Spurious accusation on the Ekiti State 2026 Budget
Dear Mr. VeryDarkMan.( The Stark illitetate and Chief Liar)
By Asiwaju Oludotun Adetunberu, Ph.D., FiSS, DR-FiGPCM, CPSC, CPCP, FICSSM
This letter exposes rash and uninteligent posture of a certain Very DarkMan
I write this response as a concerned citizen of Ekiti State and, by extension, as a firm believer in the leadership philosophy, fiscal discipline, and governance record of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State.
I carefully listened to your video commentary in which you made several allegations concerning the Ekiti State 2026 Budget, particularly your claim that the State Government allocated only ₦68 million to Primary Health Care (PHC) while appropriating significantly higher sums to the Ekiti State House of Assembly. You went further to infer from this comparison that the Governor is indifferent to the plight of the poor and vulnerable people of Ekiti State.
As someone genuinely committed to the welfare of Ekiti citizens and the integrity of public discourse, I found these assertions troubling. I therefore undertook a deliberate and independent review of the 2026 Budget Estimates to verify your claims. What emerged from this review is that your conclusions were reached without constitutional clarity, budgetary context, or due diligence, and have unfortunately misled the public.
Primary Health Care and Constitutional Responsibility
Your argument rests almost entirely on Primary Health Care, yet this is precisely where your analysis fundamentally collapsed.
Under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), specifically the Fourth Schedule, the provision and maintenance of primary health services fall within the constitutional responsibility of Local Government Councils. Primary Health Care represents the first level of contact with the healthcare system and is, by design, locally administered.
This position is further reinforced by the National Health Act, 2014, which establishes PHC as the foundation of Nigeria’s health system while distributing responsibilities among the three tiers of government. While the Federal Government provides policy direction and funding support—most notably through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF)—and State Governments coordinate implementation via State Primary Healthcare Development Agencies, the operational responsibility for PHC remains largely with Local Governments.
Correcting the False ₦68 Million Narrative
Contrary to your claim, the Ekiti State Government did not allocate only ₦68 million to Primary Health Care in the 2026 budget.
A review of the official estimates under the Ministry of Health and Human Services clearly shows that the Ekiti State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA)—the statutory body responsible for coordinating PHC services statewide—has a 2026 budgetary allocation of ₦250,000,000.
This figure stands independently of:
Local Government PHC allocations across the 16 LGAs, and
Federal inflows through the BHCPF and other intervention programmes.
To isolate a minor budget line and present it as the totality of PHC funding is therefore misleading, ignores constitutional realities, and distorts the structure of healthcare financing in Nigeria.
Health as Welfare: The Proper Role of the State Government
Health is rightly associated with welfare, and the Ekiti State Government bears a direct constitutional responsibility in this regard—particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels of care.
Section 13 of the National Health Act, 2014 mandates State Governments to:
Manage state health systems,
Provide secondary healthcare services,
Oversee tertiary health institutions,
Regulate health establishments within their jurisdiction.
It is within this framework that the true scale of Ekiti State’s healthcare investment must be assessed.
Verified Health Sector Allocations in the Ekiti State 2026 Budget
A comprehensive review of the 2026 Budget reveals substantial and verifiable investments in healthcare:
- Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti
2026 Allocation: ₦6,876,929,996.72
This nearly ₦7 billion allocation represents the single largest health-sector investment in the budget and underscores the Oyebanji administration’s commitment to tertiary healthcare, specialist services, referral care, and medical training for Ekiti citizens and neighbouring states.
- Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme
2026 Allocation: ₦1,163,540,000
This allocation directly supports access to healthcare for the poor, vulnerable groups, informal sector workers, and low-income households—arguably one of the most pro-poor health interventions in the state.
- Hospitals Management Board
2026 Allocation: ₦200,000,000
This covers the administration, maintenance, and service delivery across general and specialist hospitals statewide.
- Other Health-Critical Allocations
Ministry of Health and Human Services – ₦593,000,000
Ekiti State Drugs and Health Supplies Management Agency (EKSDMA) – ₦6,000,000
Maintenance of Health Data Bank – ₦2,000,000
Monitoring of Health Centres – ₦1,200,000
The Reality: Billions, Not Millions
When viewed holistically, the Ekiti State Government’s 2026 health-sector investment runs into several billions of naira, with particular emphasis on:
Tertiary healthcare,
Health insurance coverage,
PHC coordination,
Drug supply systems and health data management.
This reality completely dismantles the claim that Governor Oyebanji “allocated only ₦68 million to health” or lacks concern for the welfare of Ekiti people.
On the Ekiti State House of Assembly Allocation
It would have been more responsible to undertake a physical assessment of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Complex before drawing public conclusions.
A simple visit would reveal extensive restructuring, rehabilitation, and modernization works currently ongoing within the complex. These are not cosmetic expenditures but necessary upgrades aimed at restoring functionality, safety, and institutional dignity to a critical arm of government.
A personal inspection would have been far more instructive than conjecture and would have prevented the unwarranted vilification of the Governor over expenditures tied to infrastructure renewal and institutional reform.
Conclusion
Public scrutiny of government is healthy and necessary. However, it must be anchored on:
Constitutional literacy,
Comprehensive budget analysis, and
Intellectual honesty.
Selective outrage driven by partial figures and weak legal understanding does not advance accountability—it undermines it.
When properly examined, the Ekiti State 2026 Budget demonstrates deliberate, structured, and substantial investment in healthcare at the levels constitutionally assigned to the State Government. Any critique that ignores this reality is not activism—it is misinformation.
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