By Dr. Ekundayo Moyo
(The Nation)
*“On my Unique Value Proposition (UVP), I have been a major player in both the private and public sectors; and my eleven years’ experience in governance has exposed me to the nuances of governance and also being a private sector person, it has also exposed me to the pains and issues in the private sector … We also know that expectations of the people keep increasing on a daily basis, so we must be able to navigate all these curves and deliver on the promises we have made to our people.
And we can only deliver this by doing more with less, by prioritizing issues that will give happiness to the greatest number of our people; and by reducing wastes in governance; and by also ensuring that we rely more on the use of technology; and reduce our error margin to the barest minimum.” – Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Nation, Sunday 12th June 2022.*
Incidentally, 16th of October 2022 fell on a Sunday. This author, then serving as a columnist with the Nation’s newspaper, wrote an article titled: “EKITI: Enter Excellent Era!” Coincidentally, that day was the official inauguration of the Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji as the state helmsman in Ado Ekiti.
The state capital, Ado Ekiti, was in an ecstatic mood with the creme de la creme of the Nigerian society. Yours sincerely was amongst the enthusiastic and elated Ekitikete present at the venue of the inauguration – Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado Ekiti.
It was marked with pomp and pageantry! This writer, being a dogged follower, fan and friend of Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) for 10 years, had a one-to-one talk with him a few days preceding the June 18, 2022 gubernatorial election in Ekiti. BAO, as popularly called by his adherents and admirers, having been in the corridors of power in Ekiti for the past 11 years stated inter alia: “. . . We also know that expectations of the people keep increasing on a daily basis, so we must be able to navigate all these curves and deliver on the promises we have made to our people. And we can only deliver this by doing more with less … and by reducing wastes in governance; and by also ensuring that we rely more on the use of technology.”
Juxtaposing the article of 16th October 2022 with the scenario on ground in Ekiti, a lot of water has gone under the bridge. It is akin to a pilot taking off announcing to his passengers cheerfully of an excellent weather at take-off, and seemingly similar weather at landing, only to be confronted whilst airborne, and some minutes into the trip, with an unexpected storm. Consequently, BAO as a dexterous pilot, adept to nuances of politics and governance has to manoeuvre the plane on course despite the lumpy bumpy ride! It is therefore not unexpected the delay in constituting the full cabinet, resolving the then imbroglio in the Ekiti House of Assembly that many analysts foresaw lingering to months as it happened in Ogun and Edo States, and surmounting the initial low morale of pensioners and civil servants, owed backlog of entitlements. BAO, being a processed person and great listener took headlong the challenges and with God and the good people of Ekiti on his side navigated the ship of state to a safe haven! Indeed, truth must be told, the time we thought certain targets would be met definitely has shifted, albeit the ship of state is on course by the strategic and sagacious steps taken thus far in putting round pegs in round holes in appointments; creation of new agencies and restructuring of existing agencies; and focusing on such programmes and projects that are directly linked up to the 6 Strategic Actionable Pillars of the administration. Ekiti now has the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Ministry of Youth Development; Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment; and Ministry of Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Ministry of Transportation, etc.
As a corollary, in his televised broadcast to the people of Ekiti on the 27th year of her existence and coincidentally Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, Governor Oyebanji succinctly and saliently applauded the contributions of past helmsmen of the state, mentioning them one by one, believing that they had contributed their quota to the development of Ekiti quoting Williams Shakespeare who depicted the world as a stage while we, human beings, are players.
In his own diction: “. . .but the business of nation building is a growing concern. It is never a completed task; each generation is faced with different challenges and the test of their place in history is how well they are able to courageously confront the most pressing of their contemporary challenges. Today, we are generally faced with the web of challenges of insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and inequality.” The Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji – led administration, in rightly responding to these contemporary challenges, emerged with the 6 Strategic Actionable Pillars with the ultimate aim of impacting shared prosperity to Ekitikete.
These 6 Pillars are: Youth Development and Job Creation; Human Capital Development; Agriculture and Rural Development; Infrastructure and Industrialization; Arts, Culture and Tourism; and Governance. All these, conscientiously and consciously, broken down into programmes and projects, are to ensure job creation, inclusive growth and collective development that will not leave anyone behind. The ultimate objective is shared prosperity. The incumbent government in Ekiti is really poised and focused in her developmental strides despite lean resources amidst high agitations for more interventions by the people. The government, in doing this, is aligning every programme to the Ekiti Development Plan 2021 – 2050.
Arising from the constitution of the full cabinet in early August 2023, all the executive members of the state cabinet and accounting officers were ushered into a robust and rigorous 3-day retreat at the famous Biodun Adetiloye Hall. The author of this piece was both a participant and a facilitator at the retreat.
It is noteworthy, and on record, that Governor Oyebanji displayed exemplary leadership in attending fully all the sessions of the 3-day retreat where all the Honourable Commissioners sign a performance charter, Thereafter, he stated that his government will commend results rather than efforts, and therefore enjoined all to work together towards results than indulging in activities leading to nowhere.
