Tag: Oyebanji

Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has cautioned the newly inaugurated 38 local government chairmen in the state to shun corruption.

Oyebanji gave the warning on Thursday, January 18, while flagging off a three-day retreat for the elected council chairmen and other top local government functionaries in Ekiti State, held at Adetiloye Hall, Ado Ekiti.

The Governor also warned the Chairmen and other officials in the council against dropping his name to perpetrate fraud, saying whoever is caught on the web will face the full weight of the law.

Oyebanji cautioned against moving public money into private accounts for direct labour projects, saying such an act is tantamount to fraud and won’t be tolerated under his leadership. 

Declaring open the retreat with the theme: “State and Local Government Strategic Planning and Implementation”, the Governor assured that under no guise would he interfere with how the money appropriated for the councils is expended.

“Sometimes around December 2023, I learnt local government officials in each of the councils deducted N1m out of the money approved for Christmas celebration and claimed they wanted to give it to me. I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me.

“This might be true and it might not be true. If it was true, I didn’t get any money. Let me be clear that I didn’t ask anybody to bring any money to me. And I didn’t collect any money. Henceforth, when you hear something of this nature, quickly contact me.

“Nobody should use my name for any fraudulent thing. I have made a covenant with God that such won’t happen under me. I am not going to touch your money, but I won’t allow you to spend it recklessly. Remember that humility in power is not a weakness, but a virtue.”

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Sharing his perspective on how an ideal local government system should be run, Oyebanji urged the Chairmen to be participatory, by consulting widely with all the communities to execute projects that would have a direct impact on the masses. 

He stated: “Let me state here today that opportunities come with responsibilities. Those who elected you did that for a purpose. Your conduct will make the people form an opinion about our government. Your election is not an invitation for luxury but for service.

“The question you should ask yourselves is, how do I make a difference in the lives of the people? Ask yourselves, how will I be remembered after this office? Three years is short and will soon come to an end. Will people still welcome you home or ignore you, the choice is yours.”

Oyebanji appealed to the council bosses to undertake projects that are 21st century compliant and that are based on the current economic realities to be able to reduce poverty, and unemployment and solve most challenges associated with the local communities.

He added: “What I have noticed is that our people are stereotyped about the Local Government system. This time, I don’t expect you to be buying rechargeable lights that will be dead tomorrow or building markets that nobody will use. Nothing stops the LG from doing electricity for a town that has not enjoyed light for 10 years, because the light is catalytic.

“Nothing stops the LG from helping the farmers with seedlings or providing tractorisation. Nothing stops you from empowering the traders.  These are projects that resonate with the people. I closed my eyes to some things done under the last LG administration to avoid rancour, but for you, we are in the same boat together. I can hold you accountable for any of your actions.”

Urging the new council helmsmen to be wary of their actions, Oyebanji reminded them that “you are a product of the people’s vote and your loyalty must be to the people. If your projects are popular among the people, the APC will be popular. After this retreat, go around the wards and collate what they want. It is the products that will form your Development Plans”.

For accountability, transparency and probity, Oyebanji promised that his government would set up a Procurement Process and Office of Transformation and Service Delivery in all councils to monitor expenditure and performance.

The Governor appealed to the council chairmen not to adopt direct labour for all projects, urging them to patronise local contractors.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has said he would not get distracted by underhand political scheming ahead of the 2026 governorship race in the state, describing the idea of second term as the least of his worries for now.

Oyebanji stated this on Saturday, at the grand finale of the 2024 Week of Prayer, organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in conjunction with the Ekiti State Government, held at Jibowu Hall, Government House, in Ado Ekiti.

At the intercessional programme, prayers were offered for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the success of his economic policies and programmes, as well as for security and progress for the country.

The Biodun Oyebanji administration was also rededicated to God for guidance and leading.

Addressing the congregation at the event which was a follow up to the maiden edition held on January 14, 2023, Governor Oyebanji said news had been filtering in that some politicians had started holding nocturnal meetings ahead of the 2026 governorship election, saying he won’t allow this to derail his focus in the interest of Ekiti citizens.

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“They said some people have started holding meetings, I am not bothered by this. For now, 2026 is the least of my worries. What I am really bothered about is leading Ekiti to prosperity, and allowing God to guide us.

“I have made a covenant that there won’t be tolerance for corruption, dishonesty, and disobedience to orders; so, I won’t allow second term ambition to distract me. Human beings can play politics, but God is the master politician. He knows how to take care of everything”.

In his testimony, Oyebanji relayed to the congregation that prayer and faith in God have made governance an easy task for him and not brilliance, exposure and any other factor.

“Let me tell you that work will commence in the coming weeks on the fly-over we planned to construct in Ado Ekiti to ease traffic in the business district around Ejigbo. This is just one of many other projects that will be undertaking.

“In the last one year, God has done in Ekiti what only He can do. People are asking, where is he getting the money?

