Governor Biodun Oyebanji signs five laws.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji signs five laws.

....restates his administration’s commitment to promoting good governance.

In line with the administration’s Governance agenda, the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has signed five new laws, following their passage by the state House of Assembly. 

The signing of the new laws came barely five days after the Governor signed three laws at a brief ceremony on the last day of the sixth Assembly. 

The newly signed laws are: 

(1), Ekiti State local Government staff loans board law, 2023

(2), Ekiti State Fire Service Law. 2023.

(3), Ekiti State Wealth and Fund Law, 2023. 

(4), Ekiti State Local Government Administration Law, 2023. 

(5), Yoruba language preservation and promotion law 2023. 

Governor Oyebanji restates his administration’s commitment to promoting good governance through relevant legislations and policies that have direct impact on the people.

 Olayinka Oyebode 

Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor.

09-06-2023.

Oyebanji Harps on PPP as Catalyst for Economic Devt, Growth.

Oyebanji Harps on PPP as Catalyst for Economic Devt, Growth.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has advised government at all levels to key into the available Public Private Partnership initiatives in the system, describing it as the most potent catalyst to develop the economy and bring prosperity.

The Governor said his government, had in an attempt to boost business interests in the state introduced simplified tax system  and other friendly  policies to strengthen investments in the agriculture, mining, technology, manufacturing, commerce and industrial sectors.

Oyebanji spoke yesterday at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, during the 63rd Annual General Meeting /Inauguration of the new National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

The Conference titled: "Promoting Public-Private Partnership for National Development , drew delegates, who are drivers of the private sector  from the 36 states of the country.

Speaking at the gathering, Oyebanji stated that  the PPP is a bridge connecting the government to the private sector, where the two sides pulled their finainacial and mental resources together to fasttrack investments for economic prosperity.

Oyebanji added that it was  in line with its commitment to propel investments, that the government of Ekiti State established  the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Ekiti State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (EKDIPA).

The Governor said;  "To stimulate investment through PPPs, the state has also introduced incentives like Waiver of business premises registration fees for the first year of operation in Ekiti State. Reduction of the Right of Way (RoW) fees for the laying of telecommunication optic fiber cables from an initial N4,500 per linear meter to N145. 

"We also introduced simplified Tax payments and remittances through the e-filling system.  Easy access to land by Private Investors and ensuring accelerated processing of Titles and other related documents e.g. C-of-O, letter of consent etc.;Automation of PAYE registration;Introduction of Online Payment for Construction Permits.

" I would like to reiterate the importance of PPPs for sustainable National Development and that Ekiti State is committed to promoting Public-Private Partnerships for its development. The government alone cannot achieve all the aspirations of our people, and thus, collaboration with the private sector becomes crucial.

" Ekiti State is open for business, and we invite all investors, both domestic and international, to explore the vast opportunities that exist within our borders. Together, let us build a prosperous and inclusive future, transforming the landscape of Ekiti State and Nigeria"

Making a presentation on  the theme "Invest in Ekiti", the Special Adviser on Trade,Investment and Industry, Mrs Tayo  Adeola, said the state has one of the best investment-friendly policies and atmospheric conditions for agribusiness in the country .

She said; "Ekiti is open for business. We have highly skilled people and we are people of integrity. Our Comparative advantage is agriculture, we are encouraging our people to go into agriculture for full exploitation of the agricultural value chain.

"Cassava and tomato are doing well in Ekiti, because we are located between the rain forest and Savana belts. Whatever grows in the North will do well in Ekiti. We also have artisanal mining  around Ijero . We have kaolinite, feldspar, tantalite, gemstone, iron ore, granite and others as our solid mineral deposits" .

Meanwhile, the immediate past Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Niyi Adebayo, said the last government of President Muhammadu Buhari invested heavily in the development of trade,mines and agriculture sectors.

Adebayo added that  some the investments had started having immediate gains, while some would impact positively on the economy in the long term period.

The Founder, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola(SAN), appealed to the federal government to ensure the security of lives and property to attract investors from the global community to invest in the country.

