Ekiti Govt will sustain regular interface with the grassroots — Fayemi

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has promised his administration will sustain its regular engagement with the people at the grassroots on policies, activities and projects of his government.

He described the idea of regular meetings with different strata of the Ekiti populace as part of his drive to enhance transparency, accountability, participation and inclusiveness in governance.

Speaking at the last edition of this year “Se e ti gbo” (a community engagement programme of the government) organised for informal sector in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Dr Fayemi said the people at the grassroots deserved to be intimated and carried along on government policies, activities, projects as well as opportunities available to them in their various towns and local government areas.

The Governor who Spoke through his Deputy, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, emphasised that constant engagement was key to enabling people at the grassroots participate in governance and benefit from the dividends of democracy available to them.

He said the “Se e ti gbo” programme was not only adopted to serve as a community communication platform for propagating government projects and programmes but also to enlighten people at the grassroots on how to access and participate in government programmes designed to benefit their locality.

The Governor added that the programme had complemented government feedback mechanism on the impact of good governance on the people.

Dr Fayemi, who enumerated some of the road executed in some towns, added that a lot of plans would soon be unveiled to boost the economic status of the State and reduce unemployment to the barest minimum.

He said: “The essence of this programme is to let people know what we are doing and what we are going to do. We have completed some and we are working on some.

“The people at Are/Afao who have never been to Ado- Iyin newly dualised road, if we don’t tell them, how will they know? If we don’t tell people who have never been to Ire/Igbemo/Ijan roads, Aramoko/Erinjinyan road, Oye/Ikun/Otun road, these are new roads, if people who are in their homes, who have never been to these places and they are not told, how will they know? That is the essence of “se e ti gbo” we understand that communication is very important in everything.

“We expect people to support us, if you note the achievements we have enumerated in the brochure here, you will know Fayemi has done a lot and he’s still doing a lot to make our people happy.”

Also in her address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Communications and Strategy, Mrs Olusola Salako-Ajulo disclosed that the programme, with support of the office of the Wife of the Governor had interacted with not less than 4,000 women across the 177 wards of the State in the last five months.

She disclosed that the programme had also exposed over 10,000 participants, including over 85 artisan associations,   to various financial opportunities available to them in the State including the micro credit loans provided by Ecobank Plc, who partnered the Programme to drive financial inclusion to the communities in Ekiti State

Mrs Salako-Ajulo revealed that the programme which had been rotated around the 16 local governments in Ekiti State, also served as a feedback mechanism on the policies and programmes to enhance government performance in delivering the dividends of democracy to people at the grassroots.

Ecobank presented participation certificates and loan approval letters to 20 women who qualified under the EFEI loans scheme through S’etigbo.

The bank also promised to provide N25m to Ado Ekiti Local Government as soft loans of between 100,000-600,000 each to up to 50 market women on the recommendation of the Chairperson.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Akin Omole, Commissioner for Regional  Integration, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu, Commissioner for Health Dr. Oyebanji Filani, SA Governor’s Office Mr Foluso Daramola, Senior Adviser on Economic Matters Alhaji Afolabi Ogunlayi, Special Adviser/DG Bureau of Special Projects, Arch. Tope Ogunleye were present at the event.

Others officials at the event include the Chairperson Ado Local Government, Mrs Omotunde Fajuyi; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Chief Niyi Ojo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Sensitization, Mrs Tosin Ajisafe, Special Assistant on Informal Sector, Mr Aladeloye Adedeji and the Special Assistants on Mobilization for the North, South and Central Senatorial constituencies, Mr Arigbede, Mr Ijidale and Mr Sesan Adewunmi respectively.