In this second segment of a two-part piece, Ifedayo Sayo, a journalist concludes his piece on the phenomenal transformation of the Fayemi administration in Ekiti State…
One area for which the governor is also celebrated is the infrastructural development of the state. Hitherto, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital could ordinarily be passed for a headquarters of local council. But the Urban Renewal Programme embarked upon by the Fayemi administration has changed the face of Ado-Ekiti.
Not only has the hitherto poorly constructed dual carriage way been redesigned with good drainages and a better road median to add aesthetic value to the beautification of the town, streetlights are being installed and test-run to enable residents enjoy night life, which before now was not existing.
The government also awarded contracts for the dualisation of other roads in the state capital. They are Old Garage – Ojumose and Okeyinmi – Atikankan to ease traffic on the major roads in the town. These new roads are now nearing completion.
Besides, the major roads, inner roads in the state capital have received the attention of the governor. They are Mobil – Irona; Ben Folarin – Isato – Oke Ori Omi; Old Governor’s Office – Okesa Round About; Oke Ori Omi – Aremu; Ola Oluwa – Omisanjana; Oke Ila – Idolofin; Stadium – Dallimore; Okeyinmi –st Andrews – Oke Ila; Okesa – Stadium – Oremeji junction; Adebayo – Olora – housing Junction; Basiri – Nova; Ile Abiye- GRA – Onigari; Egbewa – NTA Junction; Adekaitan- Ilawe – Spotless Junction; Mugbagba- Odo Ado. Some of these inner roads have been completed while the rest are at different stages of completion
Beyond the state capital, roads across the six local governments have been touched by the state government. Some of the completed road projects are Ado-Afao; Ado- Ilawe; Awo-Iyin; Efon-Ipole Iloro-Ikogosi; Fajuyi- Teaching Hospital Road; Erijiyan-Ilawe; Itawure-Okemesi; Ewu Bridge; Ijigbo-Isato; Ilawe-Igbaraodo-ibuji; Odo-Owa-Okela; Otun-Osun-Iloro.
Ongoing roads are Ado-Ikere; Aramoko-Ijero-Ido; Ado-Iworoko Dual Carriage Way; Ero Bridge; Ido Ile-Okemesi junction; Igede-Awo-Osi-Ido; Ijan-Ise; Ijero-Ipoti-Ayetoro; Ikere-Igbaraodo; Ikole-Ijesa Isu-Ilumoba; Ilawe-Ikere; Ilemeso-omu; Irele-Ponyan; Itapaji-Iyemero Bridge; Otun-Erimope Bridge; Otun-Ora Boundary; Oye- Aree; Oye-ikun-Otun; Ilukuno-Ipotiamong others.
In the area of Tourism, the Fayemi administration has equally excelled. For instance, the ongoing redevelopment of the Ikogosi Warm Spring and Resort to international standard has been lauded from within and outside the state. The hitherto abandoned tourist centre has been neglected by successive administrations in the state before the assumption of power by the Fayemi administration.
Last December, the tourist centre, which is in the first phase of its development received unprecedented crowd of tourists who appreciated the good work done by the government. Though, the warm spring is presently closed to enable the contractor complete its work, the job being done under the phase 1, includes provision of standard, executives suites and VIP villas accommodation facilities, 300-seat multi-purpose conference hall, 60- seat meeting and function rooms, 30- seat meeting room, shopping mall/variety building fitness and businesscentre. There are also standard rooms for students/excursions and campers, reception multi-purpose buildings.
Other facilities are McGee chapel/multi purpose hall, warm water multi-purpose swimming pool, children pool and water features, restaurant/bar, children’s play ground, art and craft centre, warehouse welcome centre, 300-seat open-air amphitheatre, tourism village, laundry for local, Western and international attires, perimeter fencing with safety and security systems, security equipment, administrative buildings for resort managers, 350 car parking facility, external landscape beautification.
It is hoped that at the end of this month, when the first phase of redevelopment would have been completed, the tourist centre would ranked among the best in Africa with the engagement of experienced brand expertise in the management of resorts, hotels, lodges and pristine environment.
Education sector has not been left out by the governor in his bid to transform the state. Not only is the government implementing free education in all primary and public schools, it embarked on the ambitious renovation of public school building across the state. Under the first phase of the programme tagged Operation Renovate All Schools in Ekiti (ORASE), 100 public schools benefitted. The second phase of the programme is ongoing.
The success of the programme was lauded by various communities and old students association of the benefitting schools. Among those who lauded the programme is the Old Students Association of Olaoluwa Grammar School, who noted that the programme has transformed the school environment to a beautiful setting. It also constructed 330 classrooms and renovated 436 classrooms in junior secondary and primary schools across the state.
The government also introduced Information Communication Technology (ICT) to students in public secondary schools through the One Laptop Per Student initiative. About 17,512 laptops are to be distributed under the first phase of the programme. The government has distributed 18,000 laptops to teachers in public schools in the state.
On health, the government recorded a lot of successes by being the first to commence the implementation of a new salary scheme for health workers. It approved the payment of CONMESS/CONHESS while it designated 34 primary health centres for the implementation of its free health programme across the state. The governor, recently commissioned N400 million worth of equipment, which was distributed to all the primary health centres to ensure that its free health programme is on course.
To improve tertiary health care delivery through the provision of infrastructure at the Ekiti State Teaching hospital, it completed a new accident and emergency wing, purchase medical equipment and teaching aids for the new accident and emergency wing at a cost of N200 million.
This is in addition to the creation of the state Health Data Bank and the provision of 34 motorcycles to facilitate state-wide collection and collation health data.
The Fayemi administration also created a health mission programme to bring healthcare delivery to the doorstep of all citizens. The mission, which consists of medical personnel moves round the local government and attends to the health needs of the people free. Those whose health challenges could not be attended to immediately are referred to the teaching hospital to be treated at the state government expense.
As at the last count, no fewer than 500,000 patients have been attended to by the health mission. The ailment attended to ranges from malaria to diabetes, hypertension and critical diseases, which medical cost were beyond the reach of average citizens.
Agricultural sector equally received the attention of the governor with the twin purpose of increased food production and employment generation. Apart from assisting over 15,000 farmers with the provision of agro-chemicals and fertilizers, 150 unemployed youths selected from the 16 councils of the state were trained and empowered through the state’s Youth Commercial Agriculture Development programme which focused on the production of rice, cassava, cocoa and oil palm.
The administration established a high cassava flour processing factory in Orin Ekiti with the introduction of mobile processing units across the state through the Dutch Agricultural Development and Training Company with the state government holding 15% equity.
It refurbished the Orin E kiti cassava processing plant and upgraded the plant output from 10 tonnes to 60 tonnes per day under a private public partnership with Vegetfresh Agro-Allied Company. This is in addition to being the first state to embrace the cassava bread initiative of the federal government.
In the area of industrial development, the Fayemi administration established the Fountain Solid Minerals Development Company which commenced mining activities in Itawure, Ijero and Orin-Ekiti. It has also commenced exploration of Kaolin in Isan Ekiti.
Besides, the Fayemi administration transformed the ailing Odua Textiles premises to Odua Skills Acquisition Centre and resuscitates the 50,000 tonne per year Ire Burnt Brick Factory in Ire-Ekiti.
No doubt, the governor in the last two years has made an impact on the lives of the citizenry which accounted for his celebration by the citizens, particularly his party members who have been adopting him as their candidate for the 2014 governorship election in the state.
Last modified: April 4, 2013