OPEN LETTER: HARDSHIP IS  NOT A BADGE OF HONOUR: A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE PEOPLE OF EKITI STATE

‎By Oyeniran Boluwaji Emmanuel
‎Emmanueloyeniran@gmail.com
‎08163558167
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‎ Fellow Ekiti sons and daughters,
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‎At a time when our people are groaning under the weight of economic hardship, when our roads are dilapidated, our schools in ruins, our health centres dysfunctional, and our youth hopelessly roaming without jobs, I am deeply disturbed by the recent political trend in our dear state — the rushed endorsement of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji for a second term.
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‎Let me be clear: this is not a personal attack; this is a moral and political responsibility. When the people who were elected to serve become disconnected from the suffering of the masses, and yet are endorsed without scrutiny or accountability, then we must ask ourselves — what exactly are we endorsing?
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‎The dangerous culture of endorsing mediocrity without accountability is gradually killing the soul of our democracy. This is not about party or tribe. It is about truth. And the truth is: Ekiti people deserve better. Our elders used to say, “Ti a ba n je ekuru, ka maa wo oju e.” If the current administration has not justified its first term, how then can we guarantee anything better in a second?
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‎How can a people complain bitterly every day about the soaring cost of living, the lack of opportunities, poor infrastructure, and insecurity, and yet turn around to cheer the same leadership that has failed to address these concerns? Have we become so used to suffering that a few cups of rice and some stipends can buy our conscience?
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‎I challenge the people of Ekiti — you cannot eat your complaints and your votes at the same time. You cannot cry over the terrible state of Itawure-Aramoko Road and still sing praises of those who abandoned it. You cannot watch our children sit in broken classrooms and still dance for those who refused to invest in their future.
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‎This endorsement culture — based on political patronage rather than performance — is a dangerous path. It teaches our children that mediocrity is acceptable. It tells the world that Ekiti people do not value good governance, only temporary handouts.
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‎We must wake up. We must reject this growing tradition of rewarding failure. Ekiti deserves better. Our fathers fought for honour and justice. We must not trade their legacy for a few grains of comfort. Let us not mortgage our future on the altar of stomach infrastructure.
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‎As 2026 approaches, let us think, reflect, and rise with courage. We need leaders who feel the pain of the people and have the competence, passion, and vision to deliver results — not those who smile during endorsements and disappear during crises.
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‎Let it be known: this is not a call for hatred or division. It is a call for conscious reflection, a cry for justice, and a passionate plea for the future of our beloved state. We cannot continue recycling the same structure that brings suffering and expect a different result.
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‎Ekiti, the choice is ours. If we want a better tomorrow, we must start by making the right decisions today.
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‎Ekiti First. Future Forward.
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‎Signed:
‎Boluwaji Emmanuel Oyeniran
‎Public Advocate & Community Development Crusader.
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