Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has ascribed the aggressive development strides in the state in the last two years to cooperation and unity of purpose between his government and the National Assembly members from the state under the leadership of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
Governor Oyebanji, who disclosed this in Ilawe- Ekiti on Monday during the commissioning of Ilawe-Ikogosi Link Road by Senator Bamidele stated that the partnership had been a veritable impetus to Ekiti development as it has attracted a number of federal projects to the state.
He said “Members of the National Assembly told me to choose one of the federal roads in the state and they will try to put it in the budget, and I choose Ado-Ijan – Iluomoba road because it is on this road that we have the Airport, Knowledge zone, Smart school, Afe Babalola University, Federal Polytechnic and Institute of Transport Technology, among others.
“They did not only get the road into the budget, they also invited the Minister of Works to personally inspect the road and the Federal Executive Council has awarded the road and work will commence on the road in the next one week”.
Speaking on the significance of the link road, the Governor stated that due to the poor condition of the road from Ilesa to Ado Ekiti, he decided to rehabilitate alternative routes for those travelling to Ibadan and Lagos through Ikogosi to Igbaraoke in Ondo state and Ilawe through Ikogosi to Efon Alaaye, thereby bypassing the conventional road that passes through Aramoko Ekiti.
“All these are possible because there is unity between government and our representatives in the National Assembly. It is that unity that has made it possible for me to tell them this is what I want you to do for us. They are supposed to choose their constituency projects, but I appealed to them to have a departure from that regime, let me go round and ask people what they want in their communities and they have been implementing the needs of those various communities”. He stated.
Commissioning the road project, Senate Leader, Bamidele, who used the opportunity to disclose that Ilawe was his place of birth, praised the Governor for inviting him to commission the project, just as he also promised to establish a mini stadium in the community as a way of giving back to his place of birth.
The Senator, who also appealed for more unity and cooperation among the various groups in the state in order to attract more development, said he had been wary of the misinterpretation people will have by bringing development projects to places outside his senatorial districts but said he was happy by the Governor’s reassurance that no one can create enmity among them.
“What is important is just to thank God for our Governor who has been delivering on his promises. But other than that, he carries himself as an amiable gentleman, as a humble public office holder, we cannot ask for more. And I know what it is the Governor that has given us rest of mind and that is why we, all of us in the National Assembly are desirous of attracting more projects to our constituencies.
“Whatever we are doing is in partnership with the state government because Governor Oyebanji has made himself a development partner and I am convinced that the partnership is working”.
Speaking further, Senator Bamidele assured that the National Assembly caucus will work towards a consensus candidate to continue with the spate of development the state had been witnessing in the last two years as he called on the people to avoid any form of distraction that will not make the governor concentrate on his development agenda for the state.
At the event were Speaker, Ekiti state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro; Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi; members of the state executive council and House of Assembly; traditional rulers among others.