By John Odunjo
The resolve of the chairmen of the 38 local government areas (LGs) and the local council development areas (LCDAs) in Ekiti State to construct 5km roads in the domain of each of them has received the backing of the governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji.
Oyebanji assured the chairmen that the state government would support their five-kilometre road construction per council, which would amount to construction of 190kms of roads across the state.
The governor, who spoke at a retreat for the newly inaugurated council chairmen in Ado Ekiti, described the five-kilometre road project as a laudable project in the people’s interest.
Oyebanji, speaking in reaction to the resolution of the council chairmen to return to the era of construction of five-kilometre roads each, charged the leadership of the councils to prioritise the needs of the electorate before embarking on projects.
He told the chairmen, “Across Ekiti State, if there is one thing they are asking us, it is to go back to five-kilometre roads. The state government will partner with you to do this, we will contribute our own quota. Those are projects that resonate with the people”.
The Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Folorunso Olabode, had said that the 38 councils, under the aegis of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee of local governments had resolved to restore the construction of 5kms of roads per local government in their respective areas totaling 190 kms.
Olabode, who is the JAAC Chairman, according to a statement by the Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, Adejoke Ajayi, speaking on the resolutions at the maiden JAAC meeting for year 2024, said, “The move (5km road construction per council) is in tandem with the development agenda of Governor Oyebanji aimed at easing transportation challenges in the state”.
The commissioner urged the new council bosses to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the forum to address issues confronting them in their respective council areas.
He called on the council bosses to focus on agriculture, generating job opportunities, youth empowerment and increasing the internally generated revenue, stressing the need for them to organize proactive programmes particularly agric-related structure to enhance agric production and also engage in specific projects that would touch the lives of people at the grassroot.
The commissioner urged the chairmen to familiarize themselves with the 30-year developmental agenda and embrace the concept of the six pillars of the Oyebanji administration, stressing the need for them to be creative and proactive in the discharge of their services at the grassroots.
He charged the council bosses to quickly settle down and prepare workable work plans that would guide their activities towards achieving optimum performance.
