Tinubu Made Governance Easier for Me in Ekiti, Says Oyebanji

Governor Biodun Oyebani of Ekiti state has praised President Bola Tinubu for simplifying governance for all 36 state governors by allocating more resources to the subnationals.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, said he owes President Bola Tinubu a debt of gratitude for making governance easier for him and other governors.

Speaking in Ado‑Ekiti at an interactive session with newsmen, Oyebanji described how his administration had struggled for almost six months to meet the state’s wage bill and capital projects until Tinubu’s inauguration as president.

The Governor noted that the President’s interventionist programmes provided additional resources to all states, including Ekiti, enabling his administration to implement its shared prosperity agenda with ease.

At the session, attended by heads of media outfits in the state and journalists from print, electronic and digital media, Oyebanji said the ongoing construction of three federal roads linking the state has eased pressure from citizens who have been calling on his government to repair the roads.

He added that the cost of the recently approved concrete pavement on the Ado‑Itawure road exceeds the state’s 2023 budget, and that without the President’s intervention there would have been no way to undertake the project.

“I became Governor six months before the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as president. In those six months, I had sleepless nights thinking about how to meet the wage bill and also implement the shared prosperity agenda. We have completed the airport now. Our focus is on roads. Thanks to the President, Ado‑Akure road is almost done. He has also awarded Ado‑Itawure road. The value of that contract is bigger than our budget for two years. If not for the president that cares, there is no way we could have done those roads,” he said.

The governor said the increased allocation from the Federal Government has enabled his administration to triple the subvention to the state’s tertiary institutions and meet the demands of the labour force, thereby fostering industrial harmony in the state.

He added that his government has paid over 85 billion naira in gratuities and pensions since taking office in 2022.

Oyebanji asserted that the endorsement of his administration by Ekiti people has largely resulted from its sterling performance, which is being facilitated by Tinubu’s presidency.

The governor also thanked the media in the state for their professionalism in discharging their duties, enlightening the public and holding the government accountable when necessary.

While urging Ekiti people to support Tinubu’s re‑election, Oyebanji said the president is repositioning Nigeria on the path to greatness and should be given the benefits of the doubts.

“The president deserves commendations. It is not possible to make omelette without breaking eggs. The progress and stability that he has brought to the economy and everything, it takes someone who has courage and confidence to do it. He is trying to fix things that have gone wrong in the last 30 years. If someone is sick and you give him an injection, does he get well instantly? Mr President deserves our support and understanding. I have sat with him many times and I can see that he has clarity of intention and how to put the country on the right footing,” the governor said.