Babalola also appealed to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government to carry out holistic restructuring through Constitution Amendment to correct some noticeable political and social  imbalances in the system for business to thrive.

Ekiti To Create Bureau Of Tourism, Partner With Tour Operators On Tourism Development, Says Oyebanji.

Ekiti To Create Bureau Of Tourism, Partner With Tour Operators On Tourism Development, Says Oyebanji. 

In its efforts to advance economic development through tourism, Ekiti State Government has disclosed plans to establish a bureau of tourism development that would focus mainly on harnessing and developing the state’s tourism potentials and make Ekiti number one destination of choice for tourists.

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji who disclosed this on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti also said his administration would partner with tourism development operators that would help develop its local tourism sites in an effort to drive its shared prosperity agenda for the people.

The Governor while receiving a team from the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) led by its President, Mrs Ime Udo, in his office said tourism development remains a key component of his administration’s six- pillar development agenda would be separated from the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism as currently structured and would become a stand alone Bureau of Tourism, positioning the sector for thorough supervision and the right attention .

He noted that the development of new tourism destinations in the state would help reduce the rate at which Nigerians travel abroad for adventure purposes, adding that his government is working assiduously to transform the state into a tourism hub by exploring and promoting the potential that abounds in Ekiti.

While noting that the state has thriving and viable tourism platforms to attract visitors and also create jobs and business opportunities, Governor Oyebanji stressed that tourism has a very huge potential to drive prosperity, employment, and development of the state.

Governor Oyebanji promised to scale up security in the state, especially in all the tourist destinations to allay fears of national and international tourists on security challenges.

He stated further that his government had designated Ikogosi, Ipole-Iloro and Efon-Alaaye as tourism corridors of the state, adding that the state is also planning to build a Zoological Garden in the same axis as other interesting tourists sites would also be developed.

“Let me assure you of our partnership with your tourism organization. Tourism development is one of the six pillars we are working with and it’s not accidental because I know the importance of tourism development as a government, we are going to sever it from the Ministry of Art, Culture and Tourism, its going to stand alone because I want the head to report to me directly, I don’t want it to be encumbered with the civil service protocol. We are going to have a bureau for tourism with a Director-General.

.

“We are deliberate in Ekiti state to ensure that we develop our economy and tourism is a sector that had been neglected for a very long time because it belongs to the soft side of development. People actually don’t realize that tourism has very huge potential to drive prosperity, employment, and development.

“The experiment in Ikogosi has worked when the state partners with the private sectors, we are excited with what is going on in Ikogosi and we are providing infrastructure for them to ensure that they are able to make profit because they are still investing.

Earlier, the President of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Mrs Ime Udo said the team was in Ekiti state to seek partnership with the government on the hosting of its tourism conference in the state and ways to develop its tourism destinations.

Mrs Udo also stated that the idea of hosting tourism conferences in states was to promote the tourism potentials of such states and sell it as a tourism destination nationally and internationally as well as open up the state for investors for them to see the inherent potential in such states.

She added, “We recognize the enormous tourism potentials in Ekiti state yet untapped, and for us as an association, its time for us to ensure that investors see what Ekiti state has to offer, see the gold mine in Ekiti state. It’s also time for us to see how we can drive arrivals into Ekiti state so that sites like the Ikogosi resort can become bubbling ones. It is unique, it’s a story we must tell the world.”

Also at the event were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Trade and Industry, Mrs Tayo Adeola, and the Director-General, Ekiti State Development, and Investment Promotion Agency, Mr Ayo Aribidara.

Ekiti 7th Assembly: Hon. Odebunmi Promises to Fulfil All Agenda.

Ekiti 7th Assembly: Hon. Odebunmi Promises to Fulfil All Agenda.

Honorable Idowu Odebunmi representing Oye Constituency II at the State House of Assembly has promised to fulfilled all his agenda made during the campaign. 

Hon. Odebunmi made this known to the Newsmen during yesterday inauguration of the 7th Assembly in Ado-Ekiti, revealed different plans he have for the populace and his constituency.

According to him, “As we all know that one of the cardinal point of our excellency is making Ekiti state work towards the shared prosperity."

