Adebayo Adenrele
The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye, has revealed that making all the 16 local government Areas of the state stronger and efficient in the discharge of all deliverables remains a top priority of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.
Afuye, in a statement signed by her special adviser on media, Victor Ogunje, gave the assurance in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area, on Tuesday, while declaring open a three- day workshop organised by the Ekiti State Institute of Local Government Studies for local government workers.
The Deputy Governor stressed that Oyebanji is unwaveringly desirous of taking proactive action to energise the local government system through adequate funding to ignite development at the grassroots, where over 65% of the population are domiciled.
Afuye, while addressing the participants in line with the kernel of the training tagged: “Agenda and Target Setting Towards Laying a Solid Foundation for Effective Service Delivery’, said the training was in tandem with the Human Capital Development focus of the Oyebanji’s administration.
Cataloguing the pivotal interventions championed by Governor Oyebanji to fortify the local governments, the Deputy Governor, revealed that the current administration, had disbursed car and house loans to council workers, and defrayed backlog of staff salaries and deductions to palliate their sufferings.
Justifying that the governor has done creditably well in strengthening the third tier of government, Afuye, said the steady and progressive opening of the rural areas to better economic, human and physical development substantiated the high level of Independence enjoyed by the local governments.
Afuye assured that nothing will be spared to ensure that the drivers of the system, who are the available human resources are well groomed to be able to respond positively to the onerous task of making the LGs more efficient and responsive.
In her words, “The government of Governor Oyebanji had purchased official vehicles for the Heads of Local Government administration, created additional departments at the Local Government Service Commission, and renovate some structures in this institute to make it more functional as a training ground for our workers.
“This government has also ensured regular payment of monthly pension of retired officers and part of their outstanding gratuities. It has also confirmed the appointment of 22 heads of local government administration and signed the local government administration law.
“We are all witnesses to the notable changes that this noble institution had experienced over the years. The school which started in the year 2000 as a staff training school has been upgraded to an institute for the training of both junior and senior staff.
“I enjoy the management of the institute to effect the affiliation of the institute with Ekiti State University to commence the issuance of Diploma Certificate in line with the vision of the government for upgrading the school.”
