Fayemi swears in new commissioners, advisers in Ekiti

The Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, on Monday, swore in eight new commissioners and seven special advisers.

While seven of them were new, the eighth, Muyiwa Olumilua, previously the commissioner for information, was redeployed to the ministry of trade and investment.

At the swearing-in, which was held at the conference hall of the Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the governor charged the appointees to avoid any form of distraction in the discharge of their duties.

Also sworn in was the chairperson of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and a member of the Local Government Service Commission.

The commissioners sworn in are: Akin Omole (Information and Values Orientation), Oyebanji Filani (Health), Akin Oyebode (Finance and Economic Development), Olabode Adetoyi (Agriculture and Food Security), Oladiran Adesua (Housing and Urban Development), Olabimpe Aderiye (Education, Science and Technology), Mariam Ogunlade (Women Affairs and Social Development), and Iyabode Fakunle-Okhiemen (Environment and Natural Resources).

The special advisers are: Moji Fafure (Gender Empowerment and Social Mobilisation), Francesca Aladejana (Basic, Secondary and Vocational/Technical Education), Foluso Daramola (Governor’s Office), Olusoga Davies (Political Matters), Folorunso Olabode (Community and Rural Development), Tope Ogunleye (Special Projects), and Ayoola Owolabi (Investment, Trade and Industries).

Femi Akinwunmi was sworn in as the chairperson of SUBEB while Febisola Adewale was sworn in as a member of the Local Government Service Commission.

Mr Fayemi urged the new appointees to see their new public service roles as an opportunity to serve and not an avenue to enrich themselves.

He also expressed his immense appreciation to the outgoing executive members for their meritorious service and contributions, especially by committing half of their salaries to the Covid-19 relief fund.

“We must continue to strengthen our government institutions, processes to ensure we are on course with our collective vision for a greater Ekiti,” said Mr Fayemi.

“This vision was imparted into our hearts and minds by our forebears and we have done well to document it into the Ekiti Development Strategy which provides for short, medium and long term plans to develop our state.

---

READ ALSO: 15 supporters of governor killed in truck accident

---

“We have recently carried out a midterm assessment of this administration and made a few changes in line with our performance and emerging reality towards refining our government agenda and strengthening our team.

“This accounted for the appointment of new people into various positions of authority in the state. It also accounted for the re-designation of some ministries and the creation of new bureaus.”

The governor also noted that those coming on board should imbibe the ethos of seeing public office as a privilege and an opportunity for service and not an occasion for self aggrandizement or pecuniary gain.

“These are very tough times indeed; our limited resources compared to our aspirations, have been further complicated by the socio-economic challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“Let me, therefore, sound a note of warning to all of you coming on board, your watchword should be delivery, delivery, and delivery. Very soon, electoral politics will be here, you must avoid any form of distraction from your primary duty of delivering public good to the good people of Ekiti State.”

Mr Fayemi noted that whatever success so far recorded by the administration could not have been possible without the cooperation, prayers, support, understanding, and cooperation given to his administration by the people.

Responding on behalf of the appointees, Mrs Aderiye, the new Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, expressed appreciation to Mr Fayemi for finding them worthy of the opportunity and promised not to betray the confidence reposed in them.

She assured him that she and her colleagues would emulate the governor by working hard to deliver quality service that would move Ekiti State to the next level of development.