Oyebanji suspends commissioner for ‘unauthorised departure from retreat’

Biodun Oyebanji, Ekiti state governor, has suspended Olaiya Atibioke, commissioner for chieftaincy and home affairs, for two weeks.

Yinka Oyebode, special adviser to the governor on media, said the commissioner had left the venue of a retreat without permission.

In a statement, Oyebode said the suspension follows Atibioke’s “unauthorised departure from the venue of the three-day retreat for members of the State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries held at Bishop Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti on Saturday”.

He added that the suspension was with immediate effect.

Oyebanji had reportedly sat through all the sessions of the three-day retreat which commenced on Thursday.

In the course of his presentation, the governor had reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for indiscipline and poor performance.

TheCable understands that at about 5pm when the event was coming to a close, each commissioner and permanent secretary was called to sign the performance charter.

Atibioke was nowhere to be found when his name was called.

At this point, Oyebanji reportedly grabbed the microphone and bellowed: “Where is the commissioner for chieftaincy? Does he have any permission to be absent? This is not acceptable. This is not how we are going to run this government”.

On Tuesday, Oyebanji inaugurated 19 additional commissioners and 14 special advisers, while charging them to “hit the ground running”.

Atibioke was one of the newly-inaugurated commissioners.