Oyebanji, God's Factor and the Merchants of Blackmail.
By Raheem Akingbolu.
In a desperate move to suppress my anger over the level of propaganda and lies going on around Ekiti State Governor, H.E Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO), I picked one of my favourite Islamic Literature books; ‘Hasad: A Condemnation of Envy and Envious People’ and I spotted the quote below on page 16.
“To envy is to desire the removal of Allāh’s Blessings from their owner. This is the first level of envy. The second level is to hope misfortune follows the servant [as a shadow would follow its object]. On this level the envious one wishes that the object of their envy remains ignorant, poor, weak, and hopes that their heart is separated from Allāh.”
Yes, envy was described as a sickness by the Prophet of Islam, the current situation in Ekiti has reaffirmed this position. Even though the months before elections are generally tense, with blackmailing merchants and purveyors of half-truths struggling to steal the show, the current situation in Ekiti is inhuman and abnormal. In the last few weeks, I have observed these abnormalities and I have been provoked to ask if this is Ekiti. As a people, we are known for truth and principle but these virtues appear to be eluding us little by little.
When Oyebanji became governor, Ekitis trooped out in celebration that at last they had gotten the governor they desired. We saw the homegrown advantage of the new helmsman as a blessing and we hoped for the best in terms of human and infrastructural developments. Months into the administration, BAO’s activities and approach to governance further lent credence to the fact that he was well groomed to pilot the ship of the state. He knew the problems and how best to address them. He was accessible to all and this shows in his relationship with all the stakeholders -traditional rulers, civil servants and ordinary men and women on the streets.
Prior to his emergence as governor, many towns were locked in total power outage in Ekiti but BAO hit the ground running immediately and restored electricity. In a resolute effort to boost the local economy and propel industrial development through the robust growth of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Ekiti State, the governor commissioned the extension of the 132/133 KVA power substation from Omisanjana in Ado Ekiti to reconnect Ikogosi-Ekiti and other communities back to the national grid after years of power outages.
The Governor emphasised that his government would not tolerate the idea of towns being left in perpetual power outages for a period of 15 years. He described this as a potential danger that could cripple businesses and increase the poverty level in the state.
There was no nightlife, ditto the flourishing economy. Insecurity spiralled like a bush fire in the harmattan. The local economy was comatose and poverty soared to an alarming and tremulous dimension. But, when the righteous are in power, the people rejoice. This is exactly the case of Ekiti State currently.
Shrewd and apt enough, ‘Infrastructure and Industrialisation’ is one pillar in the policy-thrust of Oyebanji’s administration. But nobody knew the magic wand he wished to wield to industrialise the state. He had a focus and this is steadily gaining momentum and manifesting in folds and miles.
Beyond infrastructural development, welfare of Ekiti workers was given a special priority under Oyenbanji and since he assumed office, the issue of nonpayment of salary has become a thing of the past. From Local government to those in the main stream of local government, it has now become a honeymoon. Another achievement of the administration is the offsetting of the backlog of pensions owed the retirees. Perhaps the most innovative of Oyebanji policies is the way he factors in the interest of the informal sector, which gives artisans and market men and women a say in his government.
As a result of all these, Ekiti people saw the need to further support the governor and urged him to go for the second term in office. This explains the recent jamborees in various communities and the endorsement of Oyebanji for the second term in office. Unfortunately, some naysayers, who were threatened by the governor’s popularity and acceptability, took offence and started mapping out strategies to nail him.
Knowing well that it would be difficult to point out any flaw in his government and approach to governance, they resorted to blackmail. First was the attempt to set him against Mr. President that he orchestrated an ‘illegal’ endorsement. Of course, this died a natural death immediately with the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself by those who knew the President deserved another term to fully actualise his political and economic reforms.
Again, in an attempt to throw a spanner into chummy relationship between the governor and the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, they cooked another story that BAO was working with former Governor Niyi Adebayo to frustrate the taking off of the newly established Federal University of Technology and Environmental Science, Iyin Ekiti. Interestingly, this was also debunked by stakeholders, including the ministry of education and the Oluyin in council, with statements proving the governor’s support through the unconditional release of the state’s state of the earth permanent site of the Science College for the takeoff of the University. Case closed.
The final straw that broke the camel’s back was the recent endorsement of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s second term bid by President Tinubu. Immediately the timetable for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election was released, those who were hell-bent that a certain gubernatorial hopeful must become governor came to town with another concocted lie that the President had given his nod to the aspiration of their candidates. But with Tinubu’s position during his meeting with former Governor Ayodele Fayose and the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejuyigbe, their lies fell like a pack of cards.
At this stage and with the backing of all the former governors of the state, the traditional rulers, the civil servants, the artisans and the political neutrals, is it not high time everybody surrendered and queued behind the chosen one for the benefit of Ekiti people. In Oyebanji, Ekitis seem to have gotten their political messiah.
By continuing to run down BAO for personal gains, the promoters of hate speeches in Ekiti will end up destroying their lives and future. Excerpts and Adaptation from Al-Hidaayah: the Book “Diseases of the Hearts and Their Cures” should be suffixed enough for those who are still chasing shadows.
According to Ibn Taymiyyah who described envy as a disease of the heart, it’s one of the major sins which is bound to destroy good deeds as fast as the fire burns the wood and dry grass to ashes. “Jealousy eats away at good deeds, just as fire eats away at firewood.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
If indeed envy is hating the good that happens to others, then those who have taken this as their trade simply because of their evil determination to scuttle BAO’s second term agenda, should expect nothing but consequences of their actions.
It is said that the people who have the greatest degree of restlessness are the envious people. Such a person has no peace and is continuously grieved.
The greatest harm from envy comes to the envier, who with one’s displeasure with God’s decree attains a great loss to oneself.
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