Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State issued a harsh warning in a Special State Broadcast on July 29, 2024, against participating in the planned nationwide protests on August 1. The Governor expressed concern that the protests, organized by clandestine groups, could turn violent and jeopardize the state’s progress toward prosperity.<\/p>\n
Governor Oyebanji, who also serves as Ekiti\u2019s chief security officer, emphasized his commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of residents. He acknowledged the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of expression but stressed that protests should be conducted peacefully without impeding others’ rights to move and live unhindered.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is expected that any protest of this magnitude should involve dialogue with appropriate authorities rather than being the first and only channel of engagement,\u201d Oyebanji said. \u201cWhile we support free expression, it should be balanced with the consideration of security implications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Governor noted the severe economic challenges faced by residents, including food price inflation and transportation costs, but cautioned that protests and violence could be counterproductive. He recalled the destructive impact of the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which led to significant damage to infrastructure and businesses, worsening the country\u2019s economic situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot afford a repeat of the economic devastation we witnessed in 2020,\u201d Oyebanji warned. \u201cThe destruction of businesses and government facilities has had lasting consequences, and we are still dealing with the aftermath.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response to the current economic difficulties, the Ekiti State Government has undertaken several initiatives. These include timely payment of salaries and pensions, welfare packages, and palliative measures to assist eligible individuals. Additionally, the government is investing heavily in agriculture to increase food production and reduce inflation. This includes clearing and ploughing land, providing farmers with seedlings and fertilizers, and launching the Livestock, Productivity, and Resilience Support (L-PRES) programme.<\/p>\n
The Governor also announced significant infrastructure projects, including rural road contracts worth 17 billion naira in partnership with the World Bank. These roads are intended to improve access to markets and enhance food distribution. Efforts are also being made to eliminate exploitative middlemen in the agricultural sector to prevent price gouging.<\/p>\n
Governor Oyebanji called on parents, guardians, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to dissuade the youth from participating in potentially violent protests. He assured residents that security agencies would remain vigilant to prevent any disruptions and maintain peace in Ekiti State.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us work together to preserve the peace of Ekiti,\u201d the Governor urged. \u201cGo about your daily routines without fear or hesitation. We will not allow anyone to obstruct or harass others under the guise of protests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Governor concluded his address with a call for unity and continued prosperity for Ekiti State, expressing gratitude for the residents’ attention and support.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay peace continue to flourish in our Land of Honour, and may you all prosper,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State issued a harsh warning in a Special State Broadcast on July 29, 2024, against participating in the planned nationwide protests on August 1. The Governor expressed concern that the protests, organized by clandestine groups, could turn violent and jeopardize the state’s progress toward prosperity. Governor Oyebanji, who also serves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41300"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41302,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41300\/revisions\/41302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}