{"id":2704,"date":"2024-09-25T13:25:32","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T13:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/?p=2704"},"modified":"2024-09-25T20:14:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:14:19","slug":"abiodun-oyebanji-rightly-deserves-a-second-term-says-aide-gboyega-oloniyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/2024\/09\/25\/abiodun-oyebanji-rightly-deserves-a-second-term-says-aide-gboyega-oloniyo\/","title":{"rendered":"ABIODUN OYEBANJI RIGHTLY DESERVES A SECOND TERM, SAYS AIDE – Gboyega Oloniyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an uncommon interview with two personalities; Hon Gboyega Oloniyo,
\nSpecial Adviser on Housing and Mortgage to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of
\nEkiti State and Chairman Omnium Holding, Lagos, Asiwaju (Dr) Babatunde
\nOlugola; our correspondent in this question and answer session takes them
\nthrough several questions verging on the development of Ekiti State, better lives for
\nthe indigenes of Ekiti State by Governor Oyebanji<\/a> and his determination on how
\nEkiti indigenes can be part of governance.<\/p>\n

Q: Hon. Gboyega Oloniyo, please tell us about your job as an SA to the Governor<\/span>
\nand how it has benefited the people of Ekiti State so far.<\/span>
\nA: Thank you so much for having me. I think that\u2019s a straightforward question.
\nAs the Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing and Mortgage
\nDevelopment, I\u2019m strictly in charge of ensuring that the good people of Ekiti State,
\ndo have decent, livable, affordable accommodation in the form of housing units.
\nI\u2019m bound to advise the Governor along that line to ensure that all that needs to
\nbe done for the good people of Ekiti State are actualized. It is interesting to note
\nthat Governor Biodun Oyebanji\u2019s administration has these six pillars of focus for
\nhis government. And I think housing comes under infrastructure, which is of
\nprimary concern to me as the Special Adviser. It suffices to say that we\u2019ve been
\ndoing fairly well. We\u2019ve been doing wonderfully well in that sector.<\/p>\n

Q: We\u2019ve noticed your association with Babatunde Olugola and there is no doubt<\/span>
\nthat he is a business-minded man who has the heart of helping his people, the<\/span>
\npeople of Ekiti going by many things he has done for them. So, what kind of<\/span>
\nbusiness are you planning for?<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: First and foremost, Babatunde Odugola, you are referring to, is an Asiwaju.
\nYes, I call him AsIwaju. And that\u2019s who he is. That\u2019s what we know him for. He is a
\nfriend of the house. I know he has the abundant zeal to do great things for the Ekiti
\npeople as well. And coincidentally too, he\u2019s a man that has established his feet
\nwithin the real estate sector of Nigeria\u2019s economy. I am also into real estate and I
\nmust confess that Odugola is a go-getter when it comes to real estate towards the
\nactualization of the dreams of Ekiti State. I will say at this junction that he\u2019s a man
\nof the moment. He\u2019s a man who has a passion for his work and the lives of Ekiti
\npeople. Incidentally, we think alike too on how to help the downtrodden and
\nminister grace to people within the capacity that God has given us. He\u2019s a man
\nwho has the burning desire to see Ekiti prosper. He\u2019s keen on putting his heart in
\nthe ring as well as ensuring that Ekiti deserves whatever is best for the state, So,
\nwe should be able to work together at the point concerning the real estate sector.<\/p>\n

Q: Asiwaju Olugola, tell us more about this joint venture with Ekiti State on a<\/span>
\nreal estate scheme. We just heard about it and now we want to hear from you<\/span>
\ndirectly on how it is going to benefit Ekiti people both at home and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: Definitely, it will benefit them because this is the first of this kind of project
\nwhich we are embarking on. And we felt very deeply in our hearts that we all
\nneed to earn our food and develop our state. We all need to put in our best and
\ncontribute our professional process to the development of the state. And that\u2019s
\nfar better than what we are doing in other states.
\nNow, they will realize that we have a lot of people, Indigenous, at home and
\nabroad, who are willing and desirous of making a giant stride in the economy of
\nthe state. But they need a better torchlight for them to do that and luckily, we
\nhave a good governor who is very active and who is ready to give it all to make
\nsure the state moves forward and gets developed the way it was.
\nSo, it\u2019s a reason for us to embark on this project and make sure that the project
\nmakes a turning point in the area of the electricity sector and development. More like<\/p>\n

a housing area for the people to come in. And at the same time, to make it
\naffordable for them, make an affordable housing project for the state.<\/p>\n

