Ekiti Residents To Governor Oyebanji: Imitate Oyo Governor, Seyi Makinde, Buy Us Bicycles

Several residents of Ekiti State has told  the Governor of the State, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to imitate the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde and buy bicycles for the people of the State as an alternative means of transportation in order to cushioning the effect of the high cost of petrol on the people of the State.

It would be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the 16th President of the Country publicly announced the removal of the fuel subsidy on Monday, 29th May, 2023, hinging his reason on the fact that the outgone President Buhari’s administration did not make any provision for it in the 2023 budget, while giving his inaugural address as the President and Grand Commander Federal Republic of Nigeria, GCFR, immediately after he was officially sworn-in. 

Treasure Newspaper observed that few hours after the announcement of the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, many of the filling stations in the State Capital of Ado Ekiti started hoarding petrol thereby preventing those who wants to buy fuel from gaining access to there filling stations. 

On May 30th, 2023; many of the filling stations in Ado Ekiti and other towns in the State started selling as much as N500, N600 to the public, which in turn has increased the hardship of the people of Ekiti State.

On Friday, June 2nd, 2023; Treasure Newspaper went round Ado Ekiti to hear the views and feel the pulse of the people of the State on the price of petrol that has suddenly being increased by the petroleum marketers. 

Reacting to the development, some of those who spoke to Treasure Newspaper under the condition of anonymity, said, “they are totally tired of buying petrol as much as N450, N500, N550, N600 and called on the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji to imitate his Oyo State counterpart, Engineer Seyi Makinde who recently bought several bicycles and distributed them to the people of his State, to ease their transportation system and make life better for them”.

At Ajilosun area of Ado Ekiti, some of those queueing up to buy petrol there lamented on the long hours they have to join the queue before they could be  opportuned to buy petrol into there cars at exorbitant prices. They queried the rationale behind the sudden announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that ‘fuel subsidy is gone’ and declared that the new President is not sensitive enough to the suffering of the ordinary Nigerians on the streets.

They equally joined the views that car owners across Ekiti State should rather go for bicycles which will not cost them the stress of queueing up for long hours to buy fuel at exorbitant prices. One of the people said, “starting from Saturday (today), that, he was going to leave his car at home and ordered for his own bicycle from Jumia”. 

At Bank road, another car owner whom Treasure Newspaper spoke with (name withheld), “advised the Governor of Ekiti State, to borrow the idea of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State by ensuring bicycles are ordered for in large quantities by his government most especially for the civil servants in the State so that, it will not be difficult for them going to work everyday”.

One of the leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State (name withheld) while speaking with the Treasure Newspaper on the matter, “specifically counselled Governor Biodun Oyebanji to forget about the issue of political party and consult with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to enable him implement the same idea in Ekiti State”. 

He said, “our sufferings as Nigerians at this critical times are far beyond any political party affiliations. I want to urge and advised my brother, Governor Biodun Oyebanji to jettison the idea that he is an APC member while Governor Seyi Makinde is a PDP member. No, he should bury such thought and idea at this time and instead seek means on how he can collaborate with his Oyo counterpart to introduce the bicycle idea to the people of his State”, he submitted.