Awo’s political philosophy, our template for Ekiti devt, says Oyebanji

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has said he would use the philosophy of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Premier of the old Western region, to drive development in the state.

He added that he would focus more on the welfare of the people above any other considerations.

Oyebanji also said his administration would undertake a radical review of academic curriculum in the state to expose students to cognate knowledge that would make them relevant in the 21st century economy. 

Oyebanji spoke on Friday during a Stakeholders’ Engagement session, where he gave account of his stewardship to the people in commemoration of his 100 days in office.

He told his audience that his government was committing huge resources to the promotion  of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, resolve power outage, propel  road infrastructure and tourism to buoy the economy and bring prosperity to the populace.

At the event with the theme, ‘Keeping Ekiti Working Towards Shared Prosperity’, the governor restated his commitment to the state residents, assuring them that he would continue to pay salaries and deductions without any hitch. He noted that salaries were paid, the resources would go round the market women and artisans thereby building a strong local economy in the state.

In the health sector, Oyebanji said efforts were being made to tame the migration of doctors  from the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and other health facilities overseas.

He said: “We don’t have oil in Ekiti,  but we have intellectual resources that we can deploy to develop our state. We have provided T- SCAN at EKSUTH and installing 12 others in our health facilities .

“We are making efforts to ensure that some of our doctors and other medical professionals  that are leaving Ekiti in droves stop and work here. We have agreed to some of their terms and demands”. 

He added that his administration has achieved a lot in the rehabilitation of Ado Ekiti and Ikole Ekiti township roads, saying other local government areas would follow suit to ensure the state attract national and international investors to the state.

In his effort to boost the economy of the state, the governor confirmed that the Independent Power Project of the state in Ado Ekiti would be inaugurated in May to power streetlights, government offices, hospitals, which might later upscale from the initial 1Mw to 5Mw in the nearest future.

The governor also said  the Ilupeju and Ijesa Isu power substations would soon be completed in collaboration with the Federal Government to end electricity problem in the northern area of the state as well as to include Omuo-Ekiti area which had been cut off the national grid for over eight years.

Oyebanji said his administration had concluded plans to remove all the challenges impeding youths from embarking in agricultural businesses by developing massive plans for the agricultural space through provision of farm seedlings, pest control, and cultivation of farmland.

“Chief Obafemi Awolowo is dead, but Chief was remembered more because of free education than because of any other thing, and that tells me that policy, though intangible that has a very fundamental effect on the lives of the populace will be more enduring and sustainable than any other thing. And I was elected to choose Awolowo’s philosophy of developing the people.

“One of the main policy thrust of his administration was to ensure that the welfare of  workers was accorded top priority. My administration is making workers welfare a top priority as well. To us, right from the time we started, we have been paying salaries regularly and I know that those who are doing cooperatives are also receiving their deductions and I have given matching order to Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General that payment of deductions must not fail because I promised workers that we are going to restore regular payment of deductions because workers rely on it to finance a lot of things, including payment of children school fees, building of houses and so on.“

Oyebanji thanked his immediate predecessor in office, Dr Kayode Fayemi; the first Civilian Governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and former governor Ayodele Fayose for their sundry support and counsel. He also thanked Ekiti State members of the National Assembly, for their support in attracting federal presence to the state, as well as the state lawmakers for their cooperation.

The event was also attended by the Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; wife of the governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Olubunmi Adelugba; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro; Head of Service, Bamidele Agbede, members of the National Assembly; members of the House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, labour union leaders; market women, Artisans and other stakeholders of the state