- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has assured the citizens that Governor Biodun Oyebanji is incurably committed to promoting unity, equity, fairplay and tolerance, among all faiths for inclusion and to stabilise the polity.
Mrs Afuye said the essence of such governor’s positive dispositions, was geared towards entrenching peace, security and development, warning that religious fanaticism and intolerance hamper the progress of any nation.
The Deputy Governor spoke in Ikere Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area, on Saturday, while distributing palliatives to over 500 residents to mark the Easter celebration.
Mrs Afuye, in a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, said the governor’s respect for all faiths reflected in his sensitivity for even and fair distribution of appointments under his leadership.
She said the donation to widows, farmers, traders, drivers and physically challenged, was in line with the precedence laid by Governor Oyebanji, his wife, Olayemi and their predecessors, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and Erelu Bisi Fayemi, whose administrations placed high premium value on the welfare of the populace.
The Deputy Governor, said: “I distributed these palliatives to the residents to demonstrate the spirit inherent in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which stands for love, brotherhood, courage, togetherness and sacrifice. Allow these virtues to reflect in your lives”.
Branding religious intolerance and extremism as a fertile ground for disunity, insecurity and social unrest, Mrs Afuye, warned Ekiti residents to refrain from such conducts that could throw a spanner in the wheel of progress.
Mrs Afuye saluted the Christians for their solid backing for Governor Oyebanji, saying this contributes majorly to the speedy level of development being witnessed across critical economic sectors in the state.
Speaking about Ikere politics, Mrs Afuye, dispelled the insinuation that the APC in Ikere Local Government was polarised into factions, saying the party remains indivisible entity under one leadership.
“What we are doing today is not for APC members alone, but for all Ikere residents. The governor directed that we should be fair to all Ekiti citizens and that we are going to comply with. All Ekiti people voted for my principal and their actions were not on the basis of partisanship”, she stated.
Harping on the imperative of citizens supporting the government to entrench peace and unity in the state, the APC State Acting Chairman , Hon. Sola Elesin, commended the governor and his deputy for uniting the party and prioritized the welfare of members.
Elesin, represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Segun Dipe, stated that the second term of Oyebanji will be easier owing to his close affinity with the populace, saying the governor has sent his opposition to “Intensive Care Unit”, by his scintillating performance.
A leader of the party and former Deputy Governor, Surveyor Abiodun Aluko, described Governor Oyebanji as a God -sent, which he said accounted for why he embraced with the principles of prudent management of resources and prioritisation of the welfare of workers and other citizens.
Aluko also saluted the Deputy Governor for his loyalty to the governor and for her generosity to the people of the town and the state at large.
“The Deputy Governor, Mrs Afuye, is our leader in Ikere Local Government. We don’t have two factions in Ikere LG and we are solidly behind her. All the appointments she has facilitated represented our interests. Today, Ikere has become a one-party council”.
Applauding the deputy governor for extending the gesture to the less privileged, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Dolamu Adeniyi, said the dividends of democracy being witnessed under Oyebanji have just started, saying more will be unfolded before the end of the year.
