Text of the Keynote Address by
His Excellency
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor, Ekiti State, Nigeria
on the occasion of
THE PRESENTATION OF CHEQUES OF #128M TO 19 BENEFITING COMMUNITIES TO EXECUTE COMMUNITIES SELF-HELP PROJECTS
Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Protocols
Ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely welcome you to this significant ceremony of the distribution of cheques of one hundred and twenty-eight million, one hundred and thirty-six thousand, four hundred and forty-four naira, ninety-six kobo (#128,136,444.96) to the nineteen (19) benefiting communities for execution of communities self-help projects. It gives me great pleasure and honour to welcome you all to this epoch-making event.
Todays ceremony is one of the multiplier effects of the Ekiti State value restoration agenda of this administration, and we are poised to make similar meaningful impact in every stratum of our society.
As a government that wants both urban and rural developments, we paid our own counterpart fund to activate this World Bank project geared towards improving the living condition of people at the grassroots. We are proud to toe this line and we are determined to sustain this developmental drive.
Ekiti-Kete, when you entrusted the management of Ekiti States commonwealth in our care, we promised and assured you all that your welfare and well-being will be of paramount interest to us. We are here today to strengthen the bond and deliver one of our promises. We are practising what we preach by putting our words into actions.
I am highly delighted to be in your midst today to strengthen the pact between Ekiti State Government and the World Bank through Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (EKCSDA) for the implementation of community self-help projects initiated during my first administration in the State but uncared for by the last administration.
The project is meant to better the lives of our people through the selection of projects of your choice in your various communities most especially in the rural areas. I hereby urge our Traditional and Community Leaders as well as other Stakeholders in the benefiting communities to carefully monitor the utilization of the funds and the projects in their respective domains.
While congratulating the benefiting communities, I admonish you to make sure you use the money for the completion of the projects for the benefit of your people and follow the laid down rules and regulations of the World Bank so that other communities can benefit. The government will not hesitate to sanction any individual, group or community found wanting in the implementation of the selected and approved projects. I know there are state projects, particularly palaces that are still awaiting our support. The ministry of local government is working in ensuring we come to the assistance of these communities.
I commend the Management and Staff of Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (EKCSDA) for their efforts towards actualizing the desired goals of rural development in this administration. EKSCIDA is now ranked in the third place, after Adamawa and Oyo states, in the country, and its officials are receiving accolades in the country. You should not rest on your oars but rather work harder to ensure the best for the State. You are in the Agency because of your ability, please do not betray the trust that this government in you.
I sincerely thank our Royal Fathers, our party leaders and all indigenes and non indigenes for your unalloyed support for my administration. I will continue to count on your support for the overall success of this administration and that of President Muhammadu Buhari. I promise not to relent in my efforts to restore our value and that of banishing hunger and poverty from our land.
On this note, it is my greatest honour to present the cheques of N128m to the 18 benefiting communities to execute communities self-help projects to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.
Thank you and God bless all.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Governor
