By FUNMILOLA OLAREWAJU

In the past few days, videos of market women leaders, aka Iyalojas, in Ekiti State moderating the prices of goods in the markets within their jurisdictions have been trending. According to reliable information, the genesis of the viral video was a call made by the First Lady of Ekiti State, Olayemi Oyebanji appealing to the Iyalojas to prevail on their members to bring down the cost of goods. Oyebanji was also reported to have had a meeting with female chiefs, urging them to intervene.

It didn’t stop there! The State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Tayo Adeola summoned a meeting of Heads of various associations, ranging from the market women to the road transport workers, petty traders and canteen owners, where she also urged them to bring down the cost of goods and services. “That’s what led to the viral videos. Even the transporters reduced their fares.”

‘Aríse laríkà. Aríkà baba ìrègún’ (Opportunity to do a good deed gives the doer the opportunity to lay them to heart, and to count them is the chief basis for seeking reward for them secretly or indirectly). From Education to Health; and from Agriculture to Culture and Tourism, it is important to note that the Biodun Oyebanji-led government in Ekiti State has been doing a lot and the results have been showing! Only recently, the governor reportedly paid N546.9m as WAEC/SSCE fees to support 16,269 Secondary School Students in the state.

In the power sector, Oyebanji’s efforts on stable electricity supply have been yielding results even as the African Development Bank recently approved the sum of $110,000 to fund the State Power Reform Plan. From reports, Ekiti is also working with other states and the country to ensure state, regional and national operationalization of the new Electricity Act 2023. Many more in this important sector!

In 2023, during the inauguration of a facility in Aramoko-Ekiti, Oyebanji was said to have promised to donate a well-equipped maternity complex to Aramoko-Ekiti General Hospital in memory of his late mother. The facility is now almost ready for inauguration. Coincidentally, the governor was born in the hospital 56 years ago.

It needs to be noted that Ekiti under Oyebanji has become an amazing story of faith, determination and success, but then, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. For instance, during their time, the Obafemi Awolowos, the Ahmadu Bellos and the Nnamdi Azikiwes prepared the pupils for the world which they saw clearly! Nigerians also used to know Ekiti with his many professors. Now, it is as if all Ekiti professors have relocated to the Eastern part of the country. Once upon a time, the North was described as an educational disadvantaged state but now, power has also changed hands with jealous rage. Though it’s not the fault of the present government, the strategic aim for Ekiti should revolve around reclaiming its pride of place.

To become great in life, the battleground is education. The basic thing therefore is not just talking about education but the right type of education that can give Ekiti sons and daughters the wherewithal to be competitive while not allowing other sectors to suffer. To this end, it behooves the government to focus on building an education system that can make the state competitive in the years ahead, starting from the nursery school. In other words, any forward movement over the next 10 to 20 years must start with revamping the public primary school curriculum and building an economy with a focus on 18 years’ time to make the pupils competitively prepared for a different world from the world that we know. Why? A 4-year-old in 2024 will be bound to face a competitive world of artificial intelligence and robot technology in the Year 2034.

Since the road cannot close on the man with a cutlass, it will also be in the interest of Ekiti to localize the new electricity format by getting public private sector-driven investment into, and up the ante of, especially the renewables to attract private investments to produce electricity upgrid.

While commending the governor for the palliatives he recently rolled out to the residents, it’s also advisable that he looks inward for ways to improve productivity. Enough of resting on Abuja for handouts! In view of this, training the youth groups to take their destinies in their hands won’t be out of place.

Ekiti under Oyebanji must also look in the direction of building industries based on the new technology: technology hubs and agro-processing plants. The government has to be focused on building an economy that will be relevant for tomorrow and an economy that will not destroy the future of tomorrow. Of course, all these are achievable if the security mindfulness of the state is watertight.

On the economic front, it is believed that Ekiti has given much needed support and cooperation to the governor. Give it to Oyebanji, he has also been able to manage the entire power bloc in the state very well. Added to this is that he’s doing what an average civil servant in Ekiti State wants! So, while it would be extremely needed for Ekitis to help their state reach the expected end of its noble visions, it is also expected of the governor to make the best combination of the human and natural resources available to the state, coupled with its unique homogenous nature, to make a difference.

For Oyebanji to make Ekiti a template for others to copy, he must continue to look beyond the current challenges by fetching water in preparation for the season of thirst. One sure way of achieving this is the 12-point relief economic programme unveiled by the government “to alleviate the hardship being experienced by the people of the state in the face of the current global economic downturn”. The reintroduction of ‘Owo Arugbo’ is also a step in the right direction while opportunities for investment in the agriculture sector should be encouraged to ensure food security.

Accept it or not, the governor’s decision to reintroduce the construction of 5 kilometres of roads per Local Government will be a game changer in grassroots development. Since Ado-Ekiti – Akure dualization, being undertaken by the Federal Government, is billed to terminate at the endpoint of the flyover bridge, it therefore means that the contractor handling the Ado-Ekiti – Ikere-Ekiti axis must mobilize to site and hold his end of the bargain for the overall purpose of easing traffic congestion. Attention must also be paid to the Phase 2 of Ado-Ekiti – Iyin-Ekiti – Igede-Ekiti – Aramoko-Ekiti – Itawure Road since it’s of economic value. Also in this class are the dualization of the road leading to Afe Babalola University, the iconic Ring Road project and the rehabilitation of the adjoining roads to the section of Old Garage. The flyover bridge will add to the aesthetic beauty of the capital city as well as create economic activities around the area.

Oyebanji is doing well in terms of governance but, politically, he may need to up his game in the days ahead because ‘the enemy and the evildoer are within close proximity.’ The governor needs to be very decisive and keep his team intact.

Finally, kudos to the governor, who, till date is the only product of Ekiti State University (EKSU), formerly known as Ondo State University, Ado Ekiti, to be a governor and the first alumnus of the school to be a visitor to the school, for displaying statesmanship! Congratulations on his incredible success and wishing him all the best on his way to his 2^nd Term!

•Funmilola Olarewaju writes from Amiola Close, Zone 4, Osogbo, Osun State.

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