Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has commended the state’s collaboration with members of the National Assembly.
Governor Oyebanji disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, when he joined the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to commission some of his constituency projects including the one billion naira road project and hostels for medical students at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti Campus.
The Governor stated that his resolve to collaborate with National Assembly members and other critical stakeholders in the state has started yielding positive results, leading to sustainable growth and development within the state.
The two-kilometre road was named after the Governor, while the male and female medical students’ hostels were named after two former deputy governors of the state- the late Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi and Prof Modupe Adelabu. Other projects include a digital library in Ado-Ekiti, market and road projects in Iyin-Ekiti.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, Governor Oyebanji said the seamless collaboration between the state government and National Assembly members has helped in mobilising resources and projects that have direct impact on the people, adding that the partnership is a testament to what can be achieved when leaders work together in the interest of the people.
While expressing his deepest gratitude to the Senate Leader for his unwavering commitment to the development agenda of the state, the Governor explained that the infrastructural development in EKSU will further enhance significantly the capacity of the University to deliver quality education, improve the overall welfare of students and staff and also contribute to the state’s human capital development agenda.
Emphasising the power of collaborative governance in achieving tangible development outcomes, Governor Oyebanji said he will continue to work with every well-meaning citizen of the state that can help develop the state irrespective of their political or religious affiliation.
He said Ekiti development remains a collective responsibility that transcends politics, adding that he will continue to prioritise the growth of the state over and above any political consideration.
The Governor said, “And for those that are comfortable with my style of governance and politics, I keep telling them, it’s not everything we politicise. There is a time for governance and when we get to politics, we will play it but Ekiti people elected us because we made certain promises to them and this is the time to fulfil those promises.”
“Anybody that will assist me develop Ekiti is my friend irrespective of political affiliation, irrespective of where he comes from, and I stand here today to thank Senator Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele for the support he has been giving to me.”
While assuring that his administration remains committed to pursuing initiatives that drive development and improve the well-being of the citizens, the Governor called on all stakeholders to join the state’s development agenda, maintaining that the state’s progress depends on the collective efforts of its government, representatives, and citizens working together towards a common goal.
“What we are witnessing today is what the people get when there is mutual love and respect for each other, when there is alignment of vision and when there is unity and of purpose. The people stand to gain more when you have everybody entrusted with responsibility reading from the same page, drinking from the same cup and having the same vision.
“Ekiti people can now see the gain in unity. I appeal to all of us, we are one in Ekiti, we are the only homogenous state in the country and we should not allow politics to divide us,” the Governor added.
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, in his remarks, commended the Governor’s visionary and exemplary leadership, stressing that he was able to contribute to the development of the state through constituency projects across his senatorial district, because the Governor created and sustained an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that is devoid of hostility and mutual suspicion.
The Senate Leader explained that Governor Oyebanji had met all members of the 10th National Assembly upon resumption, shared his development vision with them and urged them to align their vision with the state government in order to accelerate development across the state. This, according to him, is now yielding positive results in the state.
Senator Bamidele said apart from the two kilometre EKSU internal road, medical male and female Medical Students’ hostels and various other projects that were commissioned across the Central Senatorial District, contractors have also moved to site in four different local governments for projects that range from mini stadia and sport complex, hospital intensive care units, construction of township roads, street lights, among others.