By Folorunsho Alagbede
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has cautioned citizens of the state against fighting anyone over politics, saying the scramble for positions shouldn’t be a reason for the citizens to perceive themselves as sworn enemies.
The Governor also said his administration has started providing alternative routes on state roads for motorists to ease inter-state transportation.
He also said his government would actualize the cultivation of over 5,000 hectares of land for farming in the 2025 season to eliminate food scarcity and the spiraling increase in the prices of food commodities in the state.
Oyebanji stated this yesterday during a Citizens’ Engagement/Town Hall Meeting with stakeholders, held in Aramoko and Ilawe Ekiti for the Ekiti Central and South Senatorial Districts, respectively, in preparation for the 2025 budget of Ekiti State.
The well-attended event was graced by critical stakeholders like traditional rulers, politicians, public servants, Local Government Chairmen, youth groups, market men and women, drivers, religious leaders, and people living with disabilities, among others.
Harping on the imperative of eschewing politics of bitterness, Oyebanji said: “Let me beg all of you as party people, don’t allow politics to divide us as Ekiti people.
“Don’t let us create enemies for ourselves. Ekiti is one, I believe this, and we should all believe it. Let us wait for the right time. At the appropriate time, we will know exactly who is on the ground.”
To resolve the bedlam associated with the deplorable federal roads in the state, Oyebanji declared that state roads identified as comfortable alternatives were being awarded for reconstruction, while those yet to be touched will be captured in the 2025 budgetary provisions.
Underscoring the significance of the consultation, Oyebanji stressed the desire of his administration to be inclusive and participatory so that the government can be strategic in the implementation of its development plans as contained in the citizens’ priority lists.
In 2025, Oyebanji said his government will undertake aggressive work in agriculture, infrastructure, arts and culture, tourism, job creation, the entertainment industry, security, and the payment of salaries to workers to expand the scope of shared prosperity plans.
He said the fact that the demands made by communities last year were being accorded utmost attention by the government signaled that the stakeholders’ meeting is not a mere jamboree, but a pragmatic approach to governance.
