Communities across the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State have showered encomiums on Governor Kayode Fayemi for executing various development projects which have boosted the standard of living of people in the grassroots.
Dr. Fayemi received the plaudits on Monday at the Town Hall Meetings tagged Citizens Engagement Towards Preparation for 2022 Budget where all the communities in the 16 Local Government Areas and the 19 Local Council Development Areas submitted their requests for inclusion in the budget proposal.
The Governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, told the gatherings that his administration had delivered on its electoral promises despite the financial challenges imposed by lower revenue from the Federation Account, occasioned by global economic crisis.
He also promised that his administration will not leave any ongoing project abandoned or neglected including the Agro Cargo Airport and key industries attracted through partnerships with development partners as the government heads towards its terminal point in October 2022.
Dr. Fayemi assured that dilapidated roads in Ado Ekiti and other parts of the state will be attended to as soon as rain ceases to bring relief to the people of the state and other road users.
Traditional rulers and community leaders who spoke on behalf of their towns at the Citizens’ Engagement held in Oye Ekiti (for Ekiti North), Ise Ekiti (for Ekiti South) and Ado Ekiti (for Ekiti Central) hailed the Governor for his ingenuity in sourcing for funds to carry out grassroots-oriented projects to the benefit of the masses.
They noted that their gratitude to the Governor was anchored on the fact that their hometowns have benefited from projects which include intrastate roads, renovation and equipment of schools, renovation and equipment of hospitals, restoration of public water supply and execution of policies that have changed their lives for good.
Addressing the people at the three centres, Dr. Fayemi also urged traders and residents of Ado Ekiti, Oye Ekiti, Ikole Ekiti and other towns to make use of designated markets and desist from displaying their wares on the major highways to avoid loss of lives and goods.
He explained that Agric Olope Market and other new markets built across the state were products of requests of the people during the previous town hall meetings for inclusion in the past budgets saying his administration will not want accidents that claimed lives on highway markets in neighbouring States to happen in Ekiti.
The Governor said the Citizens’ Engagement on Budget had been a major programme of his government since his first tenure. This he said resulted in projects the people demanded for and deepened their participation on governance.
Dr. Fayemi disclosed that the creation of the Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) was also one of the major legacies of Citizens’ Engagement, adding that people demanded for by the creation of the LCDAs during previous engagements.
He said the councils were created to bring governance nearer to the people and engender grassroots development.
The Governor who urged community leaders to take ownership of projects executed in their domains also expressed delight that his administration has fulfilled the electoral promises made to the people during the electioneering campaign for the 2018 governorship election.
He said: “Our administration has delivered on our electoral promises despite the financial challenges occasioned by lower revenues from the Federation Account and our administration will not leave any project uncompleted or abandoned including the massive cargo airport.
“We want our Obas and Chiefs to take ownership of projects completed and personally supervise ongoing projects so that contractors handling them will not do shoddy jobs.
“The commitment of our administration to openness and fiscal transparency has been acknowledged in a research conducted by Public and Private Development Centre and Ekiti was ranked second out of 36 States which were assessed on various indices.
“This endorsement has further fired our resolve to further entrench transparent management of funds. I solicit support to build on legacies of this government even beyond our tenure which ends in 2022.”
The monarchs and community leaders made demands which include construction and renovation of palaces, procurement of new transformers and rural electrification, rehabilitation of dilapidated roads, provision of police stations, military outposts, civic centres, town halls and construction of township roads.
Other demands are establishment of cottage industries, rehabilitation of collapsed bridges, resuscitation of payment of stipends to local vigilantes, payment of grants to youth for commercial farming, more ambulances for government hospitals, construction of boreholes, among others.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr. Femi Ajayi said the interface is organised annually to enable the Governor interact with people at the grassroots and articulate the needs of various towns and communities in line with the five-pillar agenda.
Mr. Ajayi explained that the people’s needs have been attended to either by state government or local government saying the town hall meetings have numerous achievements to show since its commitment.
He said: “I want to state with enthusiasm that majority of the critical needs submitted by our communities in 2020 had been implemented.
“For example, the Ikere-Ise Road which was almost impassable had been fixed. Also, three roads namely: Aramoko-Erijiyan-Ikogosi Road, Ode-Isinbode-Omuo Road and Ilupeju-Igbemo-Ire-Ijan Road, which cut across the three senatorial districts had been constructed and ready for commissioning.
“It was observed that most of our communities requested for renovation of their health facilities and schools. May i state that our primary healthcare institutions had been renovated while out primary schools had also been renovated.”
The Commissioner stated further that the high rating received by Ekiti on openness and transparency was an affirmation of the open governance and inclusive policies of the administration.
