All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the Ekiti State House of Assembly representing Oye Constituency I, Prince Eyitayo Fabunmi, has urged Governor Biodun Oyebanji to prioritise job creation, healthcare delivery, workers’ welfare and pension payments during his second term.
Fabunmi made the call at a meeting of the Committee of Friends, comprising members of the 1997 set of the Christ’s School Alumni Association, held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Sunday.
Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye, were sworn in for a second term on Friday, October 16, following their re-election.
Eyitayo commended Oyebanji’s leadership style, describing his administration as relatively peaceful and crediting it with improving the political atmosphere in the state.
According to him, Oyebanji has demonstrated that political differences can be managed without persistent confrontation, intimidation, or arrests.
However, Fabunmi acknowledged that no administration could meet all public expectations, urging the governor to use his second term to address outstanding challenges and improve service delivery across critical sectors.
On youth development and employment, he called for increased investment in technology, digital skills, agriculture and entrepreneurship to prepare young people for opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
He identified coding, artificial intelligence and digital innovation as important areas in which young people should acquire skills to improve their competitiveness in the labour market.
He urged the government to expand existing skills acquisition programmes and entrepreneurial support initiatives to ensure that more young people benefit.
Fabunmi also described agriculture as a critical sector requiring sustained investment, calling on the government to provide farmers with tractors, improved seedlings, modern equipment and other essential inputs.
He said increased agricultural production, supported by local processing and consumption of farm produce, could strengthen the agricultural value chain, create employment and improve food security.
The APC aspirant further called for the expansion of small-business empowerment initiatives associated with the governor’s wife, saying they could help more residents acquire practical skills and establish sustainable businesses.
He specifically identified the Adire textile industry as an opportunity to promote local enterprise, preserve cultural heritage and generate income for artisans and small-business owners.
According to him, encouraging residents to patronise locally produced Adire fabrics would expand the market for producers and increase the economic benefits of skills acquisition programmes.
On education, Fabunmi said the administration had recruited teachers and other personnel while introducing information and communications technology (ICT) facilities in public secondary schools.
He claimed that more than 6,000 personnel had been recruited into teaching and non-teaching positions during the administration’s first term, although he did not provide a breakdown of the figures.
He also said more than 200 public secondary schools had reportedly benefited from ICT facilities, including computer laboratories.
However, he stressed that providing infrastructure alone was insufficient, urging the government to ensure that the facilities remained functional, properly maintained and accessible to students and teachers.
He called for sustained investment in educational infrastructure, scholarships and other support programmes to improve access to quality education across the state.
On healthcare, Fabunmi said the administration had renovated and upgraded public health facilities, including general hospitals, while projects had continued at the state teaching hospital.
He also referred to the state’s health insurance scheme, saying reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of residents had benefited from medical services under the programme.
He urged the government to sustain investment in public hospitals, improve access to essential medicines and medical personnel, and prioritise maternal and child healthcare.
Fabunmi said the success of government spending should not be measured solely by the number of infrastructure projects completed but also by the quality, affordability and accessibility of services available to residents.
He further called for greater attention to pension obligations and workers’ welfare, insisting that retirees who had devoted years to public service deserved to receive their entitlements without unnecessary delays.
While acknowledging efforts to address outstanding pension liabilities, he urged the government to sustain measures to improve the welfare of retired workers.
He added that rising living costs had made workers’ welfare and minimum wage important issues requiring continued government attention.
Fabunmi said Oyebanji’s second term should focus on translating government policies and programmes into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary residents.
Also speaking at the meeting, Professor Ayotunde Ojo, a member of the Committee of Friends and president of the 1997 set of the Christ’s School Alumni Association, encouraged members to participate actively in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He expressed support for two of its members seeking seats in the Ekiti State House of Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The two candidates are Fabunmi, who is seeking election on the platform of the APC, and Faleye Tobi Ayodeji, who is contesting under the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
“The Association is not partisan,” Prof. Ayotunde Ojo said. “But we will always support our own.”
Another member of the group, Mr Tolu Egbeyemi, a real estate developer and grassroots mobiliser, urged members to become more politically conscious and participate actively in democratic activities at the grassroots level.
Egbeyemi encouraged members to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and engage with political parties to strengthen democratic participation.
The group wished Fabunmi and Faleye success in their respective political pursuits and pledged its moral support for both candidates.
It also congratulated Oyebanji and Afuye on their inauguration for a second term, commending the governor’s first-term administration, particularly its development agenda.
The group expressed hope that the new administration would deliver greater prosperity, peace, and development for the people of Ekiti.
