A spate of development initiatives were brought to the fore last week as Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State marked his second year in office.
While numerous projects scattered far and wide within the state were formally completed, several others were likewise officially initiated.
In what seemed like a busy week that commenced on Tuesday – and even continues today and ends tomorrow – the governor was on the road, personally commissioning completed projects and laying the foundation for fresh ones. The programme had “Reclaiming the trust: Delivering the promise” as its theme.
The projects on focus spanned road construction and rehabilitation, renovation of schools and construction of new ones, development of fresh institutional buildings, electricity/power, as well as water and tourism facilities.
For instance, a collection of novel schemes supposedly designed to advance development and leave a lasting legacy in the state – tagged “Legacy Projects” – were officially flagged-off on Tuesday. They are all located within Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, and include Data Centre, Government House, Governor’s Office, Civic Centre, State Pavilion, the Samsung Engineering Academy and Oluyemi Kayode Stadium.
On completion of the new Governor’s Office, the present facility in use for that purpose – originally designed as a hotel – will revert to that use.
On Wednesday, the focus was on Ekiti South Senatorial District, where the Grand Tower Mall will be built and in respect of which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed. Other projects were: foundation laying for Omuo-Oke, Omuo-Oke Grammar School, foundation laying of Life Academy Foundation (Iluomoba), Enterprise Development Centre (Aisegba), Ilupeju-Ijan Electricity Project, Ijaloke Grammar School (Emure) and Science Laboratory at Obada High School.
Indeed, Dr Fayemi on Thursday commissioned 10 major roads totalling 103 km, in an apparent fulfilment of the resolve of his administration to make all the communities in the state accessible by motorable roads by 2014.
The governor also commissioned five water treatment plants as part of people-oriented projects.
The 10 roads which are located in Ekiti Central Senatorial District include: 14.3 km Erijinyan-Ilawe Road, 12km Odo Owa- Oke Ila Road, 6.25km Awo-Iyin Road, 24km Ikogosi-Efon Road, 11.5km Ado- Ilawe Road, and 5km Fajuyi-Basiri-Police Headquarters Road.
Others are 1.65km Fajuyi-Teaching Hospital Road, 10.75km Ado-Afao Road, 2km Ijigbo-Isato Road and 13km Osun-Iloro Road.
Commissioning the various roads, Fayemi said the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the roads became necessary following their deplorable condition which had given “motorists nightmarish experiences traversing the roads”.
According to the governor, the government decided to award the roads, especially those leading to Ado Ekiti in November 2011in order to ameliorate the sufferings of motorists and also to give the State capital a face-lift even as Fajuyi-Teaching Hospital Road was planned to link the on-going Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki Road with Fajuyi Park.
He added that government is rehabilitating 16 other roads within the township to make Ado-Ekiti an enviable state capital.
While commissioning the Ado-Afao Road, the Governor said the rehabilitation of the road would be a great relief to motorists using the road especially, those going towards Ikole and the northern part as it is a shorter link than the Ado-Ifaki Road.
Fayemi, who noted that the road was constructed by Ayo Fayose in 2005, added that the road did not last and became a hideout for miscreants.
He stated that the rehabilitation would enhance the economic activities of the residents along the road.
The five water treatment plants and reservoir commissioned are located at Ipole Iloro, Efon, Ido Ile, Okemesi and Mary Hill Ado Ekiti.
Fayemi said the water projects are to achieve the target of his administration to provide potable water to at least 80 percent of the state population by 2014.
He said concerted efforts are being put in place to ensure that all the four dams in the State become functional as a bulk of the 2013 budget will be expended on water.
Meanwhile a new dawn is now experienced by the people of Odo Uro, a communtiy in Iyin Ekiti, as the governor commissioned a rural electrification project for the community.
The scope of work done involved about 0.1km Inter Town Connection (ITC), 1.8km Township Distribution Network (TDN), a 300KVA transformer and street lighting.
Fayemi, who commissioned the project, said government realises the importance of electricity supply to the economic and social development of rural communities hence the prime place of Infrastructural Development in the administration’s Eight-Point Agenda.
A health centre at Ido Ile and a Skills Acquisition Centre at Iropora Ekiti which were carried out under the State Community and Social Development Agency were commissioned.
Speaking on Fayemi’s achievements, the Owa Ooye of Okemesi, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji, commended the governor and urged him not to be discouraged by criticisms but should see such as a “tonic” that would spur him to work more for the development of the state.
The traditional ruler lauded Fayemi for the rapid and evenly distributed dividends of democracy that has got to virtually all communities in the state, saying that the gesture is unprecedented.