“My legislative agenda is going to base on an effective legislation that would make the shared prosperity of Mr Governor, Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji.”

“Also, I am going to make sure that I will activate leadership summit in my constituency. There would be periodic leadership gathering where feedback will be gathered. As a youth, I am going to partner with different organizations as well”

The event ended with fanfare as each inaugurated legislators are ready to take responsibility.

Ekiti’s 177 Primary Health Care Facilities Get M4.6m Each For Upgrade.

Ekiti’s 177 Primary Health Care Facilities Get M4.6m Each For Upgrade.

…..as Gov. Oyebanji flags off IMPACT program.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Monday flagged off Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Service (IMPACT) program.

Part of the components of the program is the injection of over N800 million into the health sector with each of the 177 Primary Health Care facilities in the state receiving an N4.6 million Naira Cheque as a one-off investment fund.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, held at the Conference hall of the Governor’s Office, Ado Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji said the IMPACT project which is a World Bank-assisted program represents a crucial step towards his administration’s commitment to the health and well-being of Ekiti people, adding that the project was aimed at reducing under-5 mortality rate in Ekiti.

The Governor said the project, which was consistent with his administration’s human capital development goal, would complement other existing programs such as ‘Ulera wa’, Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and the IMPACT Malaria project, which are all aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality in the State.

Governor Oyebanji, who noted that the result from the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey indicated that the State needs to work harder to reduce mortality rates, said his administration has already put in place a set of supply and demand side interventions with the primary goal of reducing mortality rates by 2030.

Stressing further, he said ‘Ulera wa’ would provide an explicit but guaranteed package of primary care services for one million persons by 2025, adding that integrating the IMPACT project into the existing and proven interventions should therefore guarantee an increase in coverage and outcomes.

While thanking the World Bank team, led by its Country Director Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, the Governor said Ekiti is the only State in the country to have secured approval from the World Bank to implement both components of the project, which according to the Governor, is a proof of his administration’s readiness to seize all opportunities available to improve the health of the people.

He then charged the heads of health care facilities to use the fund judiciously, stating that he expects that the facilities would use the money to purchase drugs and consumables through the drug management agency, carry out basic renovations, purchase equipment and ensure the availability of data management tools.

“The IMPACT project represents a crucial step forward in our ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of the Ekiti people. As you have heard, the primary objective of this project is to reduce under-5 mortality. This aim is highly consistent with the State’s human capital development goals and complements other existing programs such as ‘Ulera wa’ (our flagship health insurance program), the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and the IMPACT Malaria project, all of which are aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality in the State.

“Under this program, 177 primary health care facilities will each receive the sum of N4.6m as a one-off investment fund. Facilities are expected to develop work plans that would guide the use of the fund. These funds must be used judiciously. Our focus must be to deploy these resources in a manner that is catalytic and complementary to existing programs. Consequently, I expect facilities to use these funds to purchase drugs and consumables through our Drug Management Agency (DMA), carry out basic renovations, purchase equipment and ensure that data management tools are available”, the Governor said.

Earlier In his address, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani thanked the Governor, stressing that Ekiti is currently implementing several programs at the primary health care level among which are, ‘Ulera wa’, impact malarial, and Basic Health Care Provision Fund, among others, adding that all are aimed at ensuring improvement in the health and well-being of Ekiti people.

Also in his remark, the World Bank Country Director, Mr Shubham Chaudhuri said that Ekiti State was chosen as one of the states to benefit from the impact project due to the commitment of the State government to primary health care services, adding that Primary Health Care Project would sustain on delivering quality health care service to the people at the grassroots.

Group Applauds Governor Oyebanji's Support for Homegrown Talents in Ekiti State.

Group Applauds Governor Oyebanji's Support for Homegrown Talents in Ekiti State.

A group of Entertainers affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state have expressed their admiration for Governor Oyebanji's leadership style and his significant efforts at promoting Ekiti talents especially musicians. 

The Entertainers conveyed their appreciation during a meeting with the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Communications, Mrs. Mary Oso Omotoso in her office on Tuesday.

