Biodun Oyebanji, the governor of Ekiti State, cautioned local government representatives on Thursday not to use his name as cover for illicit activity.
“Sometime around December 2023, I learned local government officials in each of the councils deducted N1m out of the money approved for Christmas celebration and claimed they wanted to give it to me,” the speaker stated, explaining why the guidance was required.
The governor declared, “I didn’t ask anybody to deduct any money for me.”
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This could be accurate or it could be false. I didn’t get paid if that was accurate. To be clear, I didn’t request that anyone bring me any cash. Furthermore, I didn’t get any money. Please get in touch with me right once if you hear anything similar going forward.
My name should not be used fraudulently in any way. I promise God that I will always be open and honest; under my leadership, this won’t occur. Oyebanji declared, “I won’t touch your money, but I won’t let you spend it carelessly either.
As he opened a three-day retreat for the council chairmen and other top officials from the 38 local government areas and local council development areas in the state, the governor gave a speech in Ado Ekiti, the capital of the state.
The state’s Ministry of Local Government Affairs planned the retreat.
He gave the newly elected local government officials in the state assurances that the federation accounts’ allocations to them would not be touched or diverted by his administration.
Oyebanji forbade the chairmen and other officials from using his name in any fraudulent schemes, threatening to hold anyone found out with the full force of the law.
In order to carry out projects that would be in their best interests and directly affect the majority of people, Oyebanji advised the council chairmen to be proactive and consult widely with all the communities.
“Let me say this now: there are responsibilities along with opportunities. There was a reason why those who elected you did so. The inquiry that each of you ought to pose to yourself is, “What can I do to improve the lives of others?” Consider these questions:
“How can I impact people’s lives positively?” “How will I be remembered after this office?” ask yourself. Three years is not long, and it will soon finish. Will you still be ignored or welcomed home by others? You have a choice, the governor declared.
The retreat, according to Commissioner for Local Government Affairs Folorunso Olabode, demonstrated the strategic importance of the local government to Ekiti State’s development goals.
“The retreat is to build a framework for effective partnership between the state and the local governments for operation devoid of division so that the citizens could have value for their money,” stated Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi, one of the event’s resource persons.