Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun has attributed the achievements of Governor Oyebanji’s administration to what he called “the Governor’s selfless leadership style which prioritizes the success and well-being of others over personal gain or recognition, stressing that this rare trait has generated unprecedented support cutting across political party lines and social strata to the benefit of the State”.
Rt. Hon. Olatunbosun who assured that the administration would not only consolidate on achievements recorded in 2023 but set higher bars in the New Year, described the Governor’s interventions as always strategic, selfless and designed for the benefit of the people and development of the State.
He stressed that within one year in office, the face of Governance has changed tremendously with his inclusive, accountable, and effective style of governance that underpins sustainable development touching every household in the State.
The Commissioner noted that in the new year, work has swiftly commenced at different sites of several vital developmental projects that were launched during the administration’s first year anniversary.
He said that the present administration remained focused on the Governor’s campaign promises adding that Governor Oyebanji would continue to run inclusive governance as exemplified by his continuous presentation of account of his stewardship at every opportunity.
Rating the level of development in the State in the last one year to be exceptional, Olatunbosun said that the State Government completed and inaugurated a significant number of inherited and new projects.
He highlighted some of the projects to include the 3.6MW Independent Power Plant which has increased availability of electricity in the State capital, reconnection of communities in Ekiti East LGA, Gbonyin/Aiyekire LGA/LCDA and Ekameta LCDA to the national grid after many years of being in blackout while many streets in the State capital have been lighted up with solar-powered streetlights facility that has positively impacted the socioeconomic life of the people.
Olatunbosun said that “Waterways and gutters in and around Ado metropolis have been continually and proactively dredged and desilted which helped save the State from NIMET’s warning of serious flooding and erosion last year while other major channelization and erosion control projects in Ado-Ekiti, Efon Alaaye and Ikere Local Government were also completed”.
According to him, the State’s education sector would continue to receive priority attention in qualitative and quantitative terms with the continuation of the ongoing total rehabilitation of schools, increase in supply of school and instructional materials as well as enhanced teachers’ capacity through continuous training.
He recalled that in conjunction with World Bank’s AGILE programme and the SUBEB-UBEC intervention programmes, all Primary and secondary school infrastructures in the State are being rehabilitated and the system overhauled, adding that about 3000 laptop computers have so far been distributed to schools while the personnel strength of teaching staff at both primary and secondary school levels have been tremendously increased with over 1500 and 500 teachers recruited into public primary and secondary schools respectively.
Olatunbosun said that the State Government is also currently working on the deployment of technology as part of the modernization of instructional training in all schools.
“The recent approval of $80million funding by the Africa Development Bank, (AfDB) is still fresh and rapidly making the vision for the actualization of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone a reality with the same Bank providing funding support for the Agric Processing Zone (APZ) which is expected to catalyze Ekiti into a major agriculture value chain hub.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is currently talking to the stakeholders, including traditional rulers on the implementation of cluster farming arrangement that will guarantee access to resources and market while the Livestock Development Center’s Ekiti Broilers Production scheme and the Ekiti Youth in Urban Farming are empowering Youths to become self-sufficient and employers of Labour”.
“Our target is that by the end of this year, our farmers will have become richer and prosperous than they have ever been and farming would be more attractive for youths”.
“In line with the Governor’s promise to workers and pensioners, the State Government remains committed to the prompt payment of salaries and pension, and by God’s grace, in the New Year, efforts would be doubled up on the liquidation of the outstanding gratuity obligation to our senior citizens”.
“Roads are being strategically constructed and rehabilitated as work has commenced on the construction of the first phase of the Ring Road, the Ilawe to Ikere Road, Igbara-Odo to Ikere and Isinbode to Ikole Road while rehabilitation of the Ado-Ifaki dual carriageway is ongoing alongside the Igbara-Odo-Ikogosi, Ikere-Ise-Emure, Ajabandele-Deeper Life-Alasia-Omisanjana Road and GRA extension are ongoing”.
Olatunbosun therefore solicited the continued support of the people stressing the importance of seeing the development of the State as a collective responsibility to optimally achieve the desired goals.