Q: Asiwaju, thanks for your response, but you have not told us what this project<\/span>
\nis all about<\/span>.
\nAN: Well, this project is subject to our proposal to the state government to bring
\naffordable housing development units to the people of Ekiti State. As you can
\nsee, we still have a lot of underdeveloped projects in the state. And the reason is
\nthat everybody is focusing on the state capital. But the moment we have this
\nproject being embarked on, we realize that everybody from the local government
\nwill want to have a project, have their own house and all that in their local
\ngovernment. By doing so, it will drive down the economic advantage to each of
\nthe local governments. It will also launch that local government into the limelight
\nwhereby, if you come from any local government, anywhere you are, you want to
\nbe part of that project.<\/p>\n

Q: I know we have 16 local government areas in Ekiti State. So, are you telling<\/span>
\nus that this project is going to be situated in every local government in the<\/span>
\nState?<\/span>
\nAN: Yes, the project will be in each local government in Ekiti State. Because what
\nwe are trying to do is just to bring down development to each of the local
\ngovernments to develop Ekiti state simultaneously. Mind you, once there is an
\ninfrastructural development in any local government, it will drive the economy.
\nAnd once it drives the economy, there will be manpower development. And once
\nthat also comes into place, they will have a full-fledged development in that local
\ngovernment. With that, they will have a better or more enhanced idea for the
\nstate to thrive.<\/p>\n

Q: Hon Oloniyo, We know that mortgaging is raising funds for people to buy<\/span>
\nreal estate. What measures are you putting in place so that this mortgage in<\/span>
\nEkiti State will not be like some of the bad experiences in Nigeria generally.<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: Thank you for that wonderful question. I like to say that there is no hard and
\nfast rule that mortgages are not working anywhere in Nigeria today. And with the
\nwisdom of His Excellency Governor- Biodun Oyebanji when he carved out my
\nbureau, he called it housing and mortgage development. The thinking of His
\nExcellency is that there is no need for us to provide houses that people will not
\nhave the economic well-being to acquire. So, he thought that the housing
\nprovision must be available, affordable, and accessible to the people of Ekiti
\nState. That\u2019s why, in his wisdom, he now asks that housing be married to
\nmortgage development. And to your question on mortgage development, it has
\nbeen going very well in Ekiti State as far as I know.<\/p>\n

I must tell you also that, when His Excellency assumed office, even in the early
\ndays of his administration, there had been a backlog of remittances for many
\nyears that had not been paid. He graciously reduced the backlog to two months of
\nmany years. So, he paid a lot of remittances back to the Federal Mortgage Bank,
\nwhich is the remittance upon which individuals can premise to have access to
\nfunding in the areas of loans, in case there are provisions for houses. We\u2019ve been
\nleveraging on that. I strongly believe that the remaining two months will be
\ncleared very soon and the people of Ekiti State can have access to all these
\nnecessary loans. In mortgage development, a lot of things are unfolding for Ekiti
\npeople at home and abroad.
\nThere are many bouquets or packages that the Federal Mortgage Bank is doing. I
\nremember my visit to the Managing Director of Federal Mortgage Bank in Abuja
\ntwo months ago. We were able to fast-track certain things and put Ekiti
\nat the front burner on which these housing deliverables can be made and money
\nprovided for developers to bring this thing home to the people. And again, apart<\/p>\n

from that, there are many packages like rent to own. There are packages that if
\nyou want to develop an estate, collectively you can come, cooperatively you can
\nbenefit from them. More so, if you have a house you want to equip, there are
\nloans for such under the Federal Mortgage Bank. All these things we are trying to
\nbring down to our people\u2019s awareness through sensitization.<\/p>\n

