EKSG COMPLETES 10 ROAD PROJECTS, AWAITING COMPLETION OF ANOTHER BATCH OF 10 Ekiti State government has completed 10 road projects covering a length of 88.6kilometres at a cost of N5,506,027,138.70 out of the 33 roads contracts covering 426.061kilometres awarded by the Fayemi led administration since its inception in October 2010. The State Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Mr. Sola Adebayo made this known in Ado Ekiti at the monthly Ministerial Press briefing/stakeholders forum organized by the state Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation. Mr. Adebayo assured that at least 10 more road projects would be completed and added to the evolving network of roads in the state before October this year when the administration will mark its third year in office. The Commissioner noted that the road projects cut across the state, stressing that the target of the state government is to make all communities in the state accessible by major roads by 2014. Assuring that the present administration would not abandon any inherited project, Mr. Adebayo disclosed that the administration has completed 122.91km of inherited road contracts while 136.744km are on-going. According to him, 151.095km road projects initiated by the Fayemi led administration has been completed while 200.266km are on-going, adding that work would soon commence on the 77.7km roads that were recently awarded by the state government. The Commissioner who pledged his commitment to objective of the Fayemi led administration to develop Ekiti to a model state using the 8-point agenda; assured that he would commit all human and material resources at achieve government lofty goals. Highlighting some of the initiatives of his Ministry apart from road construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation, Adebayo said that all the verges of the state roads are cleared periodically to improve visibility of road users adding that traffic lights were also installed at five junctions in the state capital to ease traffic flow. He added that his Ministry also did some external electrification projects including the Fajuyi Government Housing Estate on Ado Ilawe road, General Hospital, Ado Ekiti and the Phase V of the State Secretariat Complex among others. Other achievements of the Ministry according to the Commissioner include the standardization of the colour of commercial vehicle in the state to lemon green, procurement of 100 Suzuki Alto cars and 40 Urvan buses worth N653m which were distributed to the three transport unions in the state to ease transport problems. The Commissioner however appealed to all stakeholders to promptly pay their taxes in order to enable government fulfills its aim of making life more meaningful for the people, stressing that failure to pay tax would reduce the fund available to government to execute its programmes. He also appealed to the beneficiaries of the vehicles distributed on loans through the drivers’ unions to ease transportation problems to fulfill their obligations stressing that the payment of the outstanding loans would boost the possibility of letting more people benefit from the scheme. Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo had explained that the forum was one of the platforms used by his Ministry to promote accountability, transparency and stewardship in Governance as enshrined in the 8-point agenda of the Fayemi led administration. Mr Ekundayo said that the focus of the forum was not only to publicize government activities, stressing that it was also to generate feedback from the people in line with the policy of the present administration in the state of enhancing participatory governance. Noting that the achievements of the state government since the beginning of the present administration has cut across all facets of human endeavour, he highlighted the accomplishments of the state government to include transformation of roads and other infrastructure in the state which he said were in a sorry state, modernizing agriculture and taking health care delivery as well as education to new heights. The Commissioner noted that Tourism and Industrial development is being given its deserved attention, saying that the gesture would help generate employment and empower the people. According to him, it is on record that many state governments across Nigeria have expressed willingness to understudy the Ekiti Social Security Scheme which is the first of its kind in the entire West Africa sub region with a view to implementing the laudable programme in their various states while gender equality and empowerment are also being vigorously pursued by the administration. He appealed to all stakeholders to complement governments efforts by avoiding acts that are inimical to the durability of the infrastructures being put in place stressing the need for drivers to be mindful of their speed while driving on the new roads in the state. In their remarks, the stakeholders lauded the efforts of the state government to ensure participatory governance as well as maintain transparency in government and stewardship of public officials. A former Commissioner for Commerce in the state, Alhaji Saka Gidado said he was astonished and impressed when he saw the text message inviting him to the forum and decided to delay his trip to the United States of America (USA) to attend the forum. Describing himself as a critical observer of the activities in activities in the state, Alhaji Gidado noted that the state never had it so good and solicited the support of all stakeholders for the success of the efforts of the present administration to develop the state. The President of the Ekiti State Chapter of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Evangelist Florence Obatayo, in her remarks, however called for more efforts at providing security particularly in the rural areas where miscreants had hitherto sometimes laid siege against unsuspecting motorists, vulnerable women and other innocent villagers. She said the continued presence of security operatives would ensure that the criminals do not return to the areas.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:11:53 +0000
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