The Ekiti State Government on Tuesday rebuked critics of its financial policies, describing them as misinformed and merely engaging in political theatrics.
Commissioner for Finance, Akin Oyebode, defended the fiscal conduct of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration, insisting it has maintained full transparency and has not borrowed any funds since assuming office in 2023.
Oyebode’s remarks followed claims by a group, Ekiti Concerned Professionals, which alleged that the administration had secretly incurred debt.
The group cited a Debt Management Office report showing Ekiti’s external debt rose from $103.5m to $134.6mbetween June 2023 and December 2024.
The group also questioned what the alleged loans were used for, pointing to the poor state of roads across the state.
Dismissing the allegations, Oyebode described members of the group as “ignorant people who don’t have any work to do,” explaining that the figures in question referred to pre-approved multilateral programmes funded by global development partners.
“These are World Bank loans committed under specific programmes—most of which predate this administration,” he said. “Once you’re signed onto these initiatives, each state is allocated a notional amount. If you perform, you’re eligible to draw more of the balance.”
He listed several ongoing programmes, including the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project; Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment; Sustainable Urban-Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services; and the Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in Acquisition of Skills programme.
“These are all focused on critical sectors like primary healthcare, girl-child education, rural roads, water, sanitation, and hygiene,” Oyebode added. “All of them are properly documented and publicly disclosed.”
He pointed out that while critics were focused on external debt figures, the same DMO report showed a significant reduction in the state’s domestic debt, which he said underscores the government’s commitment to responsible fiscal management.
Oyebode also highlighted Ekiti’s ranking as first in fiscal transparency by the BudgIT Foundation, citing the timeliness and quality of its financial disclosures.
“Anyone who wants to scrutinise how our resources are being used is welcome to visit the state’s website and access our budget performance reports or check the Public Procurement Portal for procurement details,” he said.
He condemned what he described as politically motivated attacks, urging critics to engage in fact-based dialogue rather than spreading “spurious and fake allegations.”
“It’s a waste of taxpayers’ time for the government to respond officially to such baseless claims,” Oyebode said. “We remain committed to open governance and the development of our people.”
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