Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made governance significantly easier for state governments, including Ekiti, through improved revenue allocation and intervention programmes.
Oyebanji stated this in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend during an interactive session with journalists, where he reflected on the financial challenges his administration faced in its early months.
He said Ekiti struggled for about six months to meet wage obligations and fund capital projects before the impact of federal intervention programmes began to be felt.
According to him, increased federal allocations have enabled his administration to better implement its “shared prosperity” agenda and expand development projects across the state.
Oyebanji also said ongoing federal road projects in Ekiti have eased pressure on the state government from residents demanding infrastructure development.
He noted that the cost of the Ado–Itawure concrete pavement project exceeds Ekiti’s 2023 budget, stressing that it would not have been possible without federal support.
“I became governor six months before the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu. In those six months, I had sleepless nights thinking about how to meet the wage bill,” he said, adding that federal support has since improved the situation.
The governor also disclosed that his administration has paid over ₦85 billion in pensions and gratuities since 2022, while urging support for Tinubu, whom he said deserves encouragement as he works to reposition the country.