Q: In June this year, the Governor met with real estate operators to reduce the<\/span>
\nrent in Ekiti State. It\u2019s been over three months, how has that been? What\u2019s the<\/span>
\neffect of that meeting?<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: Thank you very much. You are very close to our activities in Ekiti State. I was
\nthe one who met with them on behalf of the Governor. We discovered that to
\nencourage our developers, we can\u2019t squeeze them out of existence. Believe it or
\nnot, this is a capitalist economy we have here. And if the cost of building
\nmaterials is ever going up, we can\u2019t say that rent should be muzzled. From where
\nwould they make their money, even if they are doing this, even at a cost? But
\nwhat we did then was that we realized that there were some obnoxious charges
\nsome of these caretakers were charging the good people of the state. At normal
\nbalance in Ekiti State, you should have accommodation that a civil servant can
\neasily pay and move in and have a good living.
\nBut there are these obnoxious charges that they are bringing on board that are
\nnot making those things affordable for people. And you know, it\u2019s a demand and
\nsupply scenario. I think what the government should focus on more is what we
\nare doing already now in housing deliverables for the good people.
\nWhen you have the houses available, the price is likely to come down. So, there
\nis not going to be people cheating on another person. So, we have gone far with
\nthat and we\u2019ve been seeing results. We spoke to those people, but you know we
\nhave some quacks in that industry as real estate agents and all these things.
\nSome of them are not even certificated. In other professions like Law, for you to
\nbecome a lawyer, you must have studied Law in the university, passed through<\/p>\n

Nigerian Bar Association. Same in the medical profession, to be a doctor, it\u2019s
\nexpected that you should train as a medical doctor and become part of the Nigerian
\nMedical Association. Regrettably, with these quacks in real estate, they are not
\nregulated.
\nSo, what we tried to do then was to bring sanity to that area, to ensure that good
\npeople of Ekiti State, have a fair deal in what is available for now, so that they
\nwon\u2019t overprice these houses. The challenge we had again was this fly-by-night
\nsuccess boys. You know, the so-called Yahoo-Yahoo boys. You need help tracing
\ntheir source of livelihood. They could come at any point in time and out-price
\nother potential buyers. Ironically, this is making it look like a predatory kind of
\npricing that is taking this thing out of the reach of the people. So, by and large, I
\nthink we are doing good in that area of rent. We\u2019ve been seeing results. That\u2019s
\ngood.<\/p>\n

Q: Asiwaju Olugola, Ekiti State has a lot of empty land. How well will your<\/span>
\nagricultural plan fit in?<\/span>
\nAN: The plan came into focus to turn the state into a more livable
\nplace. In achieving this, we have to separate the two indices – Real estate and
\nagriculture. So, we must make sure we develop real estate far, far, far better.
\nAt the same time, we also need to improve the standard of the agricultural sector.
\nThe government is doing well in that respect. But we still need to come forward
\nand support the government\u2019s efforts to boost the agricultural sector.
\nQ: Ekiti State is among those states that have off-cycle elections in Nigeria. So,<\/span>
\nwhat are your plans for re-electing your governor for a second term? The<\/span>
\nquestion is for both of you, Hon. Gboyga and Asiwaju Babatunde.<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: Yes, I like that question. I think elections come with contests and you need
\nopposition, for instance. However, His Excellency has been doing extremely well.
\nIt\u2019s not because I\u2019m part of the administration. But I strongly believe that we\u2019ve<\/p>\n

