Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has sent seven names of commissioner nominees to the House of Assembly for approval.

The major rejig must have been a deft move to placate some All Progressives Congress (APC) members, who felt short-changed with the way the cabinet was composed in 2018 .

Some APC members accused the governor of placing premium on appointment of professionals into his cabinet at the expense of politicians, who laboured for his victory in the July 14, 2018 poll.

This formed part of the issues raised by a presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, and other 12 aggrieved leaders in their diatribe against Fayemi, alleging that core politicians within the party, were sidelined in the cabinet.

But on Tuesday, Fayemi sent the list of seven new commissioner nominees to the Assembly for screening and ratification.

During the plenary, Speaker Funminiyi Afuye read the names of the nominees, including Diran Adesua (Ekiti East), Olabode Adetoyi (Moba), Olabimpe Aderiye (Ido Osi), Oye Filani (Ikole),  Iyabo Fakunle (Ilejemeje), Mariam Ogunlade (Emure) and Akin Omole (Oye), to the members.

Also nominated for board positions are Femi Akinwunmi, Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, while the current Commissioner for Lands, Febisola Adewale, has been sent for confirmation as commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission.

Fayemi’s Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, said it was part of the strategies to fortify the cabinet and bring in new bloods with fresh ideas to develop the state.

Oyebode, who spoke via telephone, said Fayemi was determined to deliver on his mandate to bring economic prosperity, by working with other progressives to give the people the required dividends of democracy.