BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State, on Sunday, expressed disappointment that Governor Biodun Oyebanji had allegedly been unable to stamp his feet in governance eight months after assuming office.
The Convener of Ekiti PDP Progressives, Wale Ayeni, said that it was baffling that Oyebanji could not appoint commissioners or the Chief of Staff and also address other pressing needs of the state since assuming office in October last year.
Ayeni, who spoke in Ado Ekiti during a meeting of PDP leaders and members towards the repositioning of the opposition party in the state, said, “The All Progressives Congress administration is not offering tangible dividends of democracy to the people. Governance is beyond payment of salaries and patching of roads in only the state capital.
The PDP chieftain, who alleged that the Oyebanji government was under the grip of a godfather, said, “We know that the governor needs help; he would still need to come to us, and we will give him the help he needs. We need good governance, which is lacking in Ekiti for now.
“If you are contesting elections, you must have a definite agenda and programmes, but someone has been in office for eight months without a clear direction and focus. We need genuine development in Ekiti State. Except for the fact that the governor is trying to hide something, by now we should know the state’s debt and how much he inherited from the last administration.
“This is the first time in the history of the state that a governor will constitute a committee to start looking for people who will become commissioners; it is not done anywhere,” he said.
Ayeni, who said that PDP had learnt its lessons from past failures, harped on the need for leaders to close ranks and be united in a bid to take over power in the state.
But the APC State Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, dismissed PDP’s assertions, saying that “Oyebanji’s government is focused, on course, and meeting the people’s yearnings and aspirations.”
Dipe said the governor had not committed any offence in not having full cabinet members yet, saying, “Oyebanji appointed commissioners and special advisers last year, and they are running the affairs of governance in the state. If you say he has not completed it, then there is no harm in that.
“What the governor has been doing in the state capital is not patching roads but urban renewal. The PDP may not know this because they didn’t do it. It is beyond the roads; when you move around, you will see. It is the business of the government to maintain infrastructure and guarantee security. I want to say that payment of salaries and pensions are dividends of democracy. The PDP chose what they saw.”
Dipe said that the committee for political appointments was to ensure the governor consulted widely with stakeholders in the state towards giving the people a sense of belonging in the administration.
