The Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji recently celebrated his 300 days in office as the number one citizen of the state with yet another stakeholders’ engagement. ‘YOMI AYELESO writes on the culture of periodic engagement with citizens Ekiti State.
During his inauguration as governor of Ekiti state on October 16,2022, Biodun Oyebanji promised the people of the state , among other things, constant and periodic engagement to serve as a vital platform to receive feedback from them and as well as update the residents on the activities of government. Right after inauguration, the governor assured the people of the state that every 100 days in the life of the administration, he would engage them across the state to build their trust, confidence and admiration in his administration. To him, the people who trooped out in the sun and the rain to vote during elections should be part of his administration right from the beginning for them to get right answers to questions bothering them.
In the first 100 days, stakeholders including traditional rulers, artisans, youths, civil servants, private organizations among others stormed Ado-Ekiti, the state capital for the maiden engagement held on January 27, 2023, which was well attended by citizens across the state. In Ido-Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the Northern senatorial district, another stakeholders meeting was held on May 12,2023 to mark the 200 days of the government with people across the 16 Local Government Areas converging on the ancient community to interact with the governor. On August 21, 2023, the governor interacted with the citizens on the activities of his administration and expectations, marking 300 days of the Oyebanji-led administration, in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state.
For the people, the decision of the governor to initiate the periodic engagement has closed the gap which hitherto existed between the government and the governed. The events afford the people especially looking at the rotational arrangement across the senatorial districts, the chance to see and engage their governor and his appointees while the governor receives firsthand feedback from the grassroots and gives account of stewardship. To further entrench the yearnings of the people to be part of government and taking inclusiveness to another level, the recent appointment of commissioners and special advisers, who were nominated by people in their respective communities and local government areas, were pointers to the fact that the governor wants the people to be partners and owners of his six points agenda in a bid to keep Ekiti working towards shared prosperity.
Speaking during the 300 days stakeholders engagement, Oyebanji declared that his government had expended a sum of N213 million to lift 2,600 indigent citizens from poverty under the social investment component of his administration. Giving an explicit breakdown of the fund expended on social security, Oyebanji said his government spent the sum of N96 million on 600 persons under Ekiti State Livelihood Grant component, and N117 million benefited from the Ekiti State Cash Transfer Unit meant to salvage the poorest of the poor from excruciating poverty. He said he had released a cumulative 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.
In a bid to expand the scope of food production for Ekiti to ascend food security status, the governor revealed that his government had rehabilitated 43.4 kilometre of roads in six local governments, besides distributing subsidised farm inputs to 2,279 to farmers. In the area of infrastructure and industrialisation, known as the backbones and pivots of any economy, Oyebanji said his government would be strategic in reconstructing and rehabilitating roads, assuring that only roads with high proclivities to drive his prosperity agenda will be accorded attentions. He posited that the 3.5MW Independent Power Plant project was 90 per cent complete to supply light to government offices and tertiary institutions in Ado Ekiti and suburbs, saying this would rectify the epileptic power supply being experienced in some sections of the state.
Oyebanji said, “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 the 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 connected Ilawe 33KV line to Erinjiyan-Ikogosi.”
To control incidences of flooding and wreckage of buildings and other valuable property, Oyebanji said his government had dredged waterways at Oreremope community, Ureje-olaoluwa, Basiri-Olorunda, Omisanjana and other susceptible areas in the state. Dispelling the fear being nursed by some concerned citizens that the new appointees could slow down his pace of performance with their politicking, the governor said the new appointees were bringing additional value to the government, adding that rather than slow down the pace of work, the public should expect greater level of performance.
Addressing the new commissioners and cabinet members, the governor said, “ our administration will be a year old in a matter of weeks, so you are coming at a time that some foundations have been laid, some mileages have been covered and some achievements have been made. The implication is that there is not time waste. Therefore, you will be expected to connect and synergise with the existing platforms and persons to align with the principle and practice of our administration.” Taking into cognizance the huge acceptability the unprecedented stakeholders engagement has received from traditional rulers, youths, artisans, business owners, residents and other segments in the society, the governor has laid a solid foundation which would be crucial to the success of his administration.
. TheWitness
