The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has sacked two of his cabinet members in a shake-up on Monday. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade and her counterpart in Environment, Gbenga Agbeyo have been booted out.
Fayemi appointed eight new members screened by the Funminiyi Afuye led-House of Assembly in a major cabinet reshuffle on Monday.
The eight new commissioners were Barr. Akin Omole (Information); Dr Oyebanji Filani (Health); Mr Akin Oyebode (Finance and Economic Development); Prince Olabode Adetoyi (Agriculture and Food Security); Otunba Oladiran Adesua (Housing and Urban Development).
Others included; Dr Olabimpe Aderiye (Education,); Alhaja Mariam Ogunlade (Women Affairs and Social Development); and Mrs. Iyabode Fakunle-Okhiemen (Environment and Natural Resources).
Fayemi also approved the demotion of four commissioners and reassigned them new portfolios as Special Advisers.
They are ex-commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Moji Fafure, (SA Gender Empowerment), former commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Olabode Folorunsho (SA Community Development), and ex-commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr Olusoga Davies (SA Political Matters).
Others include ex-commissioner for Finance, Mr Ayoola Owolabi (Investment and Trade) and ex-commissioner for Education, Folusho Daramola (SA Governor’s Office).
The Governor also upgraded the Special Adviser on Trade and Investment, Mr Akintunde Oyebode to Commissioner for Finance and a former commissioner for information, Muyiwa Olumilua was moved to the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industries.
While swearing-in the eight newly appointed commissioners and seven Special Advisers at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office, Ado-Ekiti, the governor said cabinet shakeup is to create a new energy for continued efficient and effective service delivery.
He admonished them to avoid any form of distraction in the discharge of their duties, urging the new appointees to see their new public service roles as avenue to serve and not opportunity to enrich themselves.
“We must continue to strengthen our government institutions, processes to ensure we are on course with our collective vision for a greater Ekiti. This vision was imparted into our hearts and minds by our forebears and we have done well to document it into the Ekiti Development Strategy which provide for short, medium and long term plans to develop our state.
“We have recently carried out a midterm assessment of this administration and made a few changes in line with our performance and emerging reality towards refining our government agenda and strengthen our team. This account for the appointment of new people into various positions of authority in the state. It also account for the re-designation of some ministries and the creation of new bureaus.
“To those coming on board, I encourage you to imbibe our ethos which sees public office as a privilege and an opportunity for service and not an occasion for self-aggrandizement or pecuniary gain, I trust you will ensure that your conduct and performance justify the confidence we have placed in you and you will be good ambassadors of the administration in your various constituencies.
“These are very tough time indeed, our limited resources compared to our aspirations has been further complicated by the socio-economic challenged following the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
