Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti has appointed eight Special Advisers positioned to play strategic roles in the government.

The governor said the new appointees would help his administration in excellent service delivery for Ekiti State.

The new Special Advisers who are cabinet ranked are: Mr Niyi Adebayo (Budget, Economic Planning and Performance Management); Mrs Tayo Adeola (Investment, Trade and Industry); Mr Ebenezer Boluwade (Agriculture and Food Security); Dr (Mrs) Kofoworola Olabimpe Aderiye ( Education, Science and Technology); Chief Jide Awe (Political and Inter Party Affairs); Architect Tope Ogunleye (Bureau of Special Projects); Mr Seun Fakuade (Governance, Reforms and Innovation) and Mr Yinka Oyebode (Media and Strategy/ CPS).

Oyebode served the immediate past administration of Kayode Fayemi as Chief Press Secretary.

The new Special Advisers will be sworn in on Friday, November 18, 2022.

Meanwhile, Brigadier-General Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd) has been re-appointed as Security Adviser to the governor with immediate effect.

Adebayo, a chartered accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), has about 30 years experience in banking and financial management. He was Chief Financial Officer and Head of SME and Special Projects at Wema Bank Plc, between 2003 and 2004. He was Head of Strategy at UBA Plc and later served as a Regional Director (Marketing and Sales) of the bank, between 2004 and 2008. He was General Manager and Head of Retail Sales and Distribution at First City Monument Bank Plc between 2008 and 2009. He was Executive Director (Corporate Banking, (South) at Enterprise Bank Limited (now part of Heritage Bank) between 2011 and 2014.

Ebenezer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Ilorin (2002) where he was the Best Graduating Student of his department. He started his working career as Project Supervisor, Yobe State Agric Development Programme in 2002. He later joined Oceanic Bank in 2004, where he held different positions till 2011. He joined Sterling Bank in 2011 and served at different times as Head of Agric Finance, Agribusiness Strategy and Planning. He also worked with NIRSAL in the implementation of CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Before his appointment, Ebenezer was Agricultural Specialist at the US Mission in Nigeria.

Adeola is an Investment Banker with over 30 years cognate experience. She began her career with Icon Limited (Merchant bankers) in 1991 and joined Consolidated Discounts Limited in 1996 as a pioneer security dealer and managed assets in excess of $1.2 billion. She later served as Managing Director of Capital Express Assets and Trust Limited and Vice President, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International where she managed assets in excess of $50 billion.

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Fakuade, 39, worked with the Government of Ekiti State as Senior Special Assistant (Policy, Research & Documentation) to former Governor Kayode Fayemi. He has extensive experience in public policy, strategic planning, project management, technology and innovation, policy communications, and infrastructure development.

Oyebode, a Journalist, Media Manager and Strategic Communications Specialist with extensive experience in reputation management, policy communication and publishing, is currently the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ekiti State.

He holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in English and Literary Studies from Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti (Now Ekiti State University). Oyebode received specialised trainings in the fields of Journalism, Conflict Management and Corporate Communications in many renowned institutions including the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ), Berlin, Germany; where he got the German Government scholarship to study Political Reporting and Policy Investigation in 2009; Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Schlaining, Austria 2008 and 2012 and the University of Kings College, Halifax, Canada (2015).

Oyebode had stints with The Punch and The Nation Newspapers before joining the Government of Ekiti State as Special Assistant (Media) to the Governor in December 2010. He was appointed Chief Press Secretary to Governor Kayode Fayemi in June 2011.

Between 2015 and 2018, Oyebode served as Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

Oyebode has covered elections in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Kingdom, USA, Germany and Canada. He served as a member of the Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Presidential convention in 2015.

Dr. Aderiye is a seasoned administrator, retired Permanent Secretary and former Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology. She has over 40 years experience in administration and education management.

Ogunleye was Special Adviser, Bureau of Special Projects, Ekiti State, between 2019 and 2022. He holds Bachelors of Science and Masters of Architecture (M.Arch) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and was the Best Graduating Student in his Masters’ class.

Awe, a former students union leader,  political strategist and veteran of many political struggles, is a former Chairman of the Ekiti State Chapter of Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and later became the pioneer Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, serving about 12 years as state chairman of the party.

The Star