Oyebanji urges commissioners, permanent secretaries, others to sign performance bond

• Tells them to draw line between friendship and service
• Slams two weeks suspension on aide 

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, at the weekend, mandated the newly-inaugurated commissioners and permanent secretaries to sign a performance bond.

The bond will form the basis of appraising their performance against the requirements of the job given to them by the governor.

This was just as the governor gave the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Olaiya Atibioke, two weeks suspension barely 72 hours after taking the oath of office.

The suspension, which took immediate effect, followed Atibioke’s alleged unauthorised departure from the venue of the three-day retreat for members of the state executive council and permanent secretaries held at Bishop Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, the commissioner had left the venue of the retreat without permission. He was nowhere to be found when commissioners were called upon to sign the performance bond.

“Oyebanji had sat through all the sessions of the three-day retreat that commenced on Thursday. He had, in the course of his presentation, reiterated the administration’s zero tolerance for indiscipline and poor performance.

“The new commissioners, permanent secretaries and other state executive members have been made to sign a performance bond to make them committed to the assignment given to them,” the statement said.

“The governor, while delivering his closing remarks at the end of the three-day retreat, said: “Before I leave this place, I am going to sign a performance bond, the commissioners will sign and permanent secretaries will sign and everyone will have a copy.

“I am going to draw a line between friendship and service. I am just saying this now so that you won’t complain. When you don’t do the job after we have provided resources, I will demand accountability for job performance.

“I will not hesitate to remove anybody that constitutes himself as a clog because I owe a duty to God and Ekiti people. I just want to make it very clear.”

“The ministry of budget should note that the 2024 budget will be zero based. It is going to be based on the six pillars and what we have agreed here. Any project that is not captured by the ministry of budget must not find its way into the budget. So, to the permanent secretaries that are used to adding two to five per cent, it is not going to happen this year.”