ONDO 2024: WHERE IS AKURE?.

ONDO 2024: WHERE IS AKURE?.

By Femi ODERE

A friend who owns and runs a relaxation business called me one beautiful evening to come over and meet some people from my state of origin. As someone who knows the importance of networking and making new friends, especially for someone like me who had just relocated from the United States where I had spent a significant portion of my adult life, my friend expressed, and rightly so, that meeting them would be good for me. He was also a returnee from the UK where he trained as a veterinary doctor.

It was easy for him to call me to come over because I not only lived very close to his relaxation spot but his place was also my favorite rendezvous where I sometimes unwind with my favorite beer while talking about the socio-political affairs of the day with him and a handful of others before going home after the hustle and bustle of Lagos.

While there, he introduced me to the two gentlemen and left almost immediately after the introduction to attend to other matters.

“So, where are you from,?” one of them asked.

“Akure,” I replied.

They busted into thunderous giggles that I had to look around to see what could have amused them. I couldn’t fathom why a mere mention of my hometown would make them want to roll on the floor with uncontrollable giggling.

“So, what about you guys,?” I inquired after their giggling subsided.

“I’m from Akoko. He’s from Ondo town,” the lead speaker pointed to his friend.

“You people are not in charge. We are,” the Akoko man bragged about his sub-ethnic group and that of his friend from Ondo.

I didn’t have to ask him to explain himself further as the statement was pregnant with economic and political meaning, more so when someone you’re meeting for the first time could be that disrespectfully blunt with unabashed condescension.

So, to prevent the conversation from getting heated, instead of giving them a piece of my mind, I exercised restrain, especially not knowing how many bottles of beer they had each gulped either before my arrival or before they arrived at my friend’s relaxation joint, I pretended as if his declaration was not important to me. But it was, and thought-provoking too. I cleverly redirected the conversation to the trending socio-political issues of the moment.

My encounter with this duo happened at the tail end of the Mimiko administration in Ondo State.

If one must look at the “You’re not in charge. We are” statement of my Akoko brethren—-as invidious as it was—-from the prism of politics as the art (perhaps science as well) of who gets what, when, and by how much, the two sub-ethnic groups of Akoko and Ondo they represent may not be faulted because of their relative cohesion and unity of purpose as opposed to the dissonance and self-centredness that characterize a typical Akure person and his political elites.

So, if Akure people are constantly marginalized in the political scheme of things in a representative democracy despite their huge voting population, it is because a typical Akure person in a position of power and authority is almost always averse to empowering his fellow indigene.

I was introduced as a publisher from the United States to the late Prof. Olu Agbi (an Akure indigene) immediately after Dr. Segun Agagu’s inauguration as the governor of Ondo State by my childhood friend, Kunle Ashaolu. Prof. Agbi was Agagu’s Director General (DG) of his campaign that had culminated in Agagu’s electoral victory. Ashaolu’s belief, which I also shared, was since Prof. Agbi, who had the yam and the knife then as the DG of Agagu’s campaign, and an Akure indigene to boot, he would give me a slice of the action through patronage to internationalize Agagu’s inauguration with my celebrity-focused, soft-sell magazine. However, we were shocked by Agbi’s response after the introduction.

“But I have never heard of Esteem magazine,” Agbi said curtly.

As if that was not disappointing, if not hurtful enough, Prof. Agbi completely deflated my enthusiasm of having found an Akure person who could use his influence to patronize my U.S-based magazine when he declared that he wouldn’t have had any problem with Dele Momodu, publisher of the Ovation magazine with which my new magazine was essentially in competition then had “named his price” to showcase Agagu’s inauguration in his magazine. Prof. Agbi did not see any need to assist a kinsman and a struggling publisher then whereas an Akoko or Ondo person in Agbi’s position would most likely have done otherwise.

This latter anecdote was to buttress the fact that it was easy for others to marginalize us because they knew we were too willing to marginalize ourselves.

