    As a leader steeped in integrity, Oyebanji makes ethical decisions, even when grappling with formidable dilemmas like trying to meet conflicting needs. He weighs the ramification of every choice on a broad spectrum and considers the interest of every stakeholder, especially that of a larger community.

    Oyebanji is quick to accept blames. He takes ownership of his actions and tasks himself with shouldering responsibility for his choices. He does not give excuses, he gives results. And in doing so, he demonstrates an unwavering commitment to constant betterment.

    Two of Oyebanji’s powerful assets as governor, aside humility and diligence, are diversity and inclusivity. He actively seeks out a multitude of perspectives, fosters an environment where all voices are respected. Such a “no-foe” approach to governance, fuels innovations and augments good decision making.

    Simply because Oyebanji puts his integrity forward, communicates transparently, makes ethical decision and projects shared vision for the people to flourish collectively, not a few have come to believe in his mission and they call for an encore of his tenure, albeit, an uninterrupted second term. The call keeps resonating and increasing by the day.

    Succinctly put, if the people must continue to believe in beautiful soul, kind heart and good energy, then, they must stick to BAO. Though he has spent just two of the first four-year term, a second four-year term is loading already and becoming a surer bet in Ekiti. So far, so good, it’s a merited call from the people who are happy with the current situation in Ekiti, made possible by Oyebanji’s sincerity of purpose.

    • Dipe writes from Ado Ekiti.
  • Bowing for BAO

    Bowing for BAO

    Six criteria can be employed for assessing the performance of Ekiti State governors. In an atmosphere devoid of subjectivity, the six conditions are non-negotiable. Their combination would almost set a pattern in leadership recruitment.

    The first is that an Ekiti governor is expected to be an ‘Omoluabi.’ Although a Yoruba axiom acknowledges that nobody can walk without swaying the head (a kii moo rin k’ori ma fi), it is a minimum criterion that the leader should be substantially morally upright. This, in part, is the foundation of patriotism.

    An Ekiti governor should be highly principled. This is more than the value of valour. His watchwords are honesty, integrity, and honour.

    The second is that an Ekiti helmsman should be highly educated. This is because as it was said in those days, education was the major industry in the Fountain of Knowledge. It, therefore, also implies that he should always be eager to defend the education sector and the pursuit of knowledge and learning by the younger ones who are projected as future leaders.

    The third is that no dictator can survive in Ekiti, where the founding fathers, having evolved the Pelupelu principle, subscribed to confederal democracy.

    It is instructive to note that through the “cooperative, joint effort” of the pathfinders, Ekiti sacked Ibadan colonial masters from its territory. The architects, motivators, and patrons of the Ekiti Parapo Army of Liberation were the traditional rulers, nobles, and traditional warriors. Their descendants fought for and achieved state creation in 1996.

    The corollary or elements of that confederal democracy of yore were independence and liberty. Thus, there is no single or dominant paramount ruler whose territory covers the whole of Ekiti. But group survival made mutual cooperation, inclusion, and democratic representativeness more compelling, based on equity, justice, and fair play. No appointed, selected, or elected leader can lord it over the state. There is no room for any lord of manor in the state.

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    The fourth is that in whatever circumstance, an Ekiti State governor should be a rallying force. The reason is that Ekiti, a unique sub-Yoruba ethnic group, is fundamentally one zone, its division into three senatorial districts for expediency notwithstanding. An Efon man does not see himself as an alien in Ado or Ikere. A man from Ikole sees the people of Ijero as his kinsmen. There is no discrimination. The import of this is that the governor should oversee the affairs of the state, including the distribution of amenities without partiality or preferential treatment.

    The fifth is that an Ekiti State governor should never be a personification of corruption. Where would he say he inherited the vice from? There is a linkage between the first and fifth criteria. Graft and theft are antithetical to the Omoluabi spirit.

    Ekiti is struggling financially. There should be nothing to steal there. If the governor of Ekiti becomes richer than when he assumed the reins, it will be at the expense of the state. The sleaze will take its toll on public welfare.

    The sixth is that because the state is lagging in infrastructural provision, the governor that Ekiti needs – as a leader who wants to be remembered for a long time – is the one who focuses on infrastructural development. The corridor of power is not for the visionless and the indolent. Governance cannot be a tea party in Ekiti State.

    If the scorecard of ‘Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, incumbent governor of Ekiti, is assessed, based on these parameters, opinion is not likely to be divided. He will achieve a high rating and earn applause from the people of over 120 towns and villages who savour good governance under his dynamic leadership.

