Ekiti Governor Oyebanji directs local government chairmen to hold citizens’ engagements for 2026 budgets to reflect grassroots needs and priorities.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has directed local government chairmen to hold citizens’ engagements before preparing their 2026 budgets, emphasizing the importance of reflecting grassroots needs.
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The directive was issued on Friday during the Town Hall Meeting and Citizens’ Engagement sessions held in Otun Ekiti, Moba Local Government, and Ijero Ekiti in Ijero Council for Ekiti North and Ekiti Central Senatorial Districts.
Oyebanji urged the local government chairmen to emulate the state government’s approach of consulting the people before budget formulation.
“The local government chairmen should sit down with their people and consider their requests to be included in council budgets,” he said.
He further instructed, “All chairmen of LGAs and LCDAs must hold meetings with traditional rulers, community leaders, party leaders, and representatives of interest groups. I want to see reports of such meetings, which should form part of the House of Assembly’s oversight functions.”
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to connecting with grassroots communities to involve them in governance.
During the engagements, representatives from the 10 LGAs in the two senatorial districts presented requests that included township and inter-community roads, electricity, potable water, hospitals, schools, ambulances, palaces, security, and empowerment initiatives.
Oyebanji promised to allocate a significant portion of the 2026 budget to credit facilities for artisans and the informal sector to boost the grassroots economy.
However, he lamented the challenge of recovering over N2 billion in unpaid micro-credit loans from past beneficiaries.
Highlighting successes, the governor noted that young farmers in the state’s commercial agriculture clusters earned over N1 million in three months, and that expanding cleared farmland had helped reduce kidnapping and criminal activities.
He added, “The annual budget engagement exercise has yielded tangible results, with many community requests implemented across the state.
We may not have attended to everything, but significant progress is visible in every part of Ekiti.”
Oyebanji concluded by reassuring citizens of his administration’s dedication to responsive governance: “You have a governor who listens, cares, and knows where the shoe pinches.
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At the fullness of time, we will come back to request your votes and show you the promises we have fulfilled.”
