As Oyebanji Sets Agenda for Ekiti Cabinet…

Gbenga Sodeinde writes that Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has constituted the state executive Council with a warning to the appointees that his government will not condone indolence and sharp practices.

“It is no longer business as usual” was the statement  the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, emphasized while addressing newly appointed Commissioners and Special Advisers during a three-day retreat held at at Bishop Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital last week.

The Governor followed his words with actions that showed that he really meant business and that truly,  it is not going to be business as usual.

Setting agenda for the new appointees during the retreat in Ado Ekiti immediately after they were inaugurated, the Governor made it point clear as he sets the tone for their

 responsibilities and expectations with emphasis on driving positive change and making significant contributions to the state, the people and  the overall development the State, stressing that their stay in office will be determined by performance.

Specifically, Governor Oyebanji told them point blank that his government would not tolerate indiscipline, indolence, corruption or sharp practices, non-productivity, and poor performance.

True to his words, the  Governor made real zero tolerance to indiscipline  when he handed down a two-week suspension to one of the erring newly inaugurated Commissioners for leaving the retreat venue without permission.

It was the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Mr Olaiya Atibioke, who departed unannounced the venue of the retreat for members of the State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries

and was immediately slammed with two weeks suspension by the Governor with emphasis that it is not going to be business as usual.

The Governor didn’t stop at that as he further established his action  by making all the Commissioners and Special Advisers to sign a performance charter at the end of the  retreat with strict instructions to them that his friendship with them ended the day they took the oath of office to serve as commissioners and special advisers, adding that his relationship with them henceforth would strictly be based on service delivery.

According to him: “The only reason we are here is just to serve our people and history will be kind to us, we have been given a very unique opportunity to contribute to the development of this State and I know that none of us will drop the ball, with respect to support, the government will support MDAs to deliver on their promises as we put the responsibility on you, there is also a responsibility on government to ensure you were given tools to deliver.

“Some of you are my friends, but friendship stops the day you took the oath of office, now, we are in the era of service. Anybody that is my friend will help me to succeed, I am going to draw a line between friendship and service. When it comes to doing the job, we will provide the resources and we’ll demand accountability for performance.

“I reiterate today, continuous stay in government is going to be premised on performance. I will not hesitate to remove anybody that is constituting him or herself into a clog in the way, I will not blink an eye because I owe a duty to God and to Ekiti people”

Secondly, the absence of one of the nominees in Ekiti State, Mr. Oladapo Karounwi, at the inauguration of the newly appointed Commissioners held at the Oshuntokun Pavilion, Government House Grounds, Ado-Ekiti which was performed by Governor Oyebanji, on Tuesday, 8th August, 2023, before holding the retreat had elicited dust and hoopla that is gradually shaking the polity.

The matter is presently taking a centre stage in all political discussions in Ekiti as it is resonating across all strata and elicited so much tension because of the time it surged and the manner with which it was spreading like a bushfire in the harmattan.

The concerned stakeholders were rattled by this owing to Karounwi’s stature within the progressive fold. He is a boisterous and experienced politician, with wide tentacles within the progressive enclave and beyond.

Going by the information filtering out from those that matter, Karounwi, a former Deputy Speaker had his fate hanging in the balance. His conspicuous absence at the inauguration despite being confirmed by the State House of Assembly portrayed grave danger for his present and political future.

The quandary and travail in Karounwi’s political camp stemmed from the political crisis that suddenly broke out between his camp and other members of the All Progressives Congress in Efon Local Government. The crisis was so terrific that those who seemed to be opposed to his emergence were reportedly attacked, which some believed was an assassination attempt.

The crisis snowballed to the point that petitions were written and the security agencies are currently probing the politician. This also accounted for why his inauguration was stepped down so that it won’t be preemptive of the security agencies actions.

Like the two sides of a coin, while his absence at the event was generating dust, those who showed up and had been assigned portfolios had since been throwing parties for the people to celebrate their emergence.

But well noticed was the fact that the Governor’s choices of other Commissioners were deemed to be apt, as many of them are respectable politicians and technocrats, firmly rooted at the grassroots.

A substantial number of them are well-known party stalwarts and accomplished technocrats, who had served in several capacities as local government chairpersons, councilors, community leaders, Commissioners, ward chairmen, political group leaders, and state lawmakers.

Noteworthy also was the fact that the new Commissioners and Advisers appeared to have portfolios that give the impression that they are round pegs in round holes and it is an indication that they will perform optimally.

To corroborate the foregoing assertion, Hon. Taiwo Olatubosun who got the information portfolio, is a strong grassroots politician, with a high pedigree as he has served the state in many capacities where he performed creditably well.

