By Precious Ireoluwa
In furtherance of his avowed determination to ensure rapid development in all parts of Ekiti state, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, has disbursed a staggering sum of N325million for the implementation of Development plans in 23 Communities in Ekiti State.
At the occasion held in Ado Ekiti, the N325million naira worth of cheques were presented to Traditional rulers and other stakeholders on behalf of the benefitting communities.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Oyebanji posited that the presentation was part of his administration’s efforts to spread development across every community in the State under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Programme.
Oyebanji described the programme as a state-level intervention that seeks to mitigate the local effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting the livelihoods of existing and newly poor and vulnerable households and supporting the recovery of local economic activities.
According to him: “The purpose of the program is to mitigate the economic and social shocks faced by the poor and vulnerable as a result of the global pandemic.”
Governor Oyebanji explained that the funds given were targeted at the development of communities in the state through the provision of physical infrastructure and social amenities.
“This particular effort was part of the initiative of our government through the Federal Government and the World Bank in conjunction with the Nigeria Governors Forum aimed at combating the economic hardship faced by communities as a result of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic under the NG-CARES program.”
Governor Oyebanji said the design of the EK-CARES focuses on the areas of increasing social transfer and basic services to the poor, improving food security, enhancing the capability of microfinance, and other socially inclusive projects.
He, therefore charged the benefiting communities to use the grants for the purpose it was meant for.
Governor Oyebanji also urged the benefiting communities to ensure the projects were timely delivered and to specifications to enable other communities to access such initiatives.
The Governor praised the supervisory Agency of the Program, (EKCSDA), Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency, describing it as one of the Result-Driven Development Platforms of his government and a direct link to his community’s sustainable development agenda.
The General Manager, of EKSCDA, Mr Yemi Alatise, who said agency remained the best amongst its peers in Nigeria, thanked the Governor for supporting the projects under EK-CARES.
Traditional rulers and other community representatives who explained the advantages of the grants to their communities thanked Mr. Governor for his determination to bring development to all communities in the state.