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Ekiti Traders Seek Tax Relief, Market Upgrade; Residents Decry Prolonged Power Outage Ahead of Oyebanji’s Inauguration
By Joseph Sunday
As Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State prepares to take the oath of office for a second term on Friday, October 16, 2026, traders and residents across the state are urging his administration to focus on practical measures to ease economic hardship and restore electricity to communities in prolonged blackout.
The residents said they want interventions that directly reduce the cost of living, support small businesses, and fix infrastructure affecting their daily livelihoods.
In Ado-Ekiti, traders called for a review of taxes and levies, rehabilitation of market infrastructure, and improved access to affordable credit. Residents of Oke Alaafia, Igirigiri, Alafiatayo Zone 3 and Central Zones appealed for urgent action over power outages they said have lasted more than two years.
A foodstuff trader, Mrs. Oladele Ibidun, said rising prices have eroded customers’ purchasing power and made restocking difficult for traders.
“Business is no longer as easy as it used to be. Prices keep changing and customers who previously bought in large quantities now buy little because they cannot afford more. If I sell today, the money may not be enough to buy the same quantity tomorrow,” she said.
She urged the government to reduce transportation costs, support local farmers and producers, and implement policies that improve household income.
“What we want from the governor in his second term is an economy that allows ordinary people to breathe,” she said.
For Mr. Desmond Kingsley, another trader, the burden of multiple taxation is threatening small businesses. While noting that taxation is necessary, he said overlapping levies combined with high rent, transport and energy costs are making survival difficult.
“We are not saying traders should not pay tax. Our concern is the burden. Our appeal is that the governor should review the taxes, reduce those that are too high and create a transparent system where traders know what to pay, who is authorised to collect it and what it is for,” he said.
Mrs. Adebayo Bosede called for accountability and transparency in how revenues collected from traders are utilized, saying visible improvements in sanitation, drainage, road access and security would boost confidence in the system.
“We want to see what the taxes are used for. If we see good roads, clean markets and proper drainage, we will have more confidence in the system,” she said.
Another trader who spoke on condition of anonymity urged the government to improve market facilities and expand access to single-digit loans to help small businesses grow and create jobs.
Meanwhile, residents of Oke Alaafia, Igirigiri, Alafiatayo Zone 3 and Central Zones lamented that they have been without power for over two years, a situation they said has disrupted domestic life and paralysed small businesses that rely on electricity.
The residents said they had petitioned Governor Oyebanji and the Senate Leader for intervention without result. They accused the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of neglecting the issue, adding that households were forced to contribute about N70,000 each to repair their faulty transformer.
They appealed to the governor to engage relevant power authorities to ensure sustainable restoration of electricity and to investigate the cause of the prolonged outage.
As the administration begins its second term, the traders and residents said they expect the government’s development agenda to translate into concrete actions that improve living standards and restore public trust.