Oyebanji is upbeat on the continuity slogan seeing himself as an off-shoot of the Dr. John Kayode Fayemi administration. However, continuity means “completing all on-going projects of the immediate administration and abandoned projects of past administrations that are useful and valuable to Ekitikete.
For instance, the administration has completed the Ado Bus Terminal, the Ekiti Council of Traditional Rulers Chamber, 10 Secondary Health Facilities, Major Street Lights, Reconnection of Ekiti East/Ayekire, and some parts of Ekiti West and Ikole Local Government Areas to the National Grid after many years of darkness” (Oyebanji in his1st October 2023 address to Ekitikete).
It should be pointed out that virtually all arterial roads entering and exiting Ekiti were seemingly unmotorable as at the time of inaugurating the present government in October 2022. BAO swung into action with constant visit and interfacing with principal officers of the federal government and members of the National Assembly in Abuja. The numerous engagements paid off, as the federal roads were repaired and made motorable.
However, trailers and trucks have diverted from other bad roads in other states to the roads in Ekiti. It is alarming to witness them with heavy haulage that the roads were not designed for. It is hoped that the present Minister of Works, His Excellency, Engineer Dave Umahi, will pay attention to our plight in Ekiti by helping to link Ekiti with Osun, Ondo, Kogi and Kwara to engender socio-economic development with these neighbouring states.
Be that as it may, the incumbent government in Ekiti is not folding her arms whilst waiting for Abuja. In the word of the set man, Oyebanji: “we have also undertaken new projects such as: rehabilitation of many internal roads in Ado Ekiti, we are continuing with Ikole Township Roads, just as we are rehabilitating the Ilawe – Igede Road; Ado – Ilawe Road; Ikere – Ilawe; and Erijiyan – Ilawe Road.
We are also reconstructing the Igbara – Odo – Ikogosi; Ikole – Ara – Isinbode Road, among others, even as more projects would be captured for execution in the on-going budget preparation exercise.” This writer was present in a forum where Governor Biodun Oyebanji stated that the thinking of the government is strategic in concentrating on these roads.
It is in strategically linking up Ekiti with access to Akure, Ibadan and Lagos with a view to shortening the travel time. Hitherto, BAO is not relenting in shuttling between Ado and Abuja to meet key heads of federal agencies and core members of the National Assembly (NASS) thus amplifying the biblical Macedonian call: “Come and help us!”
According to the dreams of the founding fathers, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) is working in concert with the appropriate federal agencies in exploiting the abundant mineral resources in many parts of the state.
It is even consequential as the incumbent Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development is a proud son of Ekiti, in person of Mr. Dele Alake. There is indeed a titillating transformational trajectory, even though laced with processes and precepts, as the present administration in Ekiti led by the indefatigable and affable Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is assiduously working to actualize the shared prosperity mantra to Ekitikete. Harnessing our God-given mineral resources properly is a major way of creating wealth, increasing our internally generated revenue which is presently rising (kudos to Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS).
Arising from the State Treasury Board (STB) meeting recently, as part of the budgeting process towards enacting the state’s Appropriation Act 2024, there is tangible trajectory to transformation as the proposed Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) to Recurrent Expenditure is in the ratio of 45 to 55. It is worth pinpointing as previous budgets of few years back had less than 35% for CAPEX.
This is a pointer that Oyebanji means business in governance as he conscientiously and consciously intends touching the lives of Ekitikete in audaciously delivering life – impacting programmes and projects focusing on the 6 Strategic Actionable Pillars – the social contract that got him hired to serve Ekitikete.
It is noteworthy that every 100 Days, he had consistently presented his report card to the people stating succinctly that the Ekiti people, as his employer, should be updated with his stewardship accordingly.
The first 100 Days Stakeholders’ Engagement was in Ado Ekiti; the second, 200 Days in office, was in Ido Ekiti, whilst the third, signifying the 300 Days in office, took place in Omuo Ekiti. The choice of the towns was based on the Senatorial Districts – Ekiti Central, Ekiti North and Ekiti South, in that order.
It is not all gloomy in Ekiti. We may not be where we desire to be. However, in certain aspects of the Human Development Indices (HDI), the State has excelled. Ekiti is a front liner in Education, Life Expectancy, Access to Quality Health Care Services, Access to Water, Peace, Ease of Doing Business, Gender Equality, and Social Inclusion among others.
Ekiti is poised and positioned to deliver on the shared prosperity mantra of the Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji – led administration. In this regard, the Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD), ably supported by the government of Ekiti State, is keeping a tab on all MDAs to ensure timely delivery of their work plans.
It is the directive of Mr. Governor for all MDAs to have their work plans passed through OTSD before it can be captured in the 2024 budget.
This step has sifted the chaff from the wheat resulting in the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) – Recurrent Expenditure ratio of 45 to 55. It can only get better!
*Dr. John Moyo Ekundayo, Special Adviser/Director General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD) writes from Ado Ekiti, and could be reached at: drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com*