Local Councils In Ekiti Are Doing Well – Gov. Oyebanji

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has expressed satisfaction with performance of outgoing Local Government Chairmen in the State.

The governor attributed the performance of the council bosses to the resolve of his administration not to tamper with local governments allocation from the federation account.

Governor Oyebanji, spoke during the end of the year Community Stakeholders Engagement in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

Governor Oyebanji, however said that since coming on board as Governor of Ekiti State, he has been very transparent with the local government funds .

This, according to him has contributed immensely to the huge achievements recorded by the local government and LCDA Chairmen across the state.

“The Local Government Chairmen here can attest to the fact that in the last one year, we have been transparent in the management of local government fund and I can also tell you that there is no Chairman that has not done well. They all tried within the resources available to each of them and am extremely grateful to them.”

While thanking the outgoing Local Government and LCDA Chairmen for raising the bar of government at the grass-roots level, the Governor said he would have to sit down with the in-coming Chairmen to fashion out ways to bring development to people in the grassroots.

He pointed out that his government would mandate the incoming Chairmen to henceforth prioritize local contractors for projects within their domains to further improve economic growth in the grassroots towards achieving his administration’s shared prosperity agenda.

Governor Oyebanji restated the resolve of his administration to fully implement the local content development law recently passed by Ekiti State House of Assembly.

The governor said his administration has demonstrated ability and commitment to workers and pensioners welfare as well as human capital development within resources available to the state.

Oyebanji emphasized that his administration in the last one year has demonstrated commitment to Ekiti development by successfully implementing various infrastructure projects and human capital development aimed at improving the standard of living of the people and actualizing the shared prosperity agenda of his administration.

A major highlight of the community engagement was a presentation by the Internal Revenue Service Chairman, Mr Olatona on modernity for the collection and utilization of the Land Use Charges being reintroduced by the government and billed to commence in January next year.

Governor Oyebanji said the Land Use Charges would boost the states IGR and would enable government do more in terms of tangible development.

Reassuring the people of his administration’s commitment and dedication to sustainable development, the Governor said the engagement was his own way of intimating the people who employed him with the progress made in government so far, get feedback from the people, as well as reassure them if his commitment to transparency and accountability.

He reiterated that his government would prioritize the completion of ongoing projects while plan is underway to modernize and extend development to all the Local Government Headquarters in the state to ensure equal access to development opportunities, provide balanced growth, boost economic activities and create better future for the communities.

Emphasizing the need for equitable development and reduction of regional disparities within the state, the Governor said government will soon come out with strategies for the development of the Local Government Headquarters through the Office of Capital and Urban Development Agency.

“In the last one year, we have shown Ekiti people that this government you elected is your government, in the last one year I can stand here and boldly say that we have demonstrated commitment to Ekiti course, we have also demonstrated capacity and ability to stay focused.

”If you look at our achievements in about one year and few months we took over government, either in respect to workers welfare, commitment to pensioners, it is built on one fact, we believe strongly that the people are the most important ingredient of development, if we develop the people and the workforce are happy anything we want to do as government will be very easy for us to do.”