Oyebanji and the unity of Ekiti

Sir: Two rare political developments in Ekiti State motivated the writing of this piece. The first was the unanimous endorsement of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) for a second term in office by four former Ekiti State Governors, Niyi Adebayo, Ayo Fayose, Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni. The other one was the flag-off of the construction of the 17.85km First Ring Road by the governor.

Whichever way we look at it, good governance will always promote unity in any society. Therefore, good governance, which, from all indications, is the main focus of the Oyebanji-led government, should remain his goal throughout his stay in office. That exactly is a panacea or remedy for trouble. Once that is done, his name will be written in gold, for good governance breeds fairness, equity, justice and sustainable development, all rolled into one.

One of the things that make the state unique is that the founding fathers of the Ekiti axis saw the entire area as one before the notorious military incursion and the misfortune of Nigeria being ruled by the jackboot brought them to this sorry pass. So, the beauty of the democracy that they are currently enjoying lies in the people’s ability not to forget their ancestral origin.

In Ekiti, education has become an industry. The natural status of education in the state is an advantage to the governor. Matter-of-factly, almost all the families in the state can boast of at least a graduate. So, it is reasonable to say that Ekiti as a specific entity is spatially educated. Time it was when its sons and daughters were all focusing on becoming professors. Thank God it has now paid off, for when education and associated professions come to bear in Nigeria, Ekiti has only gone to show that learning and knowledge are never wasted ventures; they have a way of reproducing and repaying ‘for themselves, by themselves through themselves.’

The major responsibility of the national government is to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive while the state and the local governments have a responsibility to provide particular services to the people. Needless to repeat, Oyebanji’s decision to construct the first Ring Road project is a step in the right direction. However, it will be in the best interest of the state and the good people of Ekiti to see the project completed. The old and unprofitable practice whereby projects were initiated but abandoned midway should be a thing accursed under this dispensation.

Lastly, there is an advice for the Ekitis, and it’s to look beyond party partisanship, religious differences and ethnic colouration and appeal to the origin of ‘Ekiti Parapo’ in making a valid construct of an ethnic group. Once this is embedded in their socialisation and orientation, it becomes difficult for an outsider to infiltrate them or bring about a strange orientation. On its part, the administration must find a way of making sure that the people are detribalised and set free from religious fanaticism, for anything outside the central goal of development can only amount to a mere waste of time.
Adeola Makinwa wrote in from Osogbo, Osun State.