Although one may never know why Akure people and their city seem to have constantly, if not deliberately been denied political empowerment and infrastructural development at the expense of other sub-ethnic groups in the state, the political and infrastructural disenfranchisement are too glaring for the blind to see and a few anecdotal evidence will suffice here.

Aside from packing the state secretariat and other parastatals of the state with Ondo and Idanre indigenes (no thanks to Dr. Ademujimi, the governor’s Chief of Staff from Idanre), Mimiko stifled Akure’s effort to get a teaching hospital by withdrawing the CofO of the site that was designated for a teaching hospital along Owo road.

The community spent a lot of time trying to pry the land off him. By the time the community succeeded, time had lapsed and the money approved by former president Goodluck Jonathan through TETFund (N2.1 billion) had to be returned to the treasury via the TSA policy upon Buhari’s assumption of office in 2015.

Akure communities have been going cap in hand begging for money for that teaching hospital without any support from successive governors of the state whereas a Teaching Hospital is now sitting pretty in Ondo town.

Olusegun Mimiko encouraged Sunday Idowu, an Akure indigene who made his money in Akwa Ibom, to relocate to his state of birth to contribute to the state’s economic development. Idowu built state-of-the-art hospitality (Jojein Hotel & Resort) along Oba-Ile road banking on the former governor’s promise to construct and dualize the road on the axis because of the business. Mimiko did not touch that road in his eight years as the governor of the state. The hotel subsequently collapsed principally because of the unmotorable road despite the tremendous financial support Mimiko received from Idowu during his struggle to reclaim his mandate.

It is instructive that one of Idowu’s hotel halls was named after Godswill Obot Akpabio, now the Senate President, a detribalized Nigerian who made it possible for him to thrive beyond his wildest imagination when Akpabio was the governor of Akwa Ibom—and Idowu acknowledged the huge difference Akpabio made in his life with the naming of one of the hotel halls after him. You cannot ask for a better principal or a Nigerian public figure you should know than the current Senate President.

His large-heartedness is legendary. Ditto Asari Dokubo, a deeply religious former militant from the Ijaw Nation with his unusual milk of kindness who supported, and continues to support Sunday Idowu to this day.

Please note that I preach a detribalized Nigeria. I believe in opportunities being given equally to foster a sense of belonging for all Nigerians. My people say we take the jewels to events from home. What I am calling attention to here is: Start from the grassroots, support the development of infrastructures, and build your people. These are the attributes that stand President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio out. But I digress.

Yet, Mimiko intentionally ruined Sunday Idowu, who’s yet to recover financially, because he’s an indigene of Akure kingdom.

If Segun Mimiko disliked Akure and its people with passion, the contempt with which the late Arakunrin Akeredolu treated them was perhaps pathological.

Akeredolu egregiously went ahead to annex the Ondo State Specialist Hospital in Akure to Ondo. This is a hospital that had been pledged by the Akure community during the struggle for the FUTA medical program as a take-off point for the clinical program of medical students.

The hospital was originally developed by the Akure indigenes during the western region days. Akure people told him the history of the hospital. He didn’t listen. He annexed it to Ondo anyway thereby preventing the Akure people from using it for their teaching hospital. All efforts to beg him to build a new teaching hospital to serve the medical college in Ondo town and serve his purpose fell on deaf ears. From a reliable authority, Akeredolu tongue-lashed Ifedayo Abegunde and Tunji Ariyomo, two prominent Akure indigenes in one of his State Executive Council meetings when they advanced arguments that Akure ought to retain the specialist hospital to provide top-level secondary care. The duo offered to give him new land for his proposed teaching hospital. Today, FUTA is still in a conundrum over the location of clinical practice for the year 4 medical students. Akeredolu wilfully did what he wanted including the privatization of Ondo state government to his wife and first son.

