Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has explained that his administration chose to immortalize former leaders of the state by naming newly constructed legacy projects after them because none of them named projects after themselves while in office.
Speaking during the commissioning of the newly built Kayode Fayemi Lodge at the Government House Complex in Ado-Ekiti, Governor Oyebanji emphasized that past governors served selflessly without seeking to self-aggrandize by putting their own names on public infrastructure.
He noted that it became incumbent on his administration to step in and give them due recognition.”Today, we are saying that our own prophet is valued by his people. What we are doing today is just to say thank you for your service to Ekiti State, for your service to Nigeria, and for your service to the world,” Oyebanji stated during the ceremony.
The newly inaugurated Kayode Fayemi Lodge named after his immediate predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is the first in a series of major government edifices designated to honor past chief executives.
The Governor announced that another facility named after former Governor Ayodele Fayose would be commissioned on Monday, while a project honoring former Governor Segun Oni is slated for commissioning at a later date.
In October 2024, the administration previously named the remodeled Presidential Lodge after the state’s first civilian governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.
Dr. Fayemi, accompanied by his wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, personally cut the tape to inaugurate the edifice.
Expressing appreciation for the honor, Fayemi praised Governor Oyebanji for his thoughtfulness and commended his commitment to continuity and the conscientious implementation of the state’s 30-Year Development Plan.
Governor Oyebanji added that the newly established facilities are not merely symbolic gestures, but vital infrastructure designed to drive the state’s economic agenda, boost productivity, and attract private investors to Ekiti State.