Fact remains Ekiti State governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, tops the table among state governors who have visited Mr. President more often. On his part, and idiosyncratic of his personae, Mr. President has always graciously opened his doors and welcomed him or anyone for that matter because he remains the father of the nation, and regardless of individual’s political leanings. However, Governor Oyebanji’s constant visits at every point have always been to seek for one favour or the other to which President Tinubu has never for once rebuffed his request. It is given that Mr. President pampers him like a son that he oughts to be even when the law of reciprocity enjoins that such privilege should have a commensurate deliverables concomitant with it. However, and sadly too, the facts on ground speak in direct opposite.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has been more than supportive to the Ekiti State government even when it did not give Mr. President the highest number of votes from the South West region. Mr. President’s mindset may have stemmed out of the fact that Ekiti State would play very prominent role, especially on his administration’s agenda for its planned agricultural revamp. It is expected that the state would be a hub for other South West states. Besides, it is an unequivocal fact that Mr. President is a man who shows immense gratitude for whatever favour he gets from any individual or group of individuals, however infinitesimal such favour may be. It is an open and shut fact that Ekiti has largely benefitted the more from Tinubu’s administration. The entire Ekiti Kete across the 131 principal towns alongside other communities are eternally grateful to Mr. President for the many interventions from his administration.
Alas! Minds are worried. Many are disconsolate. Faces are crestfallen. Hope expected to be renewed is dashed on quotidian. And the question arises, why are people disenchanted? The answer is simple. People could not see the many interventions of Mr. President translate to anything tangible across the state. Not even his last visit to Mr. President over the weekend with the Senate Leader, Sen. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, even though it was to seek another intervention in the state, would translate to anything meaningful. This is not far-fetched. That has been his Governor Oyebanji’s style. Pay a visit to Mr. President to seek for favour, then divert the resources into private use. However, this last visit was meant to serve dual purpose – get favour from the president on one hand, and on the other hand use it to create an aura of ‘endorsement’ by Mr. President as already being spun by his e-vuvuzelas.
In all of these Governor Oyebanji’s jiggery-pokery and his desperate bid to return to Oke-Ayoba Government House, his visits numbering about 20 to the State House in the last 2 years should at least translate to something visible for the people. How many federal roads have such visits fixed in the state? Where are the gains from the agriculture revolution funded by Mr. President? It is on record that not lower than N200billion had been released by President Tinubu for agriculture in Ekiti. Sadly, today nothing has come out of it, not even a tuber of cassava has been processed. Over 50 schools demolished by the state government for being dilapidated are still waiting for attention in over 2 years. How about the comatose health sector and infrastructure decay ubiquitous across the state? Where are the billions coming into the state’s coffers going to? Everywhere across the state is full of decay.
Instead of Governor Oyebanji focusing on governance and letting his stellar performance speak for him, he is busy ‘globetrotting’ albeit locally to seek for endorsement. While alliance is part of deepening democracy, alliance imbued in desperation is insalubrious for the polity – this is because governance suffers for such. Besides, alliance is only germane where there exists serious opposition. But in the case with Ekiti, the main opposition the governor faces is his own party. His neglect of the party itself, his nonchalance to the electorates who won the mandate for him. His indifference to people in the face of excruciating hunger and despite Mr. President’s intervention all combined to work against his return. Only last week, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released August data where Ekiti topped the list of states with the highest inflation rate 28.17%. As inflation at the national statistics keeps dropping, now for the fifth month running, Ekiti keeps soaring higher because of a government that only runs on propaganda.
The entire populace will like to appeal to Mr. President to ask Governor Oyebanji for his scorecard in the last 3 years. Rather than engage in endless search for endorsement, can the governor address the incessant flooding and erosion that have engulfed the state, especially the state capital – Ado-Ekiti? Can Governor Oyebanji face governance for once? He should stop threatening opposition within the APC. The beauty of democracy is the more, the merrier. Already he has lost confidence of winning. That was why he even went on a church altar to court the opposition, ululating that his party’s support may not be enough for him to win a return to the Government House. This is so because he faces a double jeopardy – first, the APC members have largely been sidelined in his government except, of course, the very few he handpicked. And secondly, his colossal failure on governance. Mr. President should help Ekiti people demand accountability from Mr. Governor.
Mr. President, sir, should Governor Oyebanji fail to account for the billions that have accrued so far into the state’s purse, he should then not be treated like the ‘prodigal son’. Ekiti should be in the fore front promoting and projecting the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President through several commendable projects. But alas, a man like Governor Oyebanji cannot give what he does not possess! The best Oyebanji can give is what he has offered so far – complete failure! Ekiti Kete hope that Mr. President will consider the future of Ekiti and not reinforce failure. A second-term ticket for Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is akin to Mr. President taking the entire Ekiti populace for firing squad. And to Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, can you get busy and focus on the legislative work you are elected to do by your constituents?
– Benedict Agunloye
National Scribe
Concerned Ekiti Stakeholders