BY ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA
Agriculture and Rural Development is a critical component of the six-pillar agenda of the Biodun Oyebanji Administration and the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has been up and doing in turning around the two sub-sectors for the good of the people.
Governor Oyebanji’s strides in agriculture has been widely acknowledged in the areas of attracting investment, empowering farmers with inputs and seedlings, reviving farm settlements, clearing of more land for farming, incorporating the youths and turning agriculture into business, among others.
It must also be noted that rural development occupies a special place in the heart of Mr. Governor. This is as a result of his belief that development should not be restricted to Ado Ekiti, the state capital and other major towns. The Governor believes that development must reach every town, community, village and hamlet in the state.
One of the means by which rural development can be accelerated is through construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of rural roads to give access to dwellers in rural communities and to connect them with other towns and communities.
In one of my earliest write-ups in these series, I highlighted the efforts of Mr. Governor in connecting with the development partners to ensure sustainable development of the state and ensure the realization of the Shared Prosperity agenda of his administration.
One of the development partners working with the Ekiti State Government is the World Bank. Ekiti is leveraging on one of the products of the Bank, the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), to carry out road projects in rural communities to open them up for transportation, agriculture, tourism and other economic activities.
The Ekiti RAAMP which has as a seasoned and tested civil engineer, Hon. Sunday Adunmo, as the Project Coordinator has been very diligent in complementing agriculture with the required infrastructure in a bid to making the state the food basket of Southwest Nigeria.
Hon. Adunmo is bringing to bear his experience in infrastructure engineering of over thirty years to bear having previously excelled in his role as the Special Adviser on Infrastructure (Roads) under the previous administration led by the former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
The Ekiti RAAMP is carrying out Governor Oyebanji’s marching order to add a fillip to his agribusiness and rural economic investment drive with the award of 13 rural road projects worth N17.2 billion to seven contractors and this is already eliciting joy in the communities that would benefit from the project.
With work kicking off on the road projects, the hardship and losses previously suffered by rural dwellers most especially farmers would soon be a thing of the past. Many farm produce used to rot away because of lack of access roads to evacuate them.
The loss is huge to rural farmers who had toiled to produce and harvest such food crops and cash crops; it is also huge to would-be consumers who were denied opportunity of prompt access and this contribute to food shortage with the attendant exorbitant prices charged on the available ones.
All these will soon become history with the commencement of work on these rural road projects through RAAMP with the Governor showing keen interest because good roads are critical to his desire of turning agriculture to big business to realize his vision of Shared Prosperity for the people of the State.
It must be noted that projects of this nature cannot be possible without the payment of counterpart funds. The Governor ensures consistent payment of counterpart funds to the World Bank for Ekiti to access more funds to facilitate the execution of these projects.
The contractors handling the projects have been given the directive to hire local workmen and artisans to create employment opportunities and improve rural livelihood in line with the local content policy of the administration.
The newly awarded roads are Enu Odi-Igirigiri Road, Omisanjana-Ben Folarin-Oke Aso Road, Ise-Imola Road, Owode-Anaye Road, Afolu-Odofin Road, Oye-Are Road, Ilupeju-Igbo Egan Road, Iye-Isapa-Olopomeji-Ikun Road, Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Rod, Igbole-Egan-Osi-Iropora Road, FMS Farm-Oke Ako Road, Ