Oyebanji wants Ekiti assembly's nod to reappoint three ex-commissioners, add 10 special advisers

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has asked the House of Assembly to approve the reappointment of three commissioners and appoint 10 new special advisers as he starts his second term.

This request comes after Mr Oyebanji's swearing-in on 16 October for another four years. The governor promises to keep ongoing projects, improve service delivery, and build on past achievements.

In a letter to the assembly's speaker, Adeoye Aribasoye, on Monday, the governor requested the screening and confirmation of Dayo Apata, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. He also nominated Akintunde Oyebode as Commissioner for Finance and Oyebanji Filani as Commissioner for Health and Human Services.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Olayinka Oyebode, shared these requests in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the appointments aim to keep things running smoothly in important areas of governance and help the administration settle into its second term.

"The proposed appointments reflect the governor’s intention to put key parts of his administration in place early and ensure continuity in important sectors of governance," the statement said.

It added that the justice, finance, and health sectors were seen as vital for the effective start of the new administration, especially with current events in the country.

Mr Oyebanji also asked the assembly to approve the appointment of 10 new special advisers to assist with the daily running of the state. The statement did not mention their names or the specific roles they would take on.

These requests follow the governor’s recent appointments in the power, road infrastructure, and transportation sectors, which were announced last week as part of efforts to shape his second-term administration.

The governor appointed Philip Atere as a technical advisor for power infrastructure, Tope Fatukasi as a technical advisor for road infrastructure, Sunday Makinde as a technical advisor for the airport, and Tajudeen Alingbolu as the Director-General of the Ekiti State Transport Agency.