Adebayo Adenrele
…rallies support for monarchs
As Governor Biodun Oyebanji marks two years in office, the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has urged the traditional rulers to support the current administration’s strides in community development that will stamp out poverty, unemployment and hunger from Ekiti.
Mrs Afuye urged the monarchs to back the governor’s well intended actions to stabilise the state through solid economic policy, security, infrastructures, agriculture and employment for youths to reduce poverty and hunger.
Mrs Afuye, according to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, spoke at separate events held at Erinmope and Ifisin Ekiti, on Saturday, in Ekiti North Senatorial District of the State.
Speaking at the second anniversary of the installation of Obaleo of Erinmope Ekiti, Oba Sunday Aniyi, Mrs Afuye, said Ekiti monarchs’ support is essential and pivotal for the success of the current administration, particularly in the area of rural development.
Mrs Afuye pledged that the government of Oyebanji won’t neglect any town in his grassroots development agenda, in line with his intention to make the administration participatory and all-inclusive.
She appealed to the monarchs, to as stabilisers and peace makers, propagate the achievements of government in their domains to further smoothen the relationship between the government and the people.
Mrs Afuye saluted Oba Aniyi for his superlative leadership in Erinmope town, saying the unity among the residents of Erinmope Ekiti is translating to development and peace in the kingdom.
“Your support for government starts by you rallying your subjects to understand what the government is doing and the intentions behind it. You are the rallying points in all the towns and this is one responsibility that must be discharged in the interest of our state”.
Similarly, speaking at the event marking the 43rd edition of Ifisin Day celebrations and conferment of chieftaincy titles on some eminent Nigerians, Mrs Afuye, praised the community for standing by the monarch for him to achieve success.
The Obaleo of Erinmope, Oba Sunday Aniyi, appreciated Governor Oyebanji for embarking on aggressive renovation of schools and construction of some roads in the community, particularly the Erinmope-Irare-Ikosun road and Erinmope-Ekan road.
Oba Aniyi said the community has embarked on many projects targeted at complementing Oyebanji’s government, including school projects, sinking of boreholes, youth empowerment and building of Erinmope Development Centre to equip the youths in vocations, skills and for academic development.
“The N500m fund raising we are seeking, is meant to construct some buildings inside the proposed study centre of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology in this town that can contain about 3,000 students to realise the mandate of manpower development of the university”, the monarch said.
Saluting Governor Oyebanji for his impressive performance in the area of grassroots development, the Onifisin of Ifisin Ekiti, Oba Folarin Fabunmi, craved the government’s intervention in the reconstruction of five kilometres Aaye-Ifisin-Igbole, road to boost food production in the axis.
Oba Fabunmi urged his subjects to foster good relationship with other ethnic groups like Tivs, Ebira, Hausa, Igbo and Fulani to fasttrack development in the town.
As a way of partnering the youth development policy of government, the monarch revealed that the community has trained some jobless youths in different vocations and encouraging them into farming to reduce criminalities in the state.