Editorials: SETTING THE AGENDA: WHAT GOVERNOR OYEBANJI MUST ACHIEVE IN HIS SECOND TERM

By Editorial Team

As Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji prepares for a second term in office, expectations among the people of Ekiti State are understandably high. 

His first term brought relative stability and continuity. 

His second term must now deliver depth, inclusion and concrete legacies. 

The era of foundation-laying is over; this is the time for building.

This newspaper has aggregated the concerns of ordinary citizens, professionals and critical stakeholders, particularly in Ado-Ekiti and across the state. The message is clear and consistent.

1. Let Governance Be Seen on the Streets:

The people judge government not by press releases but by the roads they ply daily. While major arteries like Fajuyi-Okesa and the Ado-Ikere dual carriageway have received attention, interior roads in the state capital remain in deplorable condition.

A drive through Ado-Ekiti tells the story. Areas such as Irona, Oke-Ila, Nova Road, Moferere, Ureje, Odo-Ado, Igirigiri, Okeyinmi, Dallimore, Basiri, Mathew, Omisanjana, Afao Road inner streets, Ajilosun Extension, Federal Housing, Olojoda, Red Rose, Falana, Irewolede and Adebayo inner lanes have become a nightmare for residents, okada riders and motorists.

These are not bush paths. They are roads where thousands of taxpayers, civil servants, teachers and artisans live. They lead to schools, clinics and small businesses.

A second term must fix Ado-Ekiti from the inside out. We recommend a Special Ado-Ekiti Township Roads Intervention Programme, with a published list of at least 20 inner roads to be delivered within the first 18 months of the second term. Good governance must be felt in the neighbourhoods, not just on the boulevards.

2. End the Recycling of the Same Hands:

Perhaps the loudest concern is what many describe as the recycling of the same political actors, appointees and media handlers. A second term must not be a mere repeat of the first in personnel.

Ekiti is blessed with brilliant, energetic young people who have never tasted government. They must be given a chance. The Governor must resist the temptation to empower the same set of people over and over again.

New hands, new ideas and new energy are needed in the cabinet, in boards of parastatals and agencies, and crucially, in his media management team.

In the same vein, governance must rise above partisanship. Ekiti belongs to all of us. Competent hands abound in the SDP, PDP, ADC, ADP, APGA, APM and other parties. A truly statesmanlike second term will be broad-based.

Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants, Directors-General and Board Chairmen should be selected on merit and spread, not solely on possession of an APC membership card. Inclusion is not weakness; it is wisdom.

3. A New Deal for the Media:

No administration can succeed without a free, respected and well-motivated press. The relationship between this government and the over 200 practising journalists in Ekiti State needs a reset.

First, the long-promised befitting Press Centre for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ado-Ekiti must move from promise to project. Successive governments have made this pledge. Fulfilling it will be a historic legacy for which the Oyebanji administration will be remembered by generations of journalists.

Second, the era of selectivity must end. Government events must be open to all practising journalists, not a favoured few handpicked by media handlers. The practice of labelling critical journalists as enemies of government is undemocratic and counter-productive. Criticism is not enmity; it is feedback. Media handlers must be re-oriented to see journalists as partners in progress.

Third, the welfare of journalists must be taken seriously. In Ondo, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Delta and many other states, governments support their NUJ councils with buses and welfare schemes that ease mobility and accommodation challenges. Ekiti journalists face the same economic realities as other workers — housing, children’s school fees, transportation and cost of living. They deserve to be included in the state’s transportation palliative scheme and other welfare initiatives. Their independence depends on their financial stability.

We recommend that the Governor institutionalize regular, open engagement. The monthly “Mr Governor Explains” programme should be hosted at the NUJ Secretariat itself, open to all journalists and not just a few leaders. Meeting a handful of leaders behind closed doors has not healed divisions; it has deepened them. Governor Oyebanji should make it a priority to visit the NUJ Secretariat and listen directly to journalists.

His security aides and protocol officers must also be instructed to accord journalists due respect when they are on legitimate assignment in government offices.

4. Sectoral Priorities That Cannot Wait:

On security, the Amotekun Corps has shown promise but remains under-equipped and under-motivated. If Ekiti must be safe for farmers, students and investors, Amotekun must be properly funded, provided with utility vehicles, and its officers paid a living wage with adequate welfare.

On health and education, the administration must put round pegs in round holes and ensure those appointed are accessible and accountable. A Commissioner who is hostile to the press ensures her sector is under-reported.

The growing call for accessible and even free DNA testing services to resolve paternity disputes reflects a pressing social concern that deserves expert, ethical consideration by health professionals.

On agriculture and transportation, we urge specialized training for journalists to better report and monitor agricultural interventions, so that government gets real field feedback on food production. The transport scheme for civil servants is commendable, but it must be expanded to cover those not yet captured, including journalists who must move daily to inform the public.

The Legacy Question:

Governor Oyebanji has a rare opportunity. A second term is not just a reward; it is a referendum on character.

Will he be remembered as the Governor who fixed the interior roads, opened the gates of government to all Ekiti people regardless of party, gave youth a real chance, equipped our security, and built a true partnership with the press?

Or will he be remembered as one who recycled the same hands and governed for a few?

Ekiti people are hardworking, enlightened and fair. They ask for little: good roads, inclusive government, security and respect for all professions.

We urge Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to listen, to broaden his tent, and to make his second term a term for all Ekiti people.