By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The World Bank has commended Ekiti State Government for its effective implementation of all intervention programmes in the state, thereby bringing succour to the people.
The Country Director, World Bank, Nigeria, Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, who gave the commendation at the Governor’s Town Hall meeting with beneficiaries of Ekiti Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (EK-CARES) Programme in Ado-Ekiti, said the World Bank is happy with the state’s steering committee for working in line with the Bank’s policy objectives.
He said the programme, which started in 2020 when the Federal Government and all the state Governors approached the World Bank for support as a result of the negative impact of COVID-19 on the livelihood of the citizens, said he was happy with the success of the programme over the years and assured the state government of continued support from the World Bank.
Chaudhuri also applauded the Ekiti state government for keying into the programme and injecting adequate resources into it for the benefit of the people of the state.
The World Bank top
Official, stated that former Governor Kayode Fayemi and Governor Biodun Oyebanji have provided the necessary leadership and impetus which aided the success of the programmes in the state.
He commended the people for their words of appreciation to the state, Federal Government and the World Bank on the efforts aimed at improving their livelihood after the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that the programme has been able to deliver the desired results.
In his remarks, Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji reiterated his commitment to veritable reforms and transparency in governance aimed at improving the quality of lives of the people through intervention programmes that would better their lots in the
The Governor said the state had developed a profile of excellence in the implementation of people-oriented programmes, adding that his government is committed to being the best State in the implementation of the NG-CARES . He also announced the disbursement of over #1.3Billion to the Delivery Unit for the implementation activities towards the second verification assessment.
Governor Oyebanji expressed his appreciation to World Bank and other stakeholders for supporting various programmes of the state stating that any government with the best intentions may not be able to succeed in all its good plans if there were no support from institutions like the World Bank.
“As you are aware, the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme is an intervention scheme which among others, is aimed at stimulating the nation’s economy at the micro level after the post-COVID pandemic and its overreaching destructive impact on the socio-economic situation of the individuals, communities and government.
“Among other things, today’s meeting was organized primarily to showcase some of the successes recorded so far in the implementation of the programme and to get feedback on the challenges that might have been encountered and suggestions on how to deal with the identified challenges. We believe that the beneficiaries’ testimonies will further strengthen our commitment towards supporting the poor and vulnerable households, farmers and firms affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.
“Therefore, I am using this platform to appreciate the efforts of the World Bank and the Federal CARES Support Unit for their support for Ekiti State. We are not also taking for granted the commitment and dedication of the State officials who are active players in the implementation and delivery of desirable results.” He said.
Sharing their testimonies, some of the beneficiaries including Adesida Michael, Feyisayo Akinyemi and Yemi Ayeni all confessed that the programme positively impacted their lives, adding that have invested in one business or the other with the support they got from the EK- CARES programme.
They commended the World Bank, Federal Government and Ekiti State Government for coming to their aid at a very critical moment of their lives as many of them have loosed hope of ever making it in life.
