The Ekiti State government has said that its policies, programmes and projects are targeted at eradicating poverty and improving the living standard of the people.
The Chief of Staff to Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Biodun Omoleye, stated this during a tour of the ongoing and completed projects of the state government on Wednesday at Ikun-Ekiti.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Omoleye was at Ikun-Ekiti Dairy Farm on a project tour with some group of stakeholders, as part of the activities marking the governor’s second anniversary in office.
According to Omoleye, majority of the programmes and projects are executed based on the needs, demands and yearnings of the people of the state.
He explained that the philosophy of the Fayemi-led administration was people-centred and premised on improving the living standard of the citizens.
The chief of staff said that the tour, which commenced on Tuesday with projects in the North senatorial district of the state, was aimed at having an on-the-spot assessment of each of the projects.
NAN reports that some of the projects inspected included Comprehensive Health Centre, Ikole-Ekiti; Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan road; Comprehensive Health Centre, Oye; Comprehensive Health Centre, Isan and College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan.
Others were Oye-Ayede-Ikun road; Ikun Dairy Farm; Comprehensive Health Centre, Igogo; Comprehensive Health Centre, Otun and several school rehabilitation projects in different local government areas of the district.
Omoleye pointed out that the Ikun Dairy Farm had the capacity and potential for boosting capital transformation, youth employment, improving the state’s internally-generated revenue and reducing capital flight.
“What you are seeing is a practical demonstration of leadership. Ekiti is on the verge of taking over agricultural transformation in the South-West. The cows we are seeing here are very rich in content.
“An average cow here, as we are told, can produce between 15 and 17 litres of milk per day. This is a great improvement on the local breeds where you can hardly get seven to 10 litres of milk per day,” he said.
Omoleye expressed delight that the various comprehensive health centres visited across the state had been rehabilitated and repositioned to provide the needed basic medical services to their host communities.
He disclosed that the College of Agriculture and Technology, Isan-Ekiti, was designed to encourage farming, provide technical supports for farmers and employment opportunities for the teeming youths in the state.
The governor’s aide appealed to the youth in the state to take advantage of the numerous projects and programmes put in place by government to be productive and self-reliant.
“To our youths, seeing is believing. What you are seeing is designed to transform Ekiti youths and by extension, the Nigerian youth. This is what is called leadership by example.
“The emphasis is on food production. We are trying to be the food basket of the South-West and we can achieve this,” he said.
Olusola Ogundare, a representative of Radio Callers Association, expressed delight at the various project sites visited and commended government for striving to transform the state.
Chief Ayodele Owoeye, a community leader in Ikole-Ekiti, particularly commended government’s prompt intervention in the rehabilitation of the Comprehensive Health Centre in the town.
According to him, the rehabilitation of the health centre will enable health workers perform their duties in a more conducive environment.
The Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Works, Dele Agbede, highlighted some of the projects executed at the centre to include provision of incinerator, boreholes, water reticulation and renovation of some structures.
Others, he said, were fixing of leaking roofs, painting and provisions of other basic facilities.
The permanent secretary also said that the ongoing 25-kilometre Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan road was aimed at connecting the North and South senatorial districts of the state.
NAN reports that the tour attracted government functionaries, traditional rulers, students, youths, community leaders, interest and professional groups as well as journalists.
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