Three hundred days after he assumed office, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has given the account of his stewardship to the people. Our Correspondent RASAQ IBRAHIM examines his administration’s activities and the tasks ahead.
n Ekiti State, a new air is blowing. The people are feeling the positive impacts of good governance under Governor Biodun Oyebanji. His giant imprints are perceptible in Ado-Ekiti, Ijero-Ekiti, Ikere-Ekiti, Ikole, Oye-Ekiti, Ido, Aramoko and among other towns.
The governor, fondly called ‘BAO’ by his admirers, is really walking the talk on the promises he made to the people during the electioneering period. Since October 16, 2022 when he took over the baton of power, Oyebanji has been consistent in implementing life changing programmes and policies. So, the citizens are ecstatic that they made the right choice at the ballot.
Oyebanji, through his actions and deeds, has been providing the leadership and courage required to reposition the state on the surest path of greatness through strategic interventions and meaningful executions of progressive action plans.
He came forth with a deep knowledge of Ekiti having served in different positions under former governors Adeniyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi. So, he understand the nuances of governance like the wavy lines on his palm.
Oyebanji is blessed with both knowledge and intelligence. This is a governor who rises above the banality of politics and poised to disrupt the existing status quo in a way that is not merely incremental, but transformative for the greater benefit of Ekiti people.
The Oyebanji-led government has been consistently matching words with actions and working tirelessly with the intention to transform into reality the shared prosperity agenda of making Ekiti epicentre of development and model for good governance.
From his rapid response to victims of disasters to putting smiles on the faces of the retirees, giving lifelines to the less privilege and hope for the hopelessness, providing shelters for the homeless and succours to the widows, Oyebanji has come to symbolises leadership that has a caring heart.
Oyebanji is not only popular among the ‘commoners’ through his populist style of leadership but also genuinely shown affection by other segments including the traditional rulers, civil servants and the elites as well as members of the opposition parties.
His passion to turn around Ekiti state is untiring. The last three hundred days in office he had spent in office have been busy, painstaking and momentous. He embraced governance with intelligence, passion, candour, demonstrated humility, and shunned idleness.
The governor ‘hardly sleeps’ with a view to making life abundant for the people and ensuring that Ekiti is well positioned on the grid of excellence. Oyebanji who arrives office at about 8:15 am each day sometimes stays there till 2’o clock the following morning. He is always locked in strategic meetings with the Heads of Ministeries, Department and Agencies to brainstorm on how to make Ekiti greater.
He also holds meetings with traditional rulers, ethnic-based associations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, political parties, interest groups, development partners among others in his belief that governance is a collective responsibility.
It’s unarguable that Oyebanji’s approach to governance has been yielding positive results with new grounds being breaken in the quest towards making Ekiti state a leading light among comity of states in the federation and even beyond Nigeria’s borders. He has continued to give the Land of Honor focused and qualitative governance that has been responsive, open and accountable to the people.
When he took over mantle of leadership, the governor immediately reeled off his area of concentrations, promising in his maiden address, to implement a 6-pillars developmental agenda to fast track rapid social and economic development of the state.
His administration’s action plan was one of the best in the country. It contains well -specified vision and mission statements subdivided under various headlines that cover practically every aspect of lives of the citizenry. The agenda cover aspects of governance, youth development and job creation,human capital debelopment, infrastructures and industrialisation, Art, Culture and Tourism, and agriculture and rural development.
Expectedly, Oyebanji has been pursuing his agenda religiously to the admiration of the people. He did not leave any of his agenda on promissory note but walking the talk as utmost priority were accorded to all spheres of governance. To this end, public institutions have been animated to measure up to the expectations of the citizenry.
Under Oyebanji’s watch, Ekiti is wearing a new look. From standard asphalt roads, viable agricultural initiatives, youths and women empowerment, sustainable and accessible healthcare development to improved security and education sector, the general consensus is that Ekiti State is in a safe hand.
Other sectors of the economy have in one way or the other witnessed holistic overhaul to improve the living standard of the citizens. Ekiti state has become beehive of economic activities and the hitherto youth restiveness has also become thing of the past as youths and women have been engaged in self-reliance adventures.
He has also returned relevance to local government administrations in the state. He made the promise to allow the local government to enjoy independence and that has been happening. So, that is why local government chairmen are flagging off and commissioning people-oriented projects, a departure from the old older.
The administration has also put in place diverse supportive initiatives to empower operatives of the informal sector through easy access to financial services as well as required tools and provision of other technical backings. Additionally, postive atmosphere was created for industrial development and policies were put in place to stimulate the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
For the people of the state, Oyebanji is a model of purposeful leadership not only the state but the country as a whole. He has restored the people’s confidence in government through his all-inclusive and participatory approach which has made citizens to be part of the developmental processes.
The administration directly involved the traditional institution in the management of the state. This much was confirmed recently by Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe who expressed satisfaction with Oyebanji’s approach to governance and particularly how the governor places a premium on the will of the people over any other considerations.
