The attention of the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has been drawn to a misleading report by Sahara Reporters on his trip to the United States. 

There would have been no need to respond to the misleading report, because the itinerary of the Governor was well publicized before he embarked on the trip. However, this response is being made for the sake of the reading public who might be hoodwinked by the highly misleading report. 

It is on record that the itinerary of the Governor was made public through a statement signed his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode on May 5, 2024. 

The statement, which was circulated in both the traditional and social media, indicated that Governor Oyebanji would, during the trip, participate in the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas and the nineteenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) in New- York. The statement also indicated that the Governor was scheduled to hold talks with critical stakeholders, business leaders and development partners in furtherance of the shared prosperity agenda of the administration, before returning to the country. 

Highlights of the Governor’s engagements in the US are regularly communicated to the people of the state through media reports. These include his panel presentations, engagements with business leaders and development partners as well as the signing of the multi billion naira 100,000 hectares cassava farm with CAVISTA Holdings. The engagements continue till his return date. 

In line with the transparency and accountability policy of the administration, all local and international engagements and trips of the Governor have always been made public. And this current one is not an exception. 

It is on record that the current US trip of the Governor is the first outside the Continent since assuming office on October 16, 2022. The first trip outside the country was a UNDP sponsored induction programme for Governors held in Kigali; followed by the Afrexim Meeting in Cairo, where the state got a very significant infrastructure support from the bank. 

We urge Sahara Reporters to always conduct proper checks before going to the press. A call to the media office of the Governor or a click on the internet would have provided the needed information on the trip as well as outlined activities and prevented the news organization from publishing an obviously misleading and mischievous report.

Signed 

Yinka Oyebode

Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Ekiti State.