Ifedayo Abegunde and Lekan Odere were two Akure sons who came all out to support Akeredolu to be governor when even his kinsfolks were not too sure if they should support him. They were with him way before the primary. Lekan was considered Akeredolu’s alter ego in Akure politics then. Although Abegunde was appointed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), what many did not know was that no shishi was allocated to his office. It took a ‘World War’ to even allow him to have an official vehicle. Yet, some other members of the cabinet were given multiple cars including Hilux vans by Akeredolu while some controlled billions of Naira. As for Lekan, the late governor never for once considered him worthy of being given a job as an office clerk, let alone an aide.

Tunji “Light” Ariyomo was given the same Abegunde treatment as an ExCo member of the Akeredolu administration. Akeredolu not only refused to fund Ariyomo’s office but when Tunji brought in $57 million to the state’s coffers for a water program and also secured the approval of AfDB for an additional $124 million, the late governor removed him from the water project two weeks after he received bank alerts to commence the project. As if this deliberate collapse of Idowu’s hospitality business was not bad enough, the millions of Naira owed this Akure indigene by Mimiko’s government has not been paid to date.

Although one may never know when the rains started beating Akure and its people since the current democratic dispensation, it became torrential and the people of Oyemekun (one of our cognomens) got drenched to the bargain, particularly in the governments of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and the late Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu then began a vicious campaign against the young man everywhere to mask his true objective and divert attention from the fact that his smear campaign was all about money.

It is important to bring these anecdotes to the fore now that the electorate is on the verge of choosing their governor in less than a year from now. While one is not under any illusion that Akure people will not pitch their electoral tent behind a single candidate, I hope that the town’s political stakeholders will not only be cohesive and speak with one voice in the way they interrogate the state’s politics this time around, a significant concession in terms of the empowerment of some of their leading lights and infrastructural development of the state capital must be extracted from any candidate (preferably APC) they would support.

But more fundamentally important, Akure people must love themselves and sacrifice for one another. It is only when others see that we have significant cohesion in our approach to the political and economic conditions that affect our existence that others will begin to take us seriously. And we do not have to make apologies about that just as other sub-ethnic groups are unapologetic about politically suppressing us while uplifting their own. Akure people are simply behind the 8th-ball of the state’s political and economic empowerment. It is time to change this unfortunate narrative.

_Femi Odere is a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President on Stakeholders’ Engagement and Mobilization. He can be reached at femiodere@gmail.com._

Femi Odere Explores Akure's Significance in Ondo's 2024 Landscape.

Femi Odere Explores Akure's Significance in Ondo's 2024 Landscape.

A friend who owns and runs a relaxation business called me one beautiful evening to come over and meet some people from my state of origin. As someone who knows the importance of networking and making new friends, especially for someone like me who had just relocated from the United States where I had spent a significant portion of my adult life, my friend expressed, and rightly so, that meeting them would be good for me. He was also a returnee from the UK where he trained as a veterinary doctor.

It was easy for him to call me to come over because I not only lived very close to his relaxation spot but his place was also my favorite rendezvous where I sometimes unwind with my favorite beer while talking about the socio-political affairs of the day with him and a handful of others before going home after the hustle and bustle of Lagos.

While there, he introduced me to the two gentlemen and left almost immediately after the introduction to attend to other matters.

“So, where are you from,?” one of them asked.

“Akure,” I replied.

They busted into thunderous giggles that I had to look around to see what could have amused them. I couldn’t fathom why a mere mention of my hometown would make them want to roll on the floor with uncontrollable giggling.

“So, what about you guys,?” I inquired after their giggling subsided.

“I’m from Akoko. He’s from Ondo town,” the lead speaker pointed to his friend.

“You people are not in charge. We are,” the Akoko man bragged about his sub-ethnic group and that of his friend from Ondo.

I didn’t have to ask him to explain himself further as the statement was pregnant with economic and political meaning, more so when someone you’re meeting for the first time could be that disrespectfully blunt with unabashed condescension.