The  Entertainers who were led to the meeting by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties , Hon. Olufemi Joshua Aduloju, commended Governor Oyebanji for his commitment to empowering and promoting Ekiti based  musicians which they viewed as a fulfillment of one of his campaign promises. 

Speaking further on behalf of the group ,Adeniyi Adeniyi Sese Alhaji Akayejo aka ‘Sese Alhaji’ , Apadidun Femi Ijobafederal aka ‘Apasco’ and Kunle Oluwagbohunmi aka ‘Kunle Amazing’ also expressed their desire for more government patronage, support, and provision of a viable platform to showcase more local talents to encourage  and shoot them into the limelight.

Reacting, Mrs. Omotosho said that  Governor Biodun Oyebanji is quite aware that the Nigeria entertainment industry is flourishing and capable of creating jobs hence his decision to personally empower some Ekiti - based musicians with modern musical instruments and standard production studio recently noting that if the Governor could do that , then increased government patronage and support is assured .

“Aside the fact  that Governor Oyebanji implements  local content policy to the letter, he is a true grassroots man who has always believed  that we must patronize Ekiti to grow Ekiti. Whatever you see a contractor or supplier goes outside the State to source for , it is either it can’t be made here or it is not found in Ekiti. The private sector and  Artisans in the State can attest to this about Mr Governor, she said."

The SSA said that Governor Oyebanji deeply appreciates the group’s efforts, consistency and loyalty to progressives governments over the years stating that her office will work with them to create concepts that will further give them visibility.

Gov. Oyebanji, Fayemi, Adebayo, Senators, Ex- Deputy Governors bid former Ekiti Deputy Gov. Egbeyemi farewell.

Gov. Oyebanji, Fayemi, Adebayo, Senators, Ex- Deputy Governors bid former Ekiti Deputy Gov. Egbeyemi farewell.

..…Gov Oyebanji urges deceased children to be consoled by Egbeyemi’s remarkable achievements. 

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Friday joined other dignitaries to pay last respect at the final burial ceremony of the late former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi. 

The Governor who remarked on the exemplary life of the later former Deputy Governor, urged the children and family of the deceased to be consoled by their father’s good works, remarkable achievements and strong legacies which would take some time to surpass.

Speaking at the burial service held at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel, Anglican Communion, Okesa Ado- EKiti, Oyebanji said Egbeyemi lived a fulfilled and impactful life, therefore, should not be mourned but celebrated.

At the event, which was also graced by the state Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye; Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji; former Governors Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; former Deputy Governors, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Chief Paul Alabi and Surveyor Abiodun Aluko as well as Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, the Governor noted that the former Deputy Governor was a distinguished leader, who served the State meritoriously in different capacities and continued to contribute to the progress and development of the state till he breathed his last. 

While assuring the children and the family of his continued support, Governor Oyebanji charged the children to emulate their father’s humility, doggedness, patriotism, and kindheartedness to uphold his legacy. 

“I will just encourage those of us that are grieving that having listened to the sermon by our Lord Bishop, we should encourage ourselves that daddy, though is not here, but he’s not dead, he is just sleeping if you believe in resurrection, we know that if we lived right we will still meet at the feet of Jesus Christ, so there is no need to grieve at all.

“God will give us the strength to weather this storm. I assure you we are in this together and we will hold each other’s hand because we have a duty to also uphold his legacy because that’s the most important thing now. He has played his role and he has gone.” The Governor asserted 

In his homily, the Bishop of Ekiti Anglican Diocese, Rt. Revd. Andrew Olusola said late Egbeyemi was a man of faith who loved God and the people, as well as a generous man and a selfless Christian.

Bishop Olusola added that the late Egbeyemi fought for the diocese of the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel without collecting a dime from the church.

Others at the colorful service include Senator Ayo Arise, speaker Ekiti Stete House of Assembly, Rt Hon Bunmi Adelugba, her deputy, Rt Hon Hakeem Jamiu; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Akinduro; Head of Service, Barrister Bamidele Agbede, members of the state House of Assembly and state executive council as well as representatives of about 20 traditional rulers.