Oyebanji’s 300 Days of Higher Developmental Strides In Ekiti
On Monday, 21st August, 2023, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, marked his 300 days in office with a Town Hall meeting with all segments of the people of the state in Omuo Ekiti where he gave account of his stewardship.
Governor Oyebanji with his gesture of giving account every 100 days has raised the bar of governance and set a sterling example for other elected and appointed officials to emulate by choosing to communicate directly with the people who elected him rather doing so through proxies.
By so doing, he has counted the people he leads as very important in the Ekiti project and proving that they were the ones who employed him to the current position he occupied with their votes and they deserve to know how their resources are allocated and spent.
We recall that the first 100 days in office was celebrated in Ado Ekiti in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, the celebration of 200 days was held in Ido Ekiti in Ekiti North Senatorial District while the celebration of 300 days was held in Omuo Ekiti in Ekiti South Senatorial District.
We want to commend the style of the Governor in taking the forum of this magnitude round all the three senatorial districts and making residents of those zones having equal sense of belonging with every zone and local government area having an equal opportunity of hosting the state.
Although Governor Oyebanji had many good news to tell the people of the state on the performance of his administration across the six pillars agenda during the 300 Days Town Hall meeting, three areas caught our attention in which we want to commend him for.
They are his performances in Human Capital Development, Infrastructure and Governance with these three pillars playing huge roles in bettering the lives of the people, reducing poverty, attracting investment and smoothening the wheel of governance.
In Human Capital Development, we want to commend the Governor for reducing poverty in the state with payment of N117 million to 1,950 beneficiaries under Ekiti Social Transfer Component of the State Cash Transfer Unit; payment of N96 million to 600 beneficiaries under Ekiti Livelihood Grant Component of State Cash Transfer Unit and enrolment of 1,326 beneficiaries into Labour Intensive Public Works with N12,500 monthly stipends.
Under Governance, the Oyebanji Administration also incorporated empowerment with payment of N6.5 billion as salary to civil servants and teachers between April and July, N2.3 billion as pension to state pensioners, payment of one month pension arrears to local government retirees, N126 million housing loans to 1,084 beneficiaries and 2017 leave bonus to state and local government workers, all within the same period.
All these gestures have impact on the grassroots economy and their multiplier effects are unquantifiable. It is also gratifying to note that the Oyebanji Administration has defrayed all salary arrears the Governor met on ground.
Commitment to Ekiti people whether in the service of the government or those not in service of the government has not affected investment in infrastructure which is very critical to the improvement of the economy of the state.
Under infrastructure, we are glad to hear from the Governor that the 3.5 Megawatts Independent Power Project (IPP) is due for commissioning in September. This will make stable power supply available to key places like Government House, Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital with the Governor promising an extension to Ekiti State University.
It is good to learn that construction, rehabilitation and reconstruction of state roads and roads to farmsteads are also going on across the state with focus on the ones that are critical to the economic development and investment profile of the state.
The Governor’s announcement of completion of work on the Ado Ekiti City Bus Terminal which was commenced by the Fayemi Administration is a good development as it would be a solution to the traffic gridlock in Old Garage area and also boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
It is our belief that Governor Oyebanji is doing well and his 300 days in office has been a blessing to the people of Ekiti State but he must not relent; it can only get better as his administration bis gearing up to clock one year in office.
We want to urge the people of Ekiti State to continue to support him to do more in offering useful advice, constructive criticism, prayer and fulfillment of our civic obligations especially payment of taxes so that the government can have more positive impact on the lives of the citizenry.
Signed
Chief Ibukun Adejoro
President
Comrade Femi Olofinbiyi
Secretary
Ekiti Movement for Peace and Good Governance