So, to prevent the conversation from getting heated, instead of giving them a piece of my mind, I exercised restrain, especially not knowing how many bottles of beer they had each gulped either before my arrival or before they arrived at my friend’s relaxation joint, I pretended as if his declaration was not important to me. But it was, and thought-provoking too. I cleverly redirected the conversation to the trending socio-political issues of the moment.

My encounter with this duo happened at the tail end of the Mimiko administration in Ondo State.

If one must look at the “You’re not in charge. We are” statement of my Akoko brethren—-as invidious as it was—-from the prism of politics as the art (perhaps science as well) of who gets what, when, and by how much, the two sub-ethnic groups of Akoko and Ondo they represent may not be faulted because of their relative cohesion and unity of purpose as opposed to the dissonance and self-centredness that characterize a typical Akure person and his political elites.

So, if Akure people are constantly marginalized in the political scheme of things in a representative democracy despite their huge voting population, it is because a typical Akure person in a position of power and authority is almost always averse to empowering his fellow indigene.

I was introduced as a publisher from the United States to the late Prof. Olu Agbi (an Akure indigene) immediately after Dr. Segun Agagu’s inauguration as the governor of Ondo State by my childhood friend, Kunle Ashaolu. Prof. Agbi was Agagu’s Director General (DG) of his campaign that had culminated in Agagu’s electoral victory. Ashaolu’s belief, which I also shared, was since Prof. Agbi, who had the yam and the knife then as the DG of Agagu’s campaign, and an Akure indigene to boot, he would give me a slice of the action through patronage to internationalize Agagu’s inauguration with my celebrity-focused, soft-sell magazine. However, we were shocked by Agbi’s response after the introduction.

“But I have never heard of Esteem magazine,” Agbi said curtly.

As if that was not disappointing, if not hurtful enough, Prof. Agbi completely deflated my enthusiasm of having found an Akure person who could use his influence to patronize my U.S-based magazine when he declared that he wouldn’t have had any problem with Dele Momodu, publisher of the Ovation magazine with which my new magazine was essentially in competition then had “named his price” to showcase Agagu’s inauguration in his magazine. Prof. Agbi did not see any need to assist a kinsman and a struggling publisher then whereas an Akoko or Ondo person in Agbi’s position would most likely have done otherwise.

This latter anecdote was to buttress the fact that it was easy for others to marginalize us because they knew we were too willing to marginalize ourselves.

Although one may never know why Akure people and their city seem to have constantly, if not deliberately been denied political empowerment and infrastructural development at the expense of other sub-ethnic groups in the state, the political and infrastructural disenfranchisement are too glaring for the blind to see and a few anecdotal evidence will suffice here.

Aside from packing the state secretariat and other parastatals of the state with Ondo and Idanre indigenes (no thanks to Dr. Ademujimi, the governor’s Chief of Staff from Idanre), Mimiko stifled Akure’s effort to get a teaching hospital by withdrawing the CofO of the site that was designated for a teaching hospital along Owo road.

The community spent a lot of time trying to pry the land off him. By the time the community succeeded, time had lapsed and the money approved by former president Goodluck Jonathan through TETFund (N2.1 billion) had to be returned to the treasury via the TSA policy upon Buhari’s assumption of office in 2015.

Akure communities have been going cap in hand begging for money for that teaching hospital without any support from successive governors of the state whereas a Teaching Hospital is now sitting pretty in Ondo town.

Olusegun Mimiko encouraged Sunday Idowu, an Akure indigene who made his money in Akwa Ibom, to relocate to his state of birth to contribute to the state’s economic development. Idowu built state-of-the-art hospitality (Jojein Hotel & Resort) along Oba-Ile road banking on the former governor’s promise to construct and dualize the road on the axis because of the business. Mimiko did not touch that road in his eight years as the governor of the state. The hotel subsequently collapsed principally because of the unmotorable road despite the tremendous financial support Mimiko received from Idowu during his struggle to reclaim his mandate.

