Ekiti: Gov Oyebanji Says Too Much Pressure On Political Appointees  Distances Them From People

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has appealed to Ekiti people not to put undue pressure and demands on the newly appointed commissioners and Special Advisers, so that they will not run away from them.

The Governor stressed that such could, apart from distracting them,  prevent them from coming to their constituencies regularly as true representatives of the people .

Oyebanji also declared that his Government had expended a sum of N213 million to lift  2,600 indigent citizens from poverty  under social investment component of his administration within the last 100 days.

He also said that over a hundred project spread across the state were executed between April and July, stressing that the state Independent Power Project (IPP) is due for commissioning next month.

The Governor made the remarks on Monday in Omuo Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti East Local government Area, while giving  account of stewardship at a stakeholders’ engagement programme marking his  300 days in office.

“The new commissioners are coming from different background and diverse level of expertise. We are still going to do much more than what we have done.

“If we can do all these in eight months without full cabinet, we should be able to do times two of these in four years.

“My cabinet members must hear this, our people said I am doing well because my Commissioners, who are politicians have not been brought on board.

“But I want to say that they don’t have any other choice  than to do well. But don’t put unnecessary pressure on them. We should know that  political appointment is a  position of responsibility.

“When pressure is put on them, they will be dodging and would not want to come home. But these cabinet members are ready and willing and they have the fire power and experiences to do well. I have implicit confidence in them that they can only join us and deliver for our people.

“We must know that we contested the last election and won  with APC as a vehicle and our members  need to be very careful to remain in government. They must not take our people for granted or misbehave to them.”

Expressing confidence on ability of the appointees to perform, the Governor said they are coming with additional values to the government, adding that rather than slow down the pace of work, the public should expect greater level of performance.

In the area of security, Oyebanji rued the reported cases of kidnappings around Imesi-Ode-Omuo axis, saying the Amotekun Corps had been restructured to rise to the occasion of ensuring peace and security across all the towns in Ekiti.

He urged traditional rulers to collaborate with the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies in the state to rid the state of criminal elements.