 “Some said I didn’t have the right connections. But, God, in His infinite mercy, has sent me on a mission and when God says I should move, I do that and we have been able to meet the expectations of the people,” he said.

In his short Bible exhortation , the CAN Chairman in Ekiti, Reverend Emmanuel Aribasoye, charged Nigerians to always embrace justice and fair-play and run away from attitudes that can corrupt the system, for the nation to enjoy peace, unity and prosperity.

Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has said he would not get distracted by underhand political schemings ahead of the 2026 governorship race in the state, describing the idea of second term as the least of his worries for now. 

Oyebanji stated this on Saturday, January 12, at the grand finale of the 2024 Week of Prayer, organised by the  Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in conjunction with the Ekiti State Government, held at Jibowu Hall, Government House, in Ado Ekiti. 

At the intercessional programme, prayers were offered for President Bola Tinubu for the success of his economic policies and programmes as well as for security and progress for the country.

The Biodun Oyebanji administration was also rededicated to God for guidance and leading. 

Speaking to the congregation during the event, a sequel to the inaugural edition on January 14, Governor Oyebanji expressed concern about reports of politicians conducting secret meetings in preparation for the 2026 governorship election. 

He affirmed his commitment to maintaining focus and not allowing these activities to divert his attention from the welfare of Ekiti citizens.

He noted: “They said some people have started holding meetings, I am not bothered by this. For now, 2026 is the least of my worries. What I am really bothered about is leading Ekiti to prosperity, and allowing God to guide us. 

“I have made a covenant that there won’t  be tolerance for corruption, dishonesty, and disobedience to orders, so, I won’t allow second term ambition  to distract me. Human beings can play politics, but God is the master politician. He knows how to take care of everything”. 

In his testimony, Oyebanji relayed to the congregation that prayer and faith in God have made governance an easy task for him and not brilliance, exposure and  any other factor. 

“When I became the Governor, which I never believed in my wildest imagination,  I was asked to state what I wanted to go and do. I said God told me go and feed my people. That was why the first year, I  dedicated it to the welfare of my people. We were paying salary, pension, and gratuity .

“As we were doing all these, some people said what is going to be my legacy, they advised that I should go and do infrastruture. but I insisted that if I feed the people first, infrastructure will come. Because I was obeying God, money for infrastructure was being  provided.

“Let me tell you that work will commence in the coming weeks on  the fly over we planned to construct in Ado Ekiti to ease traffic in the business district around Ejigbo. This is just one of many other projects that will be undertaken. 

“In the last one year, God has done in Ekiti what only Him can do. People are asking where is he getting the money? 

“Some said I didn’t have the right connections. But, God, in His infinite mercy, has sent me on a mission and when God says I should move, I do that and we have been able to meet the expectations of the people. 

“God just thrust me forward knowing that I wasn’t the most brilliant , the most connected and I didn’t have anything called  political structures .The only thing I will continue to do is to exalt God in this position. There wasn’t any time I got worried that I am the Governor because I know He sent me on this mission”. 

Particularly, Oyebanji  appealed to the politicians and political office holders to always exhibit sacrificial spirit, saying they should perceive leadership as service to God and humanity. 

In his short Bible exhortation , the CAN Chairman in Ekiti, Reverend Emmanuel Aribasoye, charged Nigerians to always embrace justice and fair-play and run away from attitudes that can corrupt the system, for the nation to enjoy peace, unity and prosperity.

Quoting copiously from Luke 15: 20-22 and Hosea 6: 1, to espouse his spiritual views on the topic : “The Benefit  of Returning to the Lord God”, Aribasoye warned that no nation without proper restitution with God  can enjoy adequate  prosperity.

“In 2024, whatever we call sin, let us run away from it. Don’t make sin attractive by trying to give it any colouration. For God to forget our sins and deliver us, let us have faith, embrace justice and have  attitudinal change. With these, I know that God will heal our land, because Nigeria needs healing.  

“Our desires is that we live in peace, unity and enjoy economic prosperity. When we run to God with open and clean hearts and strong faith, he will surely do them for us. The promise of God for us is that we prosper this year, but he is calling us to return to him and we must do that without delay.”

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Delivering the second sermon at the event, the National Leader of Intercessor for Nigeria, Pastor Stephen Olumuyiwa, urged the Governor to work hard and redirect the state to the path of righteousness, honesty, integrity, unity,  peace and prosperity in 2024, for Ekiti to savour more infrastructural facelift.

“Under Oyebanji, there should be no tolerance for corruption, dishonesty, disorder and injustice. There shouldn’t be disobedience to order. This country has good laws, but the problem is implementation. We don’t implement laws, even in the house of God. But this shouldn’t happen in Ekiti, because the Governor has entered into covenant to lead with the fear of God”.

Present at the event were Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, Head of Service, Engr. Sunday Akomolafe, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Chairman, Council of Ekiti State Traditional Rulers, Oba Ilori Faboro, royal fathers, priests, civil servants, among others.

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has approved the appointment of business mogul, Dr. Tunji Olowolafe as the Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti.