It is instructive that one of Idowu’s hotel halls was named after Godswill Obot Akpabio, now the Senate President, a detribalized Nigerian who made it possible for him to thrive beyond his wildest imagination when Akpabio was the governor of Akwa Ibom—and Idowu acknowledged the huge difference Akpabio made in his life with the naming of one of the hotel halls after him. You cannot ask for a better principal or a Nigerian public figure you should know than the current Senate President.

His large-heartedness is legendary. Ditto Asari Dokubo, a deeply religious former militant from the Ijaw Nation with his unusual milk of kindness who supported, and continues to support Sunday Idowu to this day.

Please note that I preach a detribalized Nigeria. I believe in opportunities being given equally to foster a sense of belonging for all Nigerians. My people say we take the jewels to events from home. What I am calling attention to here is: Start from the grassroots, support the development of infrastructures, and build your people. These are the attributes that stand President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio out. But I digress.

Yet, Mimiko intentionally ruined Sunday Idowu, who’s yet to recover financially, because he’s an indigene of Akure kingdom.

If Segun Mimiko disliked Akure and its people with passion, the contempt with which the late Arakunrin Akeredolu treated them was perhaps pathological.

Akeredolu egregiously went ahead to annex the Ondo State Specialist Hospital in Akure to Ondo. This is a hospital that had been pledged by the Akure community during the struggle for the FUTA medical program as a take-off point for the clinical program of medical students.

The hospital was originally developed by the Akure indigenes during the western region days. Akure people told him the history of the hospital. He didn’t listen. He annexed it to Ondo anyway thereby preventing the Akure people from using it for their teaching hospital. All efforts to beg him to build a new teaching hospital to serve the medical college in Ondo town and serve his purpose fell on deaf ears. From a reliable authority, Akeredolu tongue-lashed Ifedayo Abegunde and Tunji Ariyomo, two prominent Akure indigenes in one of his State Executive Council meetings when they advanced arguments that Akure ought to retain the specialist hospital to provide top-level secondary care. The duo offered to give him new land for his proposed teaching hospital. Today, FUTA is still in a conundrum over the location of clinical practice for the year 4 medical students. Akeredolu wilfully did what he wanted including the privatization of Ondo state government to his wife and first son.

Ifedayo Abegunde and Lekan Odere were two Akure sons who came all out to support Akeredolu to be governor when even his kinsfolks were not too sure if they should support him. They were with him way before the primary. Lekan was considered Akeredolu’s alter ego in Akure politics then. Although Abegunde was appointed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), what many did not know was that no shishi was allocated to his office. It took a ‘World War’ to even allow him to have an official vehicle. Yet, some other members of the cabinet were given multiple cars including Hilux vans by Akeredolu while some controlled billions of Naira. As for Lekan, the late governor never for once considered him worthy of being given a job as an office clerk, let alone an aide.

Tunji “Light” Ariyomo was given the same Abegunde treatment as an ExCo member of the Akeredolu administration. Akeredolu not only refused to fund Ariyomo’s office but when Tunji brought in $57 million to the state’s coffers for a water program and also secured the approval of AfDB for an additional $124 million, the late governor removed him from the water project two weeks after he received bank alerts to commence the project. As if this deliberate collapse of Idowu’s hospitality business was not bad enough, the millions of Naira owed this Akure indigene by Mimiko’s government has not been paid to date.

Although one may never know when the rains started beating Akure and its people since the current democratic dispensation, it became torrential and the people of Oyemekun (one of our cognomens) got drenched to the bargain, particularly in the governments of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and the late Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu.

Akeredolu then began a vicious campaign against the young man everywhere to mask his true objective and divert attention from the fact that his smear campaign was all about money.

