The Nigerian Civil Servants Union has announced a plan to honour Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with the Governor of the Year Award.
NCSU General Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, in a letter to the governor, stated that the honour was “in recognition of his outstanding commitment to workers’ welfare, people-oriented policies and exemplary leadership.”
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Yinka Oyebode, who made the disclosure in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, quoted Olowoyo as saying that “the award will be presented in Abuja during the union’s National Executive Council meeting.”
The NCSU cited Oyebanji’s remarkable achievements across key sectors of the economy, as well as his transformative policies and programmes in Ekiti State over the last three and a half years, as the basis for the honour.
The union also noted that the award was in recognition of the governor’s developmental strides in infrastructure, economic reforms, youth empowerment, education, healthcare, and other critical sectors.
Oyebanji, who is widely regarded for his people-centred approach to governance, has continued to earn recognition locally and nationally for his strides in human capital development and infrastructure delivery.
Recall that workers in Ekiti State, under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress, as well as secondary school teachers in the state under the auspices of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, earlier on Tuesday, adopted Oyebanji as their preferred candidate in the June 20 governorship election.
The workers’ body and ASUSS said their decision was based on improved workers’ welfare and general conditions of service under the administration of Oyebanji in nearly four years in office.
At separate strategic engagements the governor held with the two bodies in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, they pledged to mobilise their families, colleagues, friends, dependants, fellow worshippers, neighbours and their communities to vote for the All Progressives Congress candidate at the forthcoming poll.
The state NLC Chairman, Kolapo Olatunde, said all the 35 affiliate unions had met, resolved and adopted Oyebanji as their preferred candidate and would work in favour of his re-election because of the belief that workers’ welfare package would be consolidated during his second term.
Olatunde said, “Oyebanji has employed more workers into the state workforce and made available several benefits, including appointment of workers into prestigious positions, regular payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities, payment of arrears, approval of leave bonuses, donation of buses to unions, free bus service for workers, among other benefits.”
ASUSS National President, Olusola Adigun, at the parley with the governor at their state secretariat, said Oyebanji had delivered and fulfilled all promises made to the union, hence the desire of his members to reward him with massive votes during the June 20 governorship election.
Adigun said, “Governor Oyebanji needs a vote tally that is above 500,000, which explains why the union has raised a group known as BAO Grassroots Coordinators to galvanise support for him in the grassroots.”
The ASUSS boss said secondary school teachers in the state were grateful to Oyebanji for being the most responsive and the best teacher-friendly leader in the history of the state.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lawrence Egbeyemi, said Ekiti teachers were happy with Oyebanji and expressed belief that they would be happier during his second term.
Egbeyemi said: “You have performed well in office and recorded unprecedented achievements in the education sector. Your love for teachers and passion for education are innate and genuine.”
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