Ekiti Gov, Oyebanji Denies Spending $500,000 On US Trip

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has denied the report of spending $500,000 of the state resources on the ongoing working visit to the United States.

Recall that an online medium on Sunday said Oyebanji was on a jamboree in the United States and had failed to return in two weeks despite travelling for a four-day event.

The medium also alleged that the trip, which involved 20 people in the Governor’s entourage, had gulped $500,000 in taxpayers’ money.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Sunday, the Governor’s Special Adviser (Media), Yinka Oyebode, said the allegations were untrue.

READ: Oyo Monarch Laments Unpaid Salary, Entitlements

He said it was also untrue that the Governor had 20 persons on the trip to the US, stressing that figures reported online were fictitious, which existed in the imagination of the publishers and sponsors of the allegation.

He added that the state government would not succumb to blackmail, adding that Oyebanji remained committed to his administration’s shared prosperity agenda, and “a thousand and one lies and sponsored stories” could not distract him.

According to him, “We urge well-meaning citizens of the state and Nigerians in general to disregard the dubious publication, which is bereft of substance.

“As a responsible government, we also consider it appropriate to re-state here that Governor Oyebanji followed due protocols in embarking on the trip, which was well publicised.

“He has not exceeded the time allocated for the trip. He has not derailed from the purpose of the trip and he will be back in the country this week after the outlined tasks.

“It is important to place on record that Biodun Oyebanji remains focused on the all-round development of Ekiti State through effective implementation of his six-pillar development agenda.”