It is important to bring these anecdotes to the fore now that the electorate is on the verge of choosing their governor in less than a year from now. While one is not under any illusion that Akure people will not pitch their electoral tent behind a single candidate, I hope that the town’s political stakeholders will not only be cohesive and speak with one voice in the way they interrogate the state’s politics this time around, a significant concession in terms of the empowerment of some of their leading lights and infrastructural development of the state capital must be extracted from any candidate (preferably APC) they would support.

But more fundamentally important, Akure people must love themselves and sacrifice for one another. It is only when others see that we have significant cohesion in our approach to the political and economic conditions that affect our existence that others will begin to take us seriously. And we do not have to make apologies about that just as other sub-ethnic groups are unapologetic about politically suppressing us while uplifting their own. Akure people are simply behind the 8th-ball of the state’s political and economic empowerment. It is time to change this unfortunate narrative.

_Femi Odere is a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President on Stakeholders’ Engagement and Mobilization. He can be reached at femiodere@gmail.com._

Federal Ministry Of Tourism To Partner With Ekiti State On Tourism Development.

Federal Ministry Of Tourism To Partner With Ekiti State On Tourism Development.

Nigeria Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, has expressed her commitment to collaborate with Ekiti State Bureau for Tourism Development on harnessing and promoting the tourism economy of the state. 

The Minister made this known in a recent letter she wrote to the Director General of the Bureau, Ambassador Wale Ojo-Lanre, who had earlier written to congratulate the minister on her appointment and wish her a speedy recovery during her illness.

In the letter signed personally by her, the Minister noted ‘‘I am particularly excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the Ekiti State Government and the Bureau of Tourism Development to explore avenues for Tourism Development in Ekiti State. Your state’s unique cultural heritage sites, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant communities present immense potential for tourism promotion and investment and I am eager to work together to realize this potential. ‘‘Be assured that I am committed to fostering a fruitful collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Tourism and the Ekiti State government.’’

Furthermore, Minister Lola Ade John pledges her commitment to fostering collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Ekiti State to harness and develop the abundant tourism potentialities within the state.

She recognizes the importance of synergy between the Federal and State Governments in unlocking the tourism treasures that abound in Ekiti State.

Besides the promise of partnership with the State Government, the minister on a personal note expressed appreciation to Ojo-Lanre for felicitating her and wishing her well and a successful tenure. 

  ‘‘I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your heartfelt congratulations on my appointment as the Minister of Tourism for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Your kind words and well wishes are deeply appreciated.' 

‘She said ' I am honoured to receive such warm sentiments from the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development and I am encouraged by your confidence in my ability to drive substantial progress in tourism development across Nigeria.’’

Minister Lola Ade John  also disclosed that ‘‘your recognition of the significance of the Ministry of Tourism and its potential impact on our nation’s cultural heritage and natural landscapes is truly commendable.’’

She assured the nation that the Ministry of Tourism remains dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism development nationwide, and this collaboration with Ekiti State marks a significant step towards achieving that goal.

Oyebanji Holds Collaboration Talks with LASEMA to Strengthen EKSEMA's Capacity.

Oyebanji Holds Collaboration Talks with LASEMA to Strengthen EKSEMA's Capacity.

By Olamide Akinwumi. 

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has initiated critical discussions with the leadership of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) during a courtesy visit to their headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, on Saturday. The purpose of the meeting was to explore potential collaboration and partnership avenues between LASEMA and the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency (EKSEMA), with a primary focus on bolstering disaster management and response capabilities.

Upon arrival, Governor Oyebanji was warmly received by the Director-General and CEO of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu. Following a brief meeting, discussions centered on identifying areas of mutual interest and potential collaboration between the two emergency management agencies.

Subsequently, Dr. Oke-Osanyintolu led Governor Oyebanji on a comprehensive facility tour of the LASEMA office, showcasing the agency's operational setup, equipment, and capabilities in disaster response and management.

The visit underscores Governor Oyebanji's commitment to prioritizing the well-being and welfare of Ekiti State citizens, along with efforts to deepen growth and development initiatives. The administration places great emphasis on forging strategic alliances with institutions, agencies, and private sector entities to bolster disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.