    The onus is on Ekiti indigenes at home and in the Diaspora to support the current administration to reposition the state for greater heights. To succeed in his transformational agenda, the governor also needs the support of the Federal Government and the private sector.

    Ekiti, which never got a take-off grant when it was created, needs special economic assistance from the Federal Government. Due to the facilities being put in place by the governor to enhance the ease of doing business, the private sector should also perceive the state as an investment destination.

    BAO, as fondly called by admirers from far and near, has succeeded in presiding over a peaceful state in the last one and a half years. There is no acrimony among the three organs of government as they cooperatively discharge their constitutional duties as partners in progress and under the mutual understanding of separation of powers.

    Also, Oyebanji’s style of governance has endeared him to leading opposition figures in the state, especially those who have joined forces with the leaders of the ruling party to appraise the administration and endorse him for a second term. The founding fathers who fought for state creation have nodded affirmatively in acknowledgment that the governor is fulfilling their vision for the state.

    It is a rare feat, and indeed an endorsement on its own, that Governors Niyi Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose, and Kayode Fayemi are building a wall around their beloved successor. Even, Governor Segun Oni is said to have no objection. Oyebanji is not destroying anybody’s legacies.

    Highly accessible, the governor has steered the affairs of the state with humility, decorum, and piety. He consults well and widely and he prioritises the distribution of developmental projects based on need analysis. The projects, and even the appointments, are evenly distributed among the local governments. There is a judicious allocation of resources, setting the pace in transparency, accountability, and credibility.

    Ekiti is not insulated from the effects of the economic downturn. Being a homeboy, Oyebanji feels the pulse of his people. He, therefore, rolled out genuine palliatives. The distribution was effectively and efficiently decentralised. The main targets were the rural poor. Civil servants and local government workers receive their salaries promptly. Retirees are not denied their pensions and gratuities. It is gratifying that Owo Arugbo, a novel social security, has been reintroduced for the aged. The governor paid N117 million to 1,950 people under the Ekiti State Social Transfer Programme.

    Also, loans, grants, and training have been given to artisans and peasants in various trades. The goal is to develop small and medium-scale enterprises.

    Agriculture is not neglected. There is the subsidy on improved seedlings, including cocoa, cashew, rice, maize and cassava. No fewer than 2,279 farmers have got farm inputs from the state government.

    There is the revatalisation of local government administration. Structures of participation and responsibility are expanded and strengthened. Improved funding for local governments imposes a duty on the chairmen and their councillors to justify their mandates. There is proper coordination and monitoring of council activities to ensure that the governor’s feats are replicated at the grassroots.

    The governor, the son of a retired teacher, is fortifying the education sector with improved funding. Parents and students showered praises on him recently, following the payment of N546.9 million WAEC/SSCE fees for 16,269 secondary school students. Oyebanji also approved bursaries for 167 indigenes studying at the Nigerian Law School.

    Infrastructural development is key. The state has experienced a deficit in this sector over the years. Federal roads are in a sorry state. The governor is implementing many intra and inter-township roads, thereby earning the applause of many traditional rulers and other community leaders. His decision to construct five kilometres of roads in each government is apt. But Oyebanji should sustain the pleas and pressure on the Federal Government, particularly the Works Minister, to come to the aid of Ekiti.

    Security of lives and property from harm’s way is essential. But, like his colleagues in other states, Oyebanji is a decorative chief security officer of Ekiti State and he does not directly control any security agency.

    However, he has decided to collaborate with the security agencies to secure the state. The crime rate has been reduced in Ekiti. Part of the collaboration is the donation of patrol vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carriers, helmets, bulletproof vests, tactical boots, batons, and other equipment to security agencies. The regional security outfit, Amotekun, is well-funded and its activities have generally contributed to a safer environment.

    Ekiti sons and daughters at home and in the Diaspora are proud of their state under the current administration. They repose a lot of trust and confidence in the governor. The people should pay their taxes and rates regularly. They should also take ownership of projects in their communities and team up with the government on their maintenance.

    Since 1999, no other Ekiti governor has been praised like Oyebanji by all and sundry. The governor is, therefore, in an enviable position. The onus is on him to sustain the tempo of his laudable performance and avoid pitfalls that can diminish his administration’s high rating.

    The governor looks poised to perform even better, if the people continue to support him in repositioning Ekiti to become a modern state of excellence.