A vibrant political group in Ekiti State operating under the banner Ekiti Progressive Front (EPF) has saluted the contributions of the Chairman, Ekiti State Board of Internal Revenue Service, Mr Muyiwa Eleazar Ogunmilade, to the economic development of the state.
The group described the Ijan Ekiti-born revenue generating guru and financial expert as an asset to the government of Governor Kayode Fayemi, who is deploying his intellectual prowess to ensure that Ekiti improves in revenue earnings to meet its demands to the good people of the state.
The progressive group said this in a statement on Wednesday, congratulating the former banker on his 56th birthday.
The statement co-signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Dr Olaniyi Aluko, and General Secretary, Architect Sola Ariyo, commended Ogunmilade for being skilful and ingenious in jacking up the revenue base of Ekiti from the paltry and abysmal N350m status in 2018 to the current N850m, with a projection to raise it to N1.5 billion in 2022.
The group’s leaders expressed delight in the unquantifiable and quintessential roles being played by Ogunmilade to make Ekiti more economically viable and sophisticated, branding him as one of the few eggheads in Governor Fayemi’s administration that can uplift the state after the expiration of the present administration.
They pointedly advised Governor Fayemi, who is widely revered and venerated as a leader with passion and mission, that Ekiti needs Ogunmilade’s beyond the present administration for the dream of having a state that is financially stable and governed by the right people to be attainable.
The group added that what the state needs after Governor Fayemi is putting the right people with cognate experiences in strategic positions of government to support the governorship candidate of the APC, Hon Biodun Oyebanji, to pilot the state to a safe shore.
“We congratulate our brother, whom we considered as a gift to this generation, Mr Muyiwa Ogunmilade, on his 56th birthday. When we have a retrospect of the past, those years were deemed memorable and full of accomplishments.
“We are quite convinced that our Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, perceived and rated you as one priceless technocrat in his government and that accounted for your being placed in that strategic seat as the revenue adviser of Ekiti.
“We are also not unaware of that fact that Governor Kayode Fayemi is incurably committed to sustaining the several scintillating and superlative legacies of his government beyond now and that is why we believe that the state still needs your service beyond this current beneficial dispensation.
“We felicitate you as you celebrate your birthday today and wish you many memorable years ahead to be able to render more services to your fatherland,” the group stated.
Justifying why Ogunmilade would be pivotal in rallying support for Oyebanji in the continuity journey, the group said Ekiti requires one who can exhibit unalloyed loyalty and commitment to Ekiti kete and shares Omoluabi values, akin to one paraded by Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Biodun Oyebanji.
The group added: “We need someone with deep financial management ingenuity and sense and capacity to support BAO to manage/grow the economy of Ekiti. One with strong foreign/international investment contacts that can improve IGR of Ekiti State.
“A man that can Support BAO to revive and bring back the textile industry (that was an employment hub in time past. A highly sociable, yet serious-minded fellow, that is God fearing. A lover of youth, sports, with passion for grassroots development.
“A detribalized Ekiti son that will help BAO to bring out the culture, tourism, hospitality and homogeneity Ekiti is known for. These and many other qualities and values that are expected from such a person, that we look out for and we believe fervently that Ogunmilade has all these that would complement that of Oyebanji to lift Ekiti up in all spheres and bounds.”
The group revealed that Ogunmilade was born on February 2, 1966 and was armed with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Degree in Political Science and subsequently Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Ado-Ekiti, and being an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School (LBS) would be a better asset to Ekiti if elevated to a higher political pedestal.
” In 1999, he became the pioneer Business Manager of Standard Trust Bank (now UBA) in Ado-Ekiti. At various times between 2001 to 2003, he was the Relationship/Branch Manager for Apapa, Ado-Ekiti and Akure branches at National Bank (now WEMA Bank), between 2003 and 2005; he was the Branch Manager of Gulf Bank, Akure and rose to become Head, Zonal Services Group IV, Akure, Nigeria (Comprising of Akure, Ondo, Oshogbo and Abeokuta branches) setting up branches within the zones.
“In 2005, he was appointed the Deputy General Manager, Zonal Head, West, Nigeria of the then Oceanic Bank International Plc (now EcoBank of Nig. Plc) and later elevated to Zonal Head (West) of the bank as a result of strategic restructuring and superior performance.
“As a Zonal Head, he was the defacto MD/CEO of the west bank of the then Oceanic Bank International Plc which cut across six states namely: Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara States comprising of 40 branches and 7 regions.
“By virtue of his management position, he interacted closely with governors, cabinet members, traditional rulers, senior civil servants, business magnates, entrepreneurs and opinion leaders in all of these States and this impacted greatly on the balance sheet size of the zone which grew to over N20 Billion (i.e. about USD $170 Million) before his appointment as the first MD/CEO of the then Oceanic Bank (The Gambia) Limited.
” In 2008, he was appointed as the first MD/CEO of the then Oceanic Bank (The Gambia) Ltd and he was mandated to set up a whole bank in The Gambia. The bank was able to achieve a strong financial parameter that ensured the bank occupied at least, the fifth (5th) position in her first year of operations,” the group revealed.
The group stated that a man with these intimidating credentials would do Ekiti proud if elevated to a more sophisticated position where he would display his mettle as a man of substance and intellectual prowess.