Ekiti as a Great Story – by Funmilola Olarewaju

In recent days, videos of market women leaders, also known as Iyalojas, in Ekiti State moderating the prices of goods in the markets within their jurisdiction have been trending. According to reliable information, the origin of the viral video was an appeal by the First Lady of Ekiti State, Olayemi Oyebanji, who called on Iyalojas to persuade their members to bring down the cost of goods. Oyebanji is also said to have met with women leaders, urging them to intervene.

It didn’t stop there! The state Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Tayo Adeola, convened a meeting of heads of various associations ranging from market women to road transport workers, petty traders and canteen owners, where she also urged them to reduce the cost of goods. and services. “That led to the viral videos. Even the transporters lowered their rates.”

‘Stand up laríkà. Aríkà baba ìrègún’ (The opportunity to do a good deed gives the perpetrator the opportunity to take them to heart, and counting them is the main basis for seeking a reward for them secretly or indirectly). From education to healthcare; and from agriculture to culture and tourism, it is important to note that the Biodun Oyebanji led government in Ekiti State has done a lot and the results are visible! Only recently, the governor reportedly paid N546.9m as WAEC/SSCE fees to support 16,269 secondary school students in the state.

In the power sector, Oyebanji’s efforts towards stable electricity supply have yielded results, even as the African Development Bank recently approved the sum of $110,000 to finance the State Power Reform Plan. Reports indicate that Ekiti is also working with other states and the country to ensure state, regional and national operationalization of the new Electricity Act 2023. Much more in this important sector!

In 2023, during the inauguration of a facility in Aramoko-Ekiti, Oyebanji was said to have promised to donate a well-equipped maternity complex to the Aramoko-Ekiti General Hospital in memory of his late mother. The complex is now almost ready for use. Coincidentally, the governor was born in the hospital 56 years ago.

It should be noted that Ekiti under Oyebanji has become an amazing story of faith, determination and success, but the biggest space in the world is the room for improvement. Thus the Obafemi Awolowos, the Ahmadu Bellos and the Nnamdi Azikiwes in their time prepared the students for the world they saw clearly! Nigerians also knew Ekiti with its many professors. Now it seems like all Ekiti professors have moved to the eastern part of the country. The North was once described as an educationally deprived state, but now power has also changed hands in jealous anger. While it is not the fault of the current government, Ekiti’s strategic goal should revolve around regaining its place of honour.

To achieve greatness in life, the battleground is education. The fundamental point, therefore, is not just to talk about education, but about the right kind of education that can give the sons and daughters of Ekiti the means to be competitive without causing other sectors to suffer. In view of this, the government must focus on building an education system that can make the state competitive in the coming years, starting from kindergarten. In other words, any progress over the next ten to twenty years must begin with revamping the K-12 public education curriculum and building an economy with an eighteen-year focus to make students competitively prepared for a different world than the world we know now. know. Why? A four-year-old in 2024 will undoubtedly face a competitive world of artificial intelligence and robotic technology in the year 2034.

Since the road cannot shut down the man with a sword, it will also be in Ekiti’s interest to localize the new electricity format by increasing public private sector-led investment in and deployment of especially renewable energy sources to fuel private attract investments. to produce electricity on the electricity grid.

While he commends the governor for the palliatives he recently rolled out to residents, it is also advisable that he looks inward for ways to improve productivity. Enough of resting in Abuja for alms! In view of this, training the youth groups to take their destiny into their own hands would not be out of place.

Ekiti under Oyebanji should also look towards construction industries based on the new technology: technology hubs and agro-processing factories. The government must focus on building an economy that will be relevant for tomorrow and an economy that will not destroy tomorrow’s future. Of course, all these are achievable if the state’s security consciousness is foolproof.

On the economic front, Ekiti is believed to have given the much-needed support and cooperation to the governor. Give it to Oyebanji, he has also been able to manage the entire power bloc in the state very well. On top of that, he does what an average civil servant in Ekiti State wants! So while it would be extremely necessary for Ekitis to help their state achieve the expected end of its noble visions, the governor is also expected to put at the disposal of the state the best combination of the human and natural resources coupled to its unique homogeneous nature, to make a difference.

If Oyebanji of Ekiti wants to create a template for others to copy, he must look beyond the current challenges to fetch water in preparation for the season of thirst. One sure way to achieve this is the 12-point economic relief program unveiled by the government “to alleviate the hardships experienced by the people of the state in light of the current global economic downturn”. The reintroduction of ‘Owo Arugbo’ is also a step in the right direction, while opportunities for investment in the agricultural sector should be encouraged to ensure food security.

Whether you accept it or not, the governor’s decision to reinstate the construction of five kilometers of roads per local government will be a game changer in grassroots development. Since the Ado-Ekiti – Akure dualization being undertaken by the Federal Government is scheduled to end at the flyover bridge terminus, this therefore means that the contractor handling the Ado-Ekiti – Ikere-Ekiti axis must mobilize to to find the location and its end of the agreement with the overall goal of reducing traffic congestion. Attention should also be paid to Phase 2 of Ado-Ekiti – Iyin-Ekiti – Igede-Ekiti – Aramoko-Ekiti – Itawure Road as it is of economic value. Also in this class are the dualization of the road leading to Afe Babalola University, the iconic Ring Road project and the rehabilitation of the adjacent roads to the Old Garage section. The flyover bridge will add to the aesthetic beauty of the capital and create economic activities in the area.

Oyebanji is doing well in terms of governance but politically he may have to up his game in the coming days as ‘the enemy and the evildoer are close together’. The governor must be very decisive and keep his team intact.

Finally, kudos to the Governor, who to date is the only product of Ekiti State University (EKSU), formerly known as Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti, who is Governor and the first alumnus of the school to be a visitor to the school, for showing statesmanship! Congratulations on his incredible success and I wish him all the best as he heads into his second term!

*Olarewaju wrote from Osogbo, Osun State.

Funmilola Olarewaju,
No. 17, Amiola Close,
Zone 4, Osogbo, Osun State.

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