never had it this good before. The Governor is a man of the people and he\u2019s not
\nready to have enemies, so why would he want to be one? He\u2019s not prepared. He
\ndoesn\u2019t have time to grow enemies. Some people have a tough election because
\nof their attitude, their disposition and power, and their lack of dexterity in what
\nthey are doing. Or maybe they are unable to even deliver the goods, so far so
\ngood, I know His Excellency has been able to deliver on the mandates to the
\npeople of Ekiti State. He\u2019s doing well in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure,
\nand road connection. He\u2019s in charge of business development for the people. In
\nall the mandates, education is fantastic, and he\u2019s doing so well in the areas of art
\nand culture and many other areas.
\nI think his style of governance is not making opposition available to him. The
\nThe governor is good to go for a second term. However, there will be people who
\nwant to make names politically speaking and so would want to contest against
\nhim. They have the right to do so, but the Governor is far ahead of
\nthem. Ekiti is fast becoming a one-party state, because all the people who
\ncontested with him, both at the primary and at the general elections, visit him
\nalmost every other day.<\/p>\n

Q: Hon Oloniyo, if Ekiti is becoming a one-party state, is it good for democracy?<\/span>
\nIf you ask me, I think it\u2019s a challenge, because we need people to put the ruling
\nparty on their toes, so that they will be able to deliver more, people need more.
\nWe are not supposed to sit and just cool off, assuming that all is good. Where the
\nopposition is working, it\u2019s a plus for the ruling party. Even in Nigeria, you could
\nsee fracas and all of that. People are not assuming their position. I believe
\nopposition is necessary for democracy, but if it is not there, must we create one?
\nWe don\u2019t need to create one unless we want to split it into two. So, I think the
\nparty is getting stronger.<\/p>\n

Q: Asiwaju Olugola, what is your view on re-electing the governor?<\/span><\/p>\n

AN: Just like Hon. Gboyega rightly said, the governor has done so well. And if I
\nmay say, this is the first time we will have a governor in the state, who is so
\nconcerned about the wellbeing of Ekiti people. It\u2019s not just me saying it. It\u2019s what
\nthe public can see of him, so he has done well. The fact that even all other party
\nmembers do visit him and are also ready to support his Administration is a
\ntestimony. He\u2019s a very humble man with a good listening ear. He\u2019s so proactive.
\nAt the same time, he\u2019s lovable. So, he\u2019s a man that I\u2019m sure if you are there with
\nhim, you know that this is where we should be. So, I think that is where we are.<\/p>\n

Q: Please, what do you have for the Ekiti people at home and abroad before we<\/span>
\nrun off?<\/span>
\nAN: Thank you. Before I go into that, I must commend your knowledge of Ekiti
\nState. Back to your question, I think the last shot is to expect more from the Governor
\nBiodun Oyebanji, because Ekiti people are widely travelled. According to what
\nAsiwaju said, that building houses in each local government might be phase one.
\nNaturally, our people are clannish and those living outside tend to
\nsend money home to build, but only to see that such money is converted into
\nmarrying more wives by their relations. I saw one incident like that in my local
\ntown. The boy nearly ran mad. The mother was rushed to the hospital. The good
\nnews is that with this administration, they can invite and partner with the state
\ngovernment for the safety of the money they are sending home. For those in the
\nJapa mood, let them know that Ekiti state is about to develop. Now, under the
\nwatch of our able governor, nothing is possible and you need to be part of this
\nmovement, don\u2019t be left out.<\/p>\n

Q: Asiwaju Olugola, with the resources available in the State, Ekiti is one of the<\/span>
\nstates in Nigeria with a lot of professors. What do we make of those professors<\/span>
\nthis time around with a working Governor to better the lives of Ekiti people in<\/span>
\nthese digital ages?<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

AN: The professors we have in this state? Yes, the state with its high number of
\nprofessors is a clear indication for one to know that we are well-read. We are
\nwell-nurtured people, good researchers, and we are people who are far more
\nmanageable and intelligent. As you can see, we still keep doing it. And with the
\nmodern-age technologies we have, I assure you that we will have more professors
\nthan the numbers we have now, because we will still capitalize on it, and we will
\ndo better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an uncommon interview with two personalities; Hon Gboyega Oloniyo, Special Adviser on Housing and Mortgage to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State and Chairman Omnium Holding, Lagos, Asiwaju (Dr) Babatunde Olugola; our correspondent...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2704"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2707,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2704\/revisions\/2707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beadysword.com.ng\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}