Governor Oyebanji's engagement with LASEMA demonstrates a proactive approach to strengthening disaster management capabilities in Ekiti State, leveraging the expertise and resources of established agencies like LASEMA.

Collaboration discussions between LASEMA and EKSEMA hold promise for enhancing emergency response frameworks, facilitating knowledge exchange, and fostering mutual support in times of crisis. This strategic partnership aligns with the administration's vision to build a resilient and disaster-ready Ekiti State.

Governor Oyebanji expressed optimism about the potential benefits of collaboration with LASEMA, affirming his administration's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of Ekiti State residents. The visit signifies a significant step towards fortifying emergency management capabilities and ensuring the safety and well-being of citizens in both Ekiti and Lagos States.

Hon. Oluwatuyi Distributes Palliatives Amid Economic Hardship.

Hon. Oluwatuyi Distributes Palliatives Amid Economic Hardship.

...Commends Gov. Oyebanji's Welfare Focus

By Comr Olamide Akinwumi 

In response to the prevailing economic challenges, the Executive Chairperson of Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area (LGAs) in Ekiti State, Hon. Gbenga Oluwatuyi, on Friday 1st of March has undertaken a commendable initiative by distributing foodstuff to community development associations within the local government council. This gesture comes amidst efforts to alleviate the hardships faced by residents in the region.

The distribution, which saw the provision of rice to various wards, was made possible through the approval of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, who sanctioned the release of N331,000,000 for the purchase of the essential commodity. Hon. Oluwatuyi ensured that 25 bags of rice were allocated to each ward, emphasizing the importance of equitable distribution devoid of partisan considerations.

In overseeing the process, Hon. Gbenga Oluwatuyi issued a stern warning against any attempts to divert or sell the foodstuffs meant for the welfare of the people. He reiterated that stringent measures would be taken against anyone found engaging in such misconduct, with offenders promptly handed over to the appropriate authorities for investigation.

Expressing his gratitude to Governor Oyebanji for his unwavering commitment to the welfare of the state's residents, Hon. Oluwatuyi emphasized the significance of the policies implemented by the state government in enhancing the economy and fostering national development. He urged the people to remain hopeful, highlighting the administration's dedication to improving their quality of life.

Furthermore, Hon. Oluwatuyi appealed to market women, traders, and business owners to consider reducing the prices of goods and services in line with the administration's efforts to ease the burden on the populace. He affirmed Governor Oyebanji's relentless pursuit of state development, emphasizing the administration's tireless endeavors to make life more comfortable for all residents.

In a bid to empower those without a means of livelihood, Hon. Oluwatuyi encouraged them to venture into agriculture, assuring them of the necessary support such as access to lands, agricultural inputs, and financial assistance. He reiterated the administration's commitment to prioritizing the welfare of the people and reiterated Governor Oyebanji's administration's unwavering dedication to supporting the populace in times of hardship.

The distribution of palliatives by Hon. Gbenga Oluwatuyi underscores the collaborative efforts between the local government and the state government in addressing the challenges faced by Ekiti State residents, reaffirming their commitment to fostering socio-economic development and improving the overall well-being of the people.

Oyebanji Gifts 20 Physically Challenged Persons Brand New Wheelchairs.

Oyebanji Gifts 20 Physically Challenged Persons Brand New Wheelchairs.

....First Lady Advocates Equal Rights for Persons With Disabilities.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has once again given succour to the physically challenged persons in the state by giving them means of mobility and to improve their status among fellow citizens.

The Governor gave them brand new wheelchairs at a ceremony to mark this year's International Day of the Wheelchair in Ado Ekiti, the state capital which was well attended by persons living with disabilities.

Wife of the Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, who presented the wheelchairs to twenty beneficiaries urged the people of the state to always extend help and support to the physically challenged especially those who rely on wheelchairs.

