Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Thursday, said that some people are aggrieved with his administration over his decision to remove what he described as the state’s feeding bottle from their mouths.
Oyebanji explained that if they did not desist from their actions, he would be left with no option but to report them to the people of the state.
The governor spoke during the distribution of 20,000 bags of rice and 10,000 bags of maize to the people as palliative in response to the economic hardship in the land.
He said aside from the distribution of palliatives, his administration is investing in agriculture with the clearing of over 2,000 hectares of land across the state to ensure food sufficiency and economic growth.
He noted that since the inception of the administration in October 2022, he has shunned all frivolous expenses and mismanagement of resources and remained committed to fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of the state.
The governor maintained that the regular payment of salaries, pensions, and other investments across all sectors are not unusual but the primary responsibilities of a responsible government, saying, “That is not a big deal, it is my job; you did not elect me to be sleeping in the government house.”
He said: “We have been using Ekiti resources to develop the state since our inauguration as governor. I am about to clock two years in office. I have travelled out of the country twice; I have stayed with you performing my responsibilities.
“But as we are doing all these, some people are not happy because they had the bottle of Ekiti in their mouths, but we have removed it. So, it is expected that these categories of people will not be happy with the work we are doing in the state.
“Let me assure you that we are unperturbed about these people, we are in charge, and if it comes to reporting them to you, my people, we will do it because you elected us to be in charge of the state.”
The governor further said, “I have to express my appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for supporting us in the state, especially in the area of palliatives. The federal government gave us bags of rice, and we as a state added to it to make up the number we are distributing.
“I have not taken any loan since inception as governor, because we have more money to do our work. Since last year, our allocation has increased tremendously, hence the reason we are doing much now.
“As always, I need your prayers. I also need your fair criticism. If there’s anything we are doing wrong, please let me know. It’s better we know this on time and address it before it gets out of hand.
“I’m not happy that we are sharing rice as palliatives this way. But with our ongoing agriculture and food security plans, by next year, we will have enough food in the market to go around, and this will address food inflation.”
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said that 50 bags of rice would be taken to the various 177 wards in the state and that all groups and associations in the state would also be considered in the distribution.
