Fayemi moves to resuscitate Skills Centres under the supervision of Micro Finance & Enterprise Development- Kayode Fasae
OUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT LIES IN THE YOUTHS…The greatest investment that would yield invaluable fruits in any society is the one tailored towards youth empowerment with the sole aim of making them contribute meaningfully to all-round development of the state and the country at large.
In the itemized vision of Dr Kayode Fayemi for Ekiti, Infrastructural and Industrial Development with knowledge Economy stand out as areas where youths can play prominent roles to make the state attractive and conducive for investors engaging in profitable ventures, by extension becoming employers of labour and there by increasing the internally generated Revenue of the state.
An Inspection tour of skill acquisition centers across the 3 senatorial districts of the state by the Director General, Micro Finance and Enterprise Development, Otunba Kayode Fasae and some other top government functionaries on 25th April, 2019 revealed that the three buildings built by Governor Kayode Fayemi during his first tenure were in good shape except the one at Iloro-Ekiti that has been vandalized by some hoodlums.
It is suffice to note that the immediate past administration did not build on the existing structures and facilities as the surrounding of the buildings were bushy and unkempt. The borehole at the Iloro-Ekiti centre is functioning while that of Aisegba-Ekiti has been damaged.
In swift reaction to this almost desolate state of the centres, furnitures have been provided for their immediate reopening by the dynamic Governor of the state, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.
The Director General, premised on this development called for immediate clearing of the surrounding as he demanded quick action on the reactivation of these centres, noting that this would go a long way in engaging the jobless youths, increasing the state Internally Generated Revenue amongst other benefits.
In another development, the micro credit agency decried the non-repayment of loans obtained from the agency by some beneficiaries in previous administrations.
The management in its resolve henceforth would enhance its workforce to ensure commitment to repayment of loans.
The impact of micro credit would be felt more than ever in all Local government areas of the state. The agency would device workable method through which money would be generated into the government purse, creating enabling environment for investors and make sure all the loans obtained previously are paid back by defaulters.
In 2012, the administration of Fayemi established three skill acquisition centres, one in each Senatorial District of the state to ensure accessibility to these centres. For Ekiti North Senatorial District one was established in Ilupeju-Ekiti, Ekiti Central’s was located at Iloro-Ekiti and Ekiti South’s at Aisegba Ekiti.
The undemocratic norm of ignoring the centrality of continuity in governance rendered the centres unattended to by the immediate past administration.
Fayemi’s previous administration invested a lot of resources such as provision of boreholes, furniture with other facilities to aid effective training but the dream was wounded by his successor.
In his giant strides again, the governor has taken steps to resuscitate the centres under the supervision of Micro-Finance and Enterprise Development in order to empower the youths.
The Director General, Micro Finance and Enterprise Development, Hon. Kayode Fasae (JIMLASS) who decried the level of wilful neglect of the centres by the immediate past administration,emphasized the expected protective role to be played by the host communities.
It is not an understatement to say that Ekiti is naturally endowed with all the resources it needed to rank first amghong the comity of states. It”ll only require initiative, determination and selfless commitment of a concerned leader to tap the resources to the advantage of the citizens.
Ekiti is an agrarian state that could sustain many agro-allied industries. Nevertheless, all efforts geared towards establishment of small and medium scale industries were frustrated throughout the tenure of the past administration as the existing ones during Fayemi’s first term in office were chased away with heavy taxation. It is interesting to note however that the moribund plywood industry at Aisegba Ekiti has been revived as many Chinese and Ekiti people were met on site working within the six months of the present administration.
Artisans, traders and farmers were not neglected by Fayemi’s government. His policy on social investment and improved economy at individual and corporate levels led to another workable step in assisting people through micro credit facilities. Effective loan’s administration is vital as it goes to all and sundry as against the previous bad tradition of taking it without repayment with a slogan “It is our money”.
All necessary steps have been taken to prevent dubious characters from accessing the loan, ensure prompt repayment plan, monitoring projects the loan is meant to serve thereby increasing the capacity of people to meet present global economic challenges. The cooperation of people with the present administration would go a long way in bringing back the lost glory and value of Ekiti.