Olatubosun was Deputy Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly between 2003 and 2006. He was appointed Acting Governor of Ekiti when Governor Ayo Fayose was away for a few weeks. He was the Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, and the last position he held was the Chairman, of the Ekiti House of Assembly Service Commission.

Also, Chief Mrs.Tosin Aluko, who gets the Environment and Natural Resources portfolio, is an ebullient politician by all standards.

She had served as the chairperson of Ado Local Government metropolis. Widely loved by her people, she is a strong politician who is well-connected to the grassroots.

Prof. Ojo Bakare, a lecturer at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), who was returned as Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, had once served as a commissioner in the immediate past Administration of Kayode Fayemi. Going by the performing index released by that administration, he was rated to have performed well.

Bakare’s scorecard included revamping the culture and tourism sector of the state. It was during his time that fresh graduates were injected into the state cultural troupe as artistes.

Most astounding was how he took the troupe overseas for international competition, where laurels were won to the credit of the state government and Nigeria at large.

With Bakare back in the saddle at the Culture ministry, one is sure that a round peg is put in the round hole.

Meanwhile, as the newly appointed members of Governor Oyebanji’s cabinet are settling down to work,  sources disclosed to THISDAY that Karounwi’s fate is hanging in the balance.

An inside source, who preferred anonymity disclosed that Karounwi’s swearing-in was stepped down to lower the political tension in Efon. The source said “Karounwi also believed in the decision, it was in order as the peace of Efon is more important than any political appointment”.

Karounwi, a former Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, was among the top commissioner-nominees recommended by the Ekiti State Appointment Committee set up by Governor Oyebanji.

The reason for his recommendation is not far-fetched as he had played a significant role during the electioneering campaign towards the victory of the Governor at the poll.

As a former Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, Karounwi did not face much heat before the lawmakers, hence he was among the list of nominees confirmed through “bow and go” that has become a parliamentary convention globally.

Sources further alleged that the sudden removal of his name was not unconnected to a strongly worded petition by the people of his town, Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti, and leaders of APC over his alleged act of indiscipline, arrogance, and high-handedness, among others.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back was his alleged involvement in the attack on three APC chieftains a few weeks ago over the struggle for a council chairmanship seat in his town.

The APC chieftains were said to be seriously injured by some thugs allegedly loyal to Karounwi in which some of them have been arrested and are facing serious prosecution.

Karounwi is, however, seen as an intelligent politician, who has the gravitas to fight back in a virulent fashion in his bid to confront any political battle. He is fighting hard to extricate himself from the web weaven around him.

At every opportunity, he kept denying the accusations and alleged connection to the attack. He has told whoever cares to believe that he had no hand in the attack.

He said: “I don’t know anything about the matter, in fact, I was not even anywhere near Efon when the attack happened, but from my findings, it was a beer parlour argument that degenerated and caused the clash.

“I was framed up in the clash by my detractors who felt it was an opportunity for them to deal with me, but I swear, I knew nothing about it”.

According to a source close to government, the Governor was hesitant to drop Karounwi, because of their perceived closeness.

But the severity of the allegations against the politician was too grave and weighty to be discountenanced.

The Governor as an unrepentant lover of justice could not ignore such an act of indiscipline. Since his assumption of office, Oyebanji has displayed at various times that he is an avid promoter of discipline and party supremacy. Dropping his ally from the list of commissioners further buttressed this widespread belief.

The Governor as proof of his government’s priority for masses and most especially the grassroots charged the newly inaugurated Commissioners to be connected to the grassroots, pay attention to their political environments, and not be a “political moonlighter who is rarely seen at home.”

He further charged them to develop the right socio-political skills and emotional intelligence to manage expectations with tact and empathy.

Also in a bid to give them opportunity to share ideas and get educated about the call of public administration procedures and properly understand and dissect the six pillars of his administration, the Governor engaged them all in a retreat in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he categorically told them to justify their presence in the government through excellent discharge of duties in their respective MDAs or be discharged of their duties or positions.

The Governor specifically emphasized, during the retreat with the theme, “Shared prosperity: From Promise to Reality”, that their continued stay in office would be guaranteed by demonstrated creative ability,  ingenuity, innovative capability, and impressive performance. He charged them to see their appointment as a call to service and not an avenue for self-aggrandizement.

With the full complement of the cabinet in place, and the Governor’s actions and activities pointing to his priorities, it is now evident that Ekiti people and particularly the grassroots will begin to see more and witness aggressive dividends of democracy and more manifestations of Oyebanji’s electioneering promises for the state and her people.