Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
Stakeholders across Ekiti State have applauded the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi for the high level of transparency demonstrated on execution of projects in the State, adding that the projects were overwhelming and surpassed their imaginations.
One of the stakeholders and former Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in the State, Mr Dayo Famosaya, who spoke at David Oke Comprehensive High School, Ado-Ekiti, expressed surprise that the State Government had embarked on such massive Infrastructure and road network projects with the little resources accruing to the State from the Federal Government.
Famosaya, who spoke on behalf of other stakeholders shortly after an on-the-spot assessment tour of some projects sites visited in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital, and its environ, described the projects as overwhelming and that their experiences had added credibility and transparency to the governance of Governor Fayemi.
He identified the need to embark on massive drive to sensitize the people of the State on the presence of the various projects visited, called on communities who benefited from the projects to speak about the various developments happening in their vicinities.
‘The projects have been quite wonderful, I am overwhelmed, I am overwhelmed because I don’t know the Government has spent so much to put all these projects in place. I think it is time for communities where those things have been set up to start talking about the projects.
‘There must be massive drive to sensitise the people to ensure that people know that these projects are in place. This will make the people to appreciate the good work of the Governor better.
‘I am most impressed with the new edifice built to house water corporation, I learnt that it is second in the South-West and it is of the State-of-the-art and that shows what we call transparency, because if you put up a structure and you ask people to come and look at it, it shows that the governor is being transparent. I give kudos to him.’
In his remarks, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon Biodun Omoleye, who led the stakeholders on the tour, said the project tour was part of the state transparency strategy designed to enable stakeholders, including government functionaries, youths, students, union leaders, interest and professional groups, journalists to assess the various projects that had been executed by the Fayemi administration.
The stakeholders visited the State headquarters of Water Corporation, Iworoko Road Ado; Asphalt Processing Plant, Ado, Ayo Fasanmi Comprehensive High School, the Perimeter fencing of the on going airport project site; Banji Akintoye Comprehensive High School, Ado; Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo road project; and David Oke Comprehensive High School, Ado-Ekiti.
Speaking on how the State Government was able to embark on such massive projects considering the global economic crisis, Omoleye explained that the transparency of Fayemi in governance and execution of projects have increased the confidence of International donors, partners and sponsors in sustaining their partnership with the state government which had helped in the execution of some of the projects toured.
The Chief of Staff added that the State Government had also created a friendly environment and avenue for investment and have also been able to attract funding agencies supports.
He said the Fayemi administration operates an open governance where all activity involving financial transactions were made available on the state website.
‘If you are not running a transparent government, you will not get supports. I think the problem we have in the past was that the government was done in obscurity and nobody will transact with you when they don’t know where their funds are going to.
‘Every activities involving the spending of the State government is on our website, so nothing is done in obscurity. The State is transparent, what goes in and what goes out including how every kobo is expended is transparently displayed on our website.
‘Development partners have been willing to partner with us and we have been taping into this. We subscribed to open governance policy and programme and so we are seen as one of the disciplined and transparent government,’ he added.