Ekiti Lawmakers, others to embark on leadership retreat in Canada

Lawmakers from the Ekiti State House of Assembly are set to attend an Executive Legislative Leadership Retreat in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, designed to enhance their legislative and leadership skills.

According to a letter dated October 18, 2024, addressed to Barrister Adesina, President of Ekiti Kete in Canada, the retreat aims to equip the lawmakers with practical knowledge to navigate policy implementation challenges effectively.

The legislators emphasized that the trip is self-sponsored, seeking to reassure the public of their commitment to fiscal responsibility.

The letter, signed by Titilope Agbede, Clerk of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, also revealed plans for the lawmakers to engage with the Ekiti Kete Association in Canada.

This interaction is expected to strengthen cultural ties and encourage experience-sharing, which could positively impact governance and cultural development back in Ekiti State.

Through this initiative, the legislators hope to bring back insights that will contribute to the socio-political advancement of the state, fostering better governance for the benefit of the Ekiti people.

The letter reads in part, “This is to inform you that Members of Ekiti State House of Assembly and Officials led by the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Honourable Adeoye Stephen Aribasoye will be leading to attend an Executive Legislative Leadership Retreat scheduled to hold in November, 2024 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

“The retreat aims to equip the legislators with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the complexities of policy implementation challenges.

“As part of our visit, the House intends to have a courtesy visit to the Ekiti Kete Association, Canada to meet with the members of Ekiti Kete in diaspora. This will be able to foster cultural development and share experience that can promote Ekiti State and good governance for the benefit of our people.

“We kindly request that you give us a date and time between 13th November, 2024 and 20th November, 2024.”

“We look forward to a positive response and the opportunity to have an exclusive meeting with Ekiti Kete to promote and sustain Ekiti Cultural Heritage through educational and socio-cultural programmes,” it added.

However, one of the lawmakers who spoke to SaharaReporters stated that it is going to be a self-sponsored trip on inter-parliamentary capacity building and leadership training in Canada.

He noted that it is open to lawmakers who are ready to sponsor themselves across the 36 states, adding that it is not limited to Ekiti State alone.

The lawmaker said, “It is a self-sponsored trip on inter-parliamentary capacity building and leadership training in Canada. Its open to honourable members and parliamentarians that are ready to sponsor themselves across the 36 states, it’s not limited to Ekiti State alone.

“The document circulating has 27 names and in Ekiti, we have 26 members. Six or seven names on the list are not honourable members. We are not complete on the document because it’s a self-sponsored trip. Some of us are willing to attend, key into the opportunity for the training from our personal purse.”

“We are to also use the opportunity to woe Ekiti Kete in Canada to come back home and invest,” the member added.

Similarly, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye Babajide Agbeyo in statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and sent to SaharaReporters on Thursday, also said the upcoming trip to Canada by a select group of the Assembly lawmakers is self-sponsored.

The Speaker said the foreign trip is for those who can finance their journey, adding that it would be for value addition.

“This exchange offers our legislators invaluable insights into best practices and innovative governance strategies that will ultimately benefit the people of Ekiti State. By investing in their own growth, these members are investing in the future of our state,” Aribasoye said.

“This is not the first of such trip and I don’t pray it’ll be the last. We shall continue to equip ourselves with local and international retreats and events within affordable range and without heaping burden on state resources.

“A legislature that is not exposed couldn’t have clinched our recent feat as the best state assembly in ICT integration.”