The first and oldest pan-Yoruba online media, Irohinoodua, has announced the governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, as the 2023 Governor of the Year.
The news medium made the announcement in a statement on Monday.
The editorial board of Irohinoodua said Oyebanji was selected by the news medium’s editorial board enriched by reports received from thousands of respondents to it’s call for nomination in November last year.
The statement signed by Adewunmi Akinola and Omolade Adegbuyi on behalf of the board, said Oyebanji emerged based on important political, cultural and economic considerations.
On the economic front, Irohinoodua described his achievements within one year as indications that Oyebanji was a great leader to watch in Nigeria’s search for global standards in the country’s political and economic renaissance.
Irohinoodua stated Oyebanji in just one year, facilitated the installation of 3.5MW Independent Power Plant, connected Ayekire/Gbonyin to national grid after 10 years of neglect, reconstructed and launched massive road projects which included, but not limited to the building of 43.4km farm roads in six local government areas of the state, backed by the recently launched 77kms roads to advance the Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), the notorious Ado-Ilawe road, and asphalt overlay of Ado township roads in the midst of on-going agrarian revolution.
The editorial board said Oyebanji deserved full commendation for providing 50 percent subsidy for cocoa, cashew, coffee, rice, maize, and cassava production, apart from the huge funding provided for Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support, (LPRES) with huge harvest outcomes beginning from the year 2024.
These radical steps, the news medium noted, were bound to transform agriculture in the entire South-West and place Ekiti on the map of sustainable food production, adding that the governor had brought back the prospect of Ekiti State reclaiming her lost glory as one of the most successful producers of cocoa and coffee in Nigeria.
‘’We are impressed by his partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pro-CASHEW Programme which has led to the establishment of the first government-owned scion garden and polyclonal cashew demonstration farm in Nigeria’’, the board stated.
It cited the governor’s recruitment of sign language experts into public schools and public institutions as a show of deep concern to meet United Nations standards on People With Disabilities (PWD) while his commitment to promoting feedback mechanism by setting up Emergency Command Centre was remarkable.
Irohinoodua said Oyebanji had shown commitment to productivity by setting targets for all his aides and by imposing sanctions on those found wanting, an indication of his commitment to fight corruption and instil discipline within the framework of good governance in the state.
The board also noted that he had ensured 90% CONHESS and 100% hazard allowance for health workers in all the local government areas while 50,000 indigenes in five local government were now covered under the ‘Ulera Wa’ health insurance intervention.
With 17 Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) established to meet discovery and response to health emergencies in 17 local government areas with the plan to extend the scheme across all the local governments, Ekiti State, it noted, was in the process of building a primary health culture that ensures health workers visit homes of locals to provide medicare services within the shortest period.
“In the area of Culture, he has espoused the Yoruba concept of Omoluabi in the finest manner. Humanity and humility are essential ingredients absent in leadership in Nigeria. Oyebanji has combined both traits in the most astonishing manner. He has adopted the Philosophy of Collective Leadership through constructive engagement with the different layers and social strata in Ekiti State bringing the concept of servant-leader to the door steps of the people of the State.
“This remains a huge source of inspiration to people who aspire to public office anywhere in Nigeria.
“He is known for meeting people on the streets and in their homes sharing their experiences, fears and aspirations thereby closing the gap between people and their elected leaders with a people’s sense of ownership of governance enforced.
“He does this with neither photo opportunism nor attempt to harvest political capital”, the board stated.
According to Irohinoodua ‘’We find the Ekiti State Governor, His Excellency Abiodun Oyebani as the greatest bridge builder in the year 2023. Politically, He sought and found conflict prevention and peace building necessary for sustainable development in his state.’’
The board observed that Oyebanji had made deliberate efforts to reach out to sworn political foes, and bitter and recalcitrant enemies in the most practical and meaningful manner, lowering the bar of acrimony often associated with politics in many of the South-West states and in Nigeria at large.
Irohinoodua said Oyebanji had established himself as a visionary, calculating, meticulous, righteous and forthright leader driven by a deep sense of fairness combined with wisdom in his unflinching commitment to the advancement of the welfare of his people in all aspects of human endeavours.
