- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Chairman of the Okemesi/Ido-Ile Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ekiti State, Hon. Sunday Owolabi Ajibade, has highlighted the performance of his administration in the past one and a half years in the saddle.
He disclosed that within the short period in the saddle as the council Chairman, the two communities under his supervision has made tremendous progress so far considering some of the developmental projects in Okemesi/Ido-Ile LCDA as a result of God-fearing and well determined governor in power.
Hon. Ajibade Owolabi stated this while playing host to the Owa-Ooye of Okemesi-Ekiti, HRM Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, JP, CON and Owa-Ooye-In-Council at his Palace on Monday. He said the actions of the governor so far has really shown that Ekiti people will know his administration for better because he was well prepared for the tasks ahead.
The council Boss expressed his gratitude to the people of the two communities and the governor for their supports at all time since the inception of his administration.
He described the governor as God’s sent to Ekiti people considering all the developmental progress and community engagements of the governor and his cabinet in the last two hundred days in office.
The former House of Assembly member, therefore thanked all Ekiti indigenes home and diaspora for their comments and encouragement so far. He solicited the support of well-meaning Ekiti people including stakeholders who resides outside Ekiti State, noting that government cannot do it alone.
Hon. Owolabi who reiterated more commitment to community development, adding that his administration will not rest on it’s oars and will take welfare of the two communities which includes security of lives and properties, healthcare and social security for senior citizens as a priority.
According to him, “As a matter of fact, the governor would not release any money to the local government or LCDA without knowing what you want to do with the money. You will first seek approval at the finance and general purpose committee meeting where an inspector from the state is a member.
Other members include Kabiyesi and the council management team. After the committee’s approval, you then write the governor through the ministry of LG with extract from the F&GPC meeting.
He explained that the final approval will come from the governor. The state government monitors the projects through the ministry engineers. So it is not possible for you to receive any fund and you keep it or misappropriate it for what the money is not meant for.
The All Progressives Congress stalwart, however, highlighted some of the projects embarked upon by his administration in the Okemesi/Ido-Ile LCDA which includes; Reconstruction of damaged box culvert at Okerena area, Okemesi, Construction of 600M line drainage at Okeokuta, Okemesi, Construction of 200M line drainage at Ido-Ile, Construction of 30 open market stalls at a new market in Ido Ile, Construction of abbatoir in Okemesi and Construction of offices building at the permanent site of the LCDA which include receptionist office plus 14 other offices each with ante room and toilet facilities.
Others are Drilling of Borehole at the permanent site, Empowerment programmes to farmers and women, Distribution of Knapsack sprayers plus Herbicides and cutlasses to 30 farmers in each Ward at the beginning of the planting season, Distribution of Gas Cylinders to at least 10 women in each Ward, Raising of 1,500 Oilpalm seedlings which the council is planning to sell to farmers at subsidized rate, and Cultivation of 5,000 heaps of Hybrid Maize Inter-cropped with Hybrid cassava, Grading of township as well as rural roads to ease the movement of farm produce in both Okemesi and Ido-Ile axis, purchase of laptop and JAMB forms to brilliant but indigent students and the repair of 2 of the 3 dead vehicles inherited from Ekiti West Local Government secretariat in Aramoko-Ekiti.
The LCDA Boss also hinted that, “the council is still an appendage of parent local government, meaning that whatever comes to the parent council (Ekiti West LG), is shared among our two LCDAs and the parent council. We are also developing our permanent site in preparation for the transformation of the LCDA to a full-fledged local government, which presently had been roofed completely”.
“We must keep hope alive because with the current president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who’s the pace setter as the first civilian Governor to create LCDA in Nigeria, he may want to complete what he started by upgrading LCDA to full-fledged LG. An LCDA without buildings of it’s own may not be considered for upgrading. So what we need most now is the development and completion of our permanent site”, Ajibade stated.
Responding, the Owa-Ooye of Okemesi, HRM Oba Michael Gbadebo Adedeji, commended Hon. Owolabi Ajibade for leaving no stone unturned in his developmental agendas across the two communities.
He charged the council Chair not to rest on his oars as many works are still out there begging for government attention.
“We appreciated all you have done. You have indeed done us proud and we are happy to have you there as the pioneer Chairman of Okemesi/Ido-Ile LCDA. We have no doubt that you will do well because you have started on a remarkable note and our prayers is that you will end your tenure well and your name will forever be written in gold because history will never forget you while in office”. Oba Adedeji added.
