By Ralph Oluwatoyin.
The Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has advised the public servants at the local government level against betraying the trust and confidence reposed in them by the rural dwellers, by being transparent and tolerant in all their dealings.
She assured that Governor Biodun Oyebanji is resolute to give the local government officials every support by treating their welfare with utmost priority and zeal, to serve as incentive to deliver optimally as public servants.
The Deputy Governor spoke, while hosting the leadership of the Forum of the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas’ Secretaries, who paid a courtesy visit to her office , in Ado Ekiti.
Mrs Afuye, according to a statement by her Media Aide, Victor Ogunje, charged the council bosses to be receptive and accommodating to the nuances of the people at the grassroots, for them to cascade the policies being prosecuted by the governor at the third tier of government.
Mrs Afuye said; “Listen to whatever the rural dwellers want you to tell you, so that nobody will feel that we have used and dumped them. You could all see how our Governor has been relating seamlessly with the locals here. Please, let us adopt this to make sure we achieve our aims.
“Go back to your respective LGs and LCDAs and relate freely with the career officers. You need to be close to the people because they are the ones who voted for us. No matter the situation, you have to be accommodating, tolerant, generous and transparent”.
Alluding to the coming elections as very dearing to the APC in the Southwest, Mrs Afuye, warned the party members against exhibiting any treacherous act during the polls, to make the party’s victory wholly and resounding.
Mrs Afuye said people being aggrieved over the ways some actions were taken is common in any political setting, insisting that this shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to display divided loyalty that could constitute a clog in the wheel of progress of the party.
The Deputy Governor assured that the government of Governor Oyebanji will treat all APC members with respect and dignity, to fortify the party and make it strong to win elections and deliver on its promises to the people.
Mrs Afuye stressed that winning any election depends on how acceptable a party is at the grassroots, saying this has been the principal reason why Governor Oyebanji is placing high premium on the independence of the local governments to be able to deliver democracy dividends to the citizens.
“For these elections, go back to your local governments and LCDAs and begin house-to-house campaigns to deliver all our candidates. These elections are very dear to us. We can’t fold our arms and allow our State and National Assembly candidates to lose. Most importantly, we should work hard to deliver .
“Go home and warn your members and other leaders against divided loyalty. Appeal to all our people to be steadfast with APC. If APC is in the federal and state levels, Ekiti will have cause to laugh and rejoice. We will have more federal presence, that is why the presidential election is very important to us in Ekiti and southwest”
In his address, the Forum’s Chairman, Hon George Idowu, commended Governor Oyebanji for working assiduously to restructure Ekiti, by initiating masses-oriented projects that are palliating the sufferings of the populace.
Idowu, who is the Secretary, Efon Local Government area of Ekiti State, applauded the Governor for prioritising the independence of the local councils as a tier of government, thereby gradually igniting development at that level.
The LG scribe stated that the forum appreciated the improved welfare of his members under the present administration, calling on the Deputy Governor to use her office to ensure that more democracy dividends get to members.
“As LG Secretaries, we know that we have a lot to do and that was why we have been propagating the good policies being initiated by Governor Oyebanji in all our councils.
“The governor has started very well. He has really proved that he was elected through the people’s popular will. Mr. Governor has not betrayed the confidence the populace reposed in him. He had initiated some landmark programmes, which gave pointers to the fact that he was prepared for governance.
“But for us to do more, we need more motivations. We want regular interface with this office, so that we can be properly carried along in governance.
“We want our female members and our wives to be carried along in any programmes and policies that are directly targeted at the womenfolks in Ekiti, so that such messages can be freely taken to the rural people”.