Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has splashed a total sum of N497 million on communities to assist them to complete various ongoing self-help projects.
Speaking while distributing cheques to the representatives of the communities in the 16 local governments and 19 local council development areas, on Tuesday, the governor said the gesture was in fulfilment of his promise not to leave abandoned or uncompleted projects at the end of his tenure in October 2022.
The Governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Bisi Egbeyemi, at the ceremony held at the Ekiti State Civic and Convention Centre in Ado Ekiti, urged the benefiting communities to make the best use of the grants-in-aid to complete the projects for the benefit of the people.
The communities who were represented by their traditional rulers and officials of their community development associations and town unions hailed the Fayemi Administration for coming to their aid on the projects when all hopes seemed to have been lost on the projects.
The community projects the state government is supporting with cash backing include palaces, palace halls and fencing, town halls, civic centres, drainages, market stalls, boreholes, among others. A total of 70 communities benefited from the latest batch of grants-in-aid exercises.
Fayemi recalled that the projects which were initiated by the communities but financed with funds from the World Bank-assisted Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (EKSCDA) were abandoned by the last administration.
The governor explained that the need to fund and complete the abandoned projects was fuelled by his going round the state on an inspection visit and the report of a Committee to reassess the projects which led to the inauguration of 37 projects last year out of 82 identified uncompleted projects.
He said the involvement of the people in development efforts stems from the fact that community development has over the years remained the major bedrock upon which a solid grassroots foundation for a self-reliant and self-sustaining development process can be built.
He said: ” Ekiti State relies majorly on the monthly Federal Allocation and our Internally Generated Revenue which have not met our target as expected.
“We have, therefore, decided to release these grants-in-aid assistance fund for completion of the projects in batches. Let me assure you that the interval for the release shall not take long period and it shall be a continuous process until all projects are completed.
“I congratulate members of the various community development associations/town unions who are beneficiaries of this four hundred and ninety-seven million naira (N497,000,000) grants-in-aid assistance.
“Your scope of activities should not be limited to the promotion of communal self-help activities alone, but more importantly taking security, growth and development to the nooks and crannies of Ekiti State.”
Speaking earlier, Special Adviser on Community and Rural Development, Chief Folorunso Olabode, explained that assisting communities to execute projects started during the first tenure of Governor Fayemi which he continued barely a year in office in 2019 when cheques were first distributed to communities after returning to the office.
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Fayemi presents N497m cheques to communities to complete self-help projects
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