Tuesday 4th July 2023.

ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS IN EKITI HAS FALLEN SHORT OF PROVIDING GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR EKITI PEOPLE.

Ekiti Peoples Democratic Party, under the leadership of Architect Sodiq Obanoyen, wishes to express her concerns regarding the All Progressive Congress’ approach to governance in Ekiti State. We expect the incumbent governor and the All Progressives Congress to have prioritized the overall development of the State rather than praising themselves solely on regular salary payments to workers, which are considered their entitlement.

We believe His Excellency; Biodun Oyebanji would have been doing something extraordinary if his government is providing comprehensive employee benefits to Ekiti State workers, such as health insurance, retirement plans, disability insurance, and other forms of social security, as these benefits will contribute to the overall financial security and quality of Ekiti workers.

Our party believes the government will have impressed the workers of the State and the public by investing in programmes and initiatives that provide workers with opportunities for skill development, vocational training, and continuing education which helps the workers acquire new skills, stay competitive in the job market, and being industrious and efficient rather than deluging the ears of the public on giving the workers their due entitlements.

We would like to harp to the ears of the ruling Party that Ekiti State’s economic situation requires intensive care and attention, and the State is currently in bad form. However, we must state as a fact that the engagement of the maquillage approach to governance by His Excellency; Biodun Oyebanji will not address the underlying issues and challenges faced by the State. And in this regard, we advocate for a comprehensive economic plan that addresses all sectors and areas requiring attention.

We are suggesting that the State government should devise a means of addressing the hardship that is grinding hard on the people of the State by focusing on job creation and economic growth of the State, creating an environment conducive to the economic growth of the State through policies that can attract investment, support entrepreneurship, promote industries relevant to the State’s economic strengths and foster a favorable business climate.

We believe a serious-minded governor should meticulously phase economic plans to cover all aspects of the State’s economy and prioritise areas that require immediate attention. We recognise the poor management of the decrepit road situations and flooding in Ekiti as a telling impression of the incapability of the government. And this has brought to light much of the inadequacy of this government and the lack of proactive measures to ensure that infrastructures in the State remain in good condition, which has been creating inconveniences for the Ekiti people, increased travel time, and potential safety hazards for residents.

Moreover, we acknowledged the fact that flooding in Ekiti is often exacerbated by poor drainage systems and believe that the present government has failed by not investing adequately in drainage systems and some instances, allowing grass to grow under their feet, maintaining an adequate drainage infrastructure that can effectively manage heavy rainfall and prevent flooding in vulnerable areas. We are suggesting that His Excellency; Biodun Oyebanji should implement comprehensive and sustainable solutions to address road deterioration and flooding in the State rather than cosmetic approaches, short-term fixes, or reactive approaches that do not provide lasting improvements.

We like to state that long-term planning and investment in infrastructure resilience are crucial to Ekiti’s Development. The PDP believes that Ekiti State, with her manageable population and landmass, deserves good economic governance, and the decision-making processes should be considerate of the State’s economic activities, prevailing priorities, and employment generation.

Additionally, we call for good governance that focuses on the welfare of the people by providing affordable and accessible housing, good road networks, improving public transportation to ensure Ekiti people can live and commute comfortably, and addressing the alarming rate of unemployment. We suggest that His Excellency; Biodun Oyebanji should imbibe effective urban planning and infrastructure development strategies for the development of the State that are considerable of rural areas development as well rather than just populist posturing.

We challenge the ruling party and the incumbent governor to prioritise the overall development of Ekiti State. And we are requesting a comprehensive economic plan, good decision-making processes, and good governance tailored towards the welfare of the people, creating good economic growth and climate and addressing the high unemployment rate in the State and other challenges bedeviling the State.

Aare Amerijoye DOT.B.
Ekiti State People’s Democratic Party Caretaker Publicity Secretary.