We’ve paid over N17bn as pensions, gratuities, car, housing loans – Gov. Oyebanji

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has stated that his administration has significantly improved the state’s narrative by focusing on welfare issues and creating economic opportunities for citizens.

Ekiti News reports that the Governor noted that these efforts have positively impacted residents’ standard of living and advanced the economic development programs initiated by his predecessors.

Oyebanji, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, revealed that since taking office, his government has disbursed over 17 billion naira in pensions, gratuities, car loans, and housing loans to Ekiti public servants.

Speaking during an engagement with Ekiti stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday, Governor Oyebanji highlighted that his administration, over the past year and a half, has governed with a deep sense of responsibility, guided by the fear of God and the principles of transparency and accountability.

The Stakeholders meeting which held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja had in attendance Ekiti indigenes who are in senior cadres in the Federal Civil service, top officials of Federal Parastatals and agencies, as well as para military organisations . Also in attendance were members of the Ekiti Caucus of the National Assembly; and some members of Ekiti State Executive Council .

His words, “We believe strongly that if we have alignment of visions, alignment of minds and unanimity of purpose, the Ekiti that our forefathers fought for, we can achieve it.

“We are conscious of the burden of history on us, we campaigned for this office, we made promises to the people, we begged them to vote for us, we are not here to complain and we are not complaining. We have accepted this responsibility and we don’t lack the capacity, we don’t lack the ability, we don’t lack the vision, we don’t lack the drive but we can do better than what we are doing with your help, so I’ve come to you today not as a Governor that knows it all, I’ve come to you as someone asking for help.

“We believe strongly that with our six-point agenda in the state today, we are intervening in infrastructure, we are revamping our health care services, we are doing education, free education, we give grants to schools, in the medical sectors we are confronting the problem of infrastructure, the problem of drugs, and we are also combatting the problem with staff.

“We are the second state in the country that has paid hazard allowance. We paid over 14 billion in pension, we are paying gratuities, we have committed 200 million every month to gratuities, we pay salaries as at when due. As of today we are not owed workers’ salaries since we were sworn into office. We have paid arrears of pensions, given promotion arrears, have paid contributions to our workers and you can call your people at home, we are very faithful when it comes to the issues of pensioners. We pay pensions with salaries and we have not defaulted at all”.

The Senior Adviser on Economic Matters and Chairman of the Economic Management team, Senator Olu Adetumbi and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akin Oyebode, had in separate presentation laid out the State’s economic prospects and challenges, stressing that with more support the citizens, the government would do greater exploits in the area of sustainable development.

At the gathering were the first Executive Governor of the State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele; Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Dele Alake; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye; Senators Yemi Adaramodu and Cyril Fasuyi; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro; Permanent Secretary, State House, Engr Funsho Adebiyi, members of State Executive Council, and about 250 senior public servants of Ekiti extraction in Abuja, among others.