He has not failed in updating the people on how the affairs of the state are being managed. Since inception of the present administration, three Town Hall Meetings have been held in the three senatorial district of the State on a rotational basis to update the citizens on the activities of government and to also get feedback on the areas of focus.
The situation was not different at the last stakeholders’ engagement held in Omuo Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government to commemorate his 300 days in office.
At the venue of the event, MiMS Kultural Event Centre, Iludofin were the traditional rulers, aged, artisans, market women and men, politicians from the ruling APC, the opposition People Democratic Party and Social Democratic Party (SDP), transport workers, students and members of the various professional bodies.
Many of them were there to listen to the number one citizen on how he has fared in 300 days of his administration.Though the programme was slated for 10:00 am, but by 9:00 am people had filled the hall to capacity eagerly waiting to receive the governor.
The jubilant mamoth crowds who rented the air with various songs intermittently, expressed satisfaction on the governor’s achievements and commended him for making it possible for them to enjoy the superlative services as well as dividends inherent in democratic governance.
At the meeting, which is the third in the series, the governor rendered account of his stewardship in the last three hundred days and offered Ekiti people a peep into the future of the administration with the pledge to sustain tempo of development in the state.
Rendering accounts of his stewardship, the governor recalled that arising from his action plan he hit the ground running from the onset and was thankful today of the achievement his administration has achieved so far.
Oyebanji said he was not deterred by the herculean task before him, adding that he confronted the challenges headlong, with the financial and moral support he received from the people.
He revealed that his administration has spent a humongous sum of N96 million on 600 individuals under the Ekiti State Livelihood Grant and N117m benefited from the Ekiti State Cash Transfer Unit to salvage the poorest of the poor from excruciating poverty.
He added that a cummulative sum of N800 million to tertiary institutions as subvention arrears, while he paid N400 million to defray outstanding obligations to State Universal Basic Education Board contractors.
Oyebanji stated that his government is currently building two model schools in Ikole and Ikere Ekiti to complement the four magnificent structures earlier constructed in Ado Ekiti by the administration of Dr Kayode Fayemi.
He said, “Aside the 2,600 that benefited from our cash transfer grants, we have registered 1,326 beneficiaries into Labour Intensive Public Works, with N12,500 monthly stipend. We also distributed N24m to victims of disasters in Oke Ako and Ijesa Isu Ekiti.
“We have distributed N50m worth of relief materials to beneficiaries through the Federal Government Special National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention Programme. These are intended to make lives easy for our people”.
In a bid to expand the scope of food production for Ekiti to ascend food security status, the governor revealed that his government has rehabilitated 43.4 kilometre of roads in six local governments besides distributing subsidised farm inputs to 2,279 to farmers.
“My government has supported 1,566 farmers with both production assets and small scale processing equipment likewise providing 25% subsidy tractorisation to farmers”.
In the area of infrastructures which is the backbones and pivots of any economy, Oyebanji said his government has began construction and rehabilitation of roads across the state including the the Ilawe-Ikere Road, Ado township Roads, Ikole township Roads, Ado-Ilawe Road, Ilawe-Igede Ekiti Road, Ayegunle-Ijurin-Iloro Ekiti Road, Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki Road, Ifaki- Ido road, Imesi-Kosomolate-Ipole Road.
He posited that the 3.5MW Independent Power Plant project is 90% completion to supply light to government offices and tertiary institutions in Ado Ekiti and suburb, saying this would help rectify the erratic power supply being experienced in some part of the state .
“We are reconnecting Ikogosi , Erijiyan and Ikogosi Resort Centre back to the national grid to enhance the state tourism corridor. We need a sum of one billion naira to reconnect Ayekire , Ekiti East Local governments and their LCDAs after 10 years of darkness as well as Agriculture Processing Zone at Ikole back to the national grid.
“We have installed solar lights at Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti to lit up the area and checkmate criminals who were using the spot as criminal hideout. This government has extended the 33KV at Omisanjana Transmission Substation to Baptist High School and connection of Ilawe 33KV line with Erinjiyan-Ikogosi”.
In the health sector, the governor said the Primary Health care has received unprecedented attention while Tertiary Health facilities have been upgraded to meet the medical needs of the people.
In the area of security, Oyebanji rued the reported cases of kidnappings around Imesi-Ode-Omuo axis, saying Amotekun had been restructured and strengthened to rise to the occasion of ensuring peace and security across all the towns in Ekiti.
Commenting on Oyebanji’s scorecard, a community leader, Elder Thomas Ibidapo said his administration has exhibited a highly commendable performance in the last 300 days.
He said Ekiti State never had it this good since its creation in 1996, noting that the
numerous policies and programmes of the present government have enhanced the livelihood of residents.
“We have seen governor before but we have not seen any like her. He brings the dividends of democracy to the doorstep of the masses. We are very proud of him and his performances”
“Going by oyebanji’s performance in its first 300 days in office, it’s my belief that the future is, indeed, bright for the state. The trackable and verifiable statistics of his performance left no doubts about his firm grasp of Ekiti”, he added.