 Olowolafe, who hails from Are-Ekiti is a medical doctor -turned businessman with decades of professional experience and an excellent reputation.

He is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Deux Project Limited, a civil engineering, construction, consultancy, and maintenance company, which he co-founded in 1988. He had previously served as a member of the Ekiti State Covid-19 Resource Mobilization Committee.

Read Also: Oyebanji appoints Olowolafe as Ekiti varsity chancellor

Olowolafe, a graduate of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, had a brief stint in medical practice before launching his career as a business owner. He is also the founder of Generic Product Limited, which he launched in 1996, and the Chairman and Managing Director of Deux Investment Limited.

 The appointment is with immediate effect.

The Ekiti state chapter of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned former governor Ayodele Fayose over the purported endorsement of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for second term.

Fayose had recently during the New Year celebration with members of the Osoko Political Family (OPA) in Lagos openly endorsed Governor Oyebanji for second term, saying that the governor has done well and deserves to run for second term.

The former governor had also made a similar endorsement of Oyebanji for a second term during the Church service held to mark the one year anniversary of the governor in office in October last year.

However, the stakeholders of the party in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state capital on Tuesday, January 9, condemned in totality the purported endorsement of Oyebanji  by Fayose and his group in Lagos.

The stakeholders, consisting of leaders of the party drawn from the 16 local government areas of the state, called on the national leadership of the party to completely expel the former governor and his followers who participated in the alleged shameful endorsement.

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In a communiqué which was read at the end of the meeting by the former state publicity secretary of the party, Jackson Adebayo, the party warned members not to be carried away by the alleged antics of Fayose, saying that PDP is not for rent.

The party stakeholders also resolved that all the branches of the party at the local government level should commence the process of suspension of any members of the party that followed Fayose in his alleged anti-party activities. 

The zonal publicity secretary of the PDP,  Sanya Atofarati who spoke at the parley, said that though the former governor has a right to support anyone for second term; such endorsement does not represent the position of PDP at the state and national level. 

He said: “We are not members of APC and we are not supporting Governor Oyebanji for a second term. We don’t see any significant thing he has done to warrant the endorsement.  We in the southwest and the national leadership dissociate ourselves from his purported endorsement by Fayose”.

The meeting called for the unity  of all members and groups within the party so that the party could reclaim its lost glory, saying that ward meetings should be held  across the local government areas..

The governor of Ekiti state, Biodun Oyebanji, has applauded the outgoing local government chairmen for their outstanding performance in their respective council areas.

Oyebanji disclosed that he was impressed by the chairmen’s performances and services to Ekiti, describing their efforts in the last two years they have been in the saddle as satisfactory.

The governor stated these in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, at a valedictory luncheon organised in honour of the outgoing Chairmen of Local Government/Local Council Development Areas, by the Ministry of Local Government Affairs.

The event which was also gravely by the deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, came a day ahead of the inauguration of newly elected council chairmen billed for Thursday, January 4.

During his interaction with the local government henchmen, Oyebanji appreciated them for giving their best to the state, saying that their performance had shored up the level of progress and development at the third tier of government.

“On behalf of the good people of Ekiti State and your councils, I stand here to thank you for your services to the state and for helping in delivering democracy dividends to our people.

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“You have all done well, history will continue to be kind to you. You deserve to be honoured and celebrated because you have done so well.” 

The governor assured the local government chairmen that their successors will complete all ongoing projects they have started, saying his government has a strong aversion to abandoned projects at the council level in the interest of Ekiti citizens.

Oyebanji said: “For those that have been returned, I congratulate you. Those that are not returned, there is no point to fear about tomorrow, it is common to public office holders. There are times for entry and exit. If you are exiting, see it as part of life.”

Oyebanji appealed to the council bosses to put behind them the acrimonies of the recent party’s primary, saying the future is still bright for those who had done exceedingly well in serving the people.

“Wherever we find ourselves as politicians, we must be humble with power. You must connect with the people, and treat them with respect and honour. You must also serve God.  If God has singled you out among the people to lead, try and get closer to him.”

Speaking further about political contest, Oyebanji said: “It is not a game one should be angry over. I have lost elections two times. I lost with former Governor Niyi Adebayo in 2003. I lost with Governor Kayode Fayemi in 2014. So, those that will not be coming, don’t see it as the end of life. Don’t limit God, he can still take you to a higher position”.

Applauding the governor for giving direction on how best to make the councils more productive, the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Ekiti chapter, Olabode Adetunji, hinged their performances to a high level of financial independence allowed by the Oyebanji in councils.

Adetunji, who doubles as the chairman of Efon local government, promised that the incoming council henchmen will back the governor in the realisation of his dream at the local government level.

He said: “You are a special breed of Governor. You allowed the local governments to be free and flourish. That is why we are having projects all over the state. Be rest assured that the incoming ones will build on our legacies. We appreciate the governor for giving us this opportunity to serve.”