Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who has just marked his second year in office, has discussed his achievements and challenges in governance. He reflects on the impactful achievements of his administration, including providing infrastructure, supporting farmers and business owners, ramping up security architecture, paying pensioners’ gratuities, paying workers’ salaries promptly, and paying outstanding arrears and leave bonuses subventions.
Oyebanji acknowledges that balancing various sectors of the state’s development has been challenging due to the unknown variables in government. However, he sees himself as fortunate to be part of the last administration as the Secretary to the State Government, which laid a 30-year development plan for Ekiti State. The six pillars of this administration are an offshoot of the perspective plan, which recognizes that one government cannot do everything at the same time.
To balance all sectors, Oyebanji communicates his priorities to the people, earning their trust and ensuring they do not fail them. He wants to be remembered as a governor that tells the truth all the time. As the people of Ekiti move into the third year of his administration, they have agreed at the Executive Council that they must meet the deadline of major projects, with the third year budget designed to address the completion of those projects but with emphasis on agriculture and the welfare of the people.
Oyebanji has tackled the issue of insecurity in the state to assure investors that Ekiti is safe to live, work, and invest. He has held periodic security meetings with chiefs and major stakeholders in the state, scaling up intelligence to prevent issues. He has adopted a system in communities across the state that provides intelligence about criminal elements in society and allows them to respond before they strike.
Oyebanji also thanks the people for volunteering information and trusting him to handle the situation. After the killing of some Obas, he held a meeting with the Traditional Rulers’ Council and agreed to put in place ‘Agro Marshalls’ strategically distributed across farmsteads in the state to protect farms, farmers, and host communities alike. They have also improved on their technology for the advancement of state security.
Oyebanji has changed the narratives of Ekiti by being a servant-leader and an apostle of soft power and leadership. He believes that politics ended after taking an oath to protect the Constitution of Nigeria and serve the people regardless of political affiliation. As the governor, Oyebanji sees all of us as indigenes of Ekiti, not belonging to party A, B, or C.
In the last two years, the Ekiti government has demonstrated humility, compassion, empathy, and transparency. Trust is an essential element in politics, and the people know that when their governor makes a promise, it will be done. The governor seeks advice from all leaders in the state, making it easy for them to relate with him. This peaceful coexistence with everyone, regardless of political affiliations, has led to peace in the state.
However, there have been consequences for this decision, including people not being accustomed to this style and elements within the party not comfortable with it. There have been ripples within the APC due to these choices, but the government believes it is in the interest of the Ekiti people. The government has the backing and support of critical leaders in the party, and party members are getting used to this new style.
As the midterm approaches, the government plans to carry out cabinet reshuffle in line with Key Performance Indicators set for cabinet members. The Office of Transformation, Service and Delivery (OTSD) has carried out assessments of members of the Executive Council twice, and the government has invested in agriculture, particularly the ‘Bring Our Youth to Agric’ initiative.
The government is looking for money for farmers through cooperative societies to help them plant and take loans. By next year, more efforts will be made to turn the curve on this issue. However, most farmers have not joined cooperatives, and it takes a lot of advocacy to change this orientation.
In conclusion, the Ekiti government has shown humility, compassion, empathy, and transparency in recent years, demonstrating trust and respect for its citizens. The government is working to turn this trend towards more sustainable practices and ensuring that farmers have access to capital for their agricultural needs.
The Bring Back Our Youth to Agriculture program is a commendable initiative, initiated by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security and the state investment promotion agency. The program has trained 930 youths in partnership with a private sector, resulting in the cultivation of over 2,000 hectares of crops across six clusters across Ekiti State. The program aims to off-take, store, and release the products to the market next year when there is shortage. However, challenges remain, such as the need to store the products due to vandalism during the #EndSARS protest.
The government fears that storing the products in town could be looted, which would defeat the project’s aim of crashing prices of these items in Ekiti State. To address this issue, the government plans to continue building warehouses and silos for storage.
In his last two years in office, the President made a promise to pensioners to pay their gratuities, and they started paying as promised. One local government pensioner who had been in the queue for over 14 years received his cheque at the Lady Jibowu Hall, Government House Grounds.
The program is currently in midterm, and the Governor will meet with the DG of OTSD to assess the performance of members of EXCO and provide assistance if needed. The program’s success is a testament to the commitment of the government to supporting agriculture and food security in Ekiti State.
The governor of Ekiti State, Akinwa Ikpe, has been addressing the challenges faced by farmers in the state. He has been working on the ‘Bring Our Youth to Agric’ initiative, which aims to provide financial support to farmers who lack access to capital. The government is working to turn this curve by next year, but it is crucial that most farmers join cooperative societies to ensure they are in charge of prices when it is time for them to sell.
The Bring Back Our Youth to Agriculture program has been a success, with 930 youths cultivated over 2,000 hectares of crops across six clusters across the state. However, there are still challenges to be addressed, such as the need to store the products before they are released to the market. The silos used for storage were vandalized during the #EndSARS protest, and the government fears that storing the products in town could be looted.
The governor has made a promise to pay pensioners their gratuities, and they have started doing so. One local government pensioner who had been waiting for over 14 years to receive his pension came to his office to pick up his cheque. The governor has vowed to continue paying gratuities, pension, and other outstanding dues to the people. This day has been considered the most memorable day for him.
As the governor, Ikpe has been able to balance his social and work life as he has been able to do so. He has been able to support his wife and children by attending social functions out of necessity, but he has always loved public service and is passionate about it. He also spends his free time at the farm, apart from spending time with family.
The Office of Transformation, Service and Delivery (OTSD) has carried out assessments of members of the Executive Council twice, and I have the reports. I am fair and will assess the performances of members of EXCO to determine if there are those who need help. If there are those who cannot help, they will have to leave the cabinet.
Ikpe will be guided by facts and will ensure that those who do not measure up to the threshold will leave the government