The beneficiaries who expressed their immense joy at the gifts of the new wheelchairs expressed their gratitude and prayed for the success of the Governor in taking the State to greater heights.

In an address delivered on her behalf by the Senior Special Assistant on Advocacy, Dr. Eunice Fasanmi, the First Lady said the Oyebanji Administration is doing everything possible to make life easier for physically challenged individuals in Ekiti State. 

This she said is being done through various initiatives and policies, reiterating government's commitment to ensuring that that citizens living with disabilities have the resources and support they need to thrive.

She said: "On this International Day of Wheelchair, we gather to recognize the invaluable role that wheelchairs play in enhancing the lives of individuals with mobility challenges. Whether due to polio, accidents, strokes, or cerebral palsy, wheelchairs provide vital assistance and empower individuals to navigate the world with dignity and independence.

"As we commemorate this day, let us reaffirm our commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all. Let us work tirelessly to break down physical and societal barriers that hinder the full participation of persons with disabilities in our dear state.

"Moreover, let us extend our support and solidarity to those who rely on wheelchairs, acknowledging their resilience and strength in overcoming obstacles. Together, let us advocate for equal rights, opportunities, and access to essential services for persons with disabilities.

"In celebrating the International Day of Wheelchair, let us not only acknowledge the importance of mobility aids but also reaffirm our collective commitment to building a more inclusive and compassionate society for all."

The Chairman of the National Association of People Living With Physical Disabilities, Mr. Bakinde Olaosebikan, said the International Wheelchair Day was created to raise awareness and about the significance of wheelchairs and their positive impact on the lives of individuals with mobility challenges.

He used the occasion to table some demands before the government which include modification of all public spaces and facilities to comply with relevant accessibility standard code and universal design and the development of minimum accessibility standard code for the implementation of the law regarding access to the environment.

VP Shettima Receives New Board of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.

VP Shettima Receives New Board of Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission.

....Charges members on steadfastness, devotion to duty.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has asked the newly appointed Board of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) to demonstrate unwavering devotion to duty.

Addressing the delegation who came on a courtesy visit in the Presidential Villa, VP Shettima reminded the board members of the importance of religious commitment in addressing the challenges facing the nation.

The Vice President also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's positive impact on the nation, attributing the President's success to divine blessings and purity of his heart.

He stated: "The road that led us to the Tinubu Presidency did not happen by chance. This is a man whose trajectory is characterized by making sacrifices for the good of the nation."

Highlighting Tinubu's role as a sanctuary for victims of political persecution, VP Shettima said the need for leaders to invest in building bridges can never be wished away, noting President Tinubu's contributions in providing an alternative platform for the Nigerian political system.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made sacrifices and built bridges. He was a veritable sanctuary for victims of political witch hunts. When other governors were struggling to have a seat at the dining table with Obasanjo way back then, he provided an alternative platform for the Nigerian political system,” the Vice President said.

Addressing the appointed board members, Shettima said, "All of you here were picked because of your religious devotion. We cannot condone what is taking place in the system. We must all strive to make a positive impact to attain the Nigeria of our dreams."

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NCPC, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve on the board.

He also commended the Vice President's exceptional leadership, recounting instances of support for the church and efforts to foster peace and harmony in Borno State.

“Your antecedent and what we have known about you are immense. When we came to Maiduguri, Borno State, I was the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The then CAN chairman in Borno State said to us that they have an exceptional governor, who supported Christians and rebuilt churches destroyed by Boko Haram,” he said.

He added that Vice President Shettima stood with the Church and ensured that there was peace and harmony in the church in Nigeria and with people of other faiths.

Bishop Adegbite also noted that the commission's role goes beyond pilgrimage as it extends to the duty of ensuring a harmonious environment for the nation.

"For us as a commission, our assignment is beyond pilgrimage. It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that we have a harmonious environment for our nation, to build bridges and ensure that there is peace and harmony in Nigeria," he stated.