To commemorate his 58th birthday, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has donated a total of ₦21 million and assorted food items to the state’s three special schools and two centers dedicated to children with disabilities.
The presentation was made yesterday at the Oshuntokun Pavilion, Government House, by the governor’s wife, Olayemi Oyebanji.
The ceremony was attended by top government officials, including Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye.
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Following the governor’s tradition of prioritising the less privileged over personal celebrations, the funds were distributed as follows: the Special School for the Deaf in Ikoro-Ekiti received ₦5 million alongside assorted food items and drinks.
Similarly, the Special School for the Blind in Ikere-Ekiti and the School for Physically and Intellectually Disabled in Ido-Ekiti each received ₦5 million with assorted food items and drinks.
The State Relief and Rehabilitation Centre in Ado-Ekiti was allocated ₦5 million to support its residents, while the State Therapy Centre for Children with Disabilities received ₦1 million for clinical support.
Oyebanji remarked that the gesture aligns with her husband’s commitment to ensuring no one is left behind in the state’s development. She also urged well-meaning Nigerians to reach out to the less privileged to improve their quality of life.
For the past three years, Oyebanji has consistently barred friends and associates from placing newspaper advertisements or organizing lavish parties in his honor.
Instead, he has requested that any resources intended for such gifts be channeled as donations to the state’s special schools.
Adetoun Agboola, Special Adviser on Special Education and Social Inclusion, lauded the governor as a “visionary champion” for children with disabilities.
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She noted that his consistent support has improved the standard of care and facilities across the state’s special education sector.
The event concluded on a high note as students of the special schools sang and danced in honor of the governor, whom they described as their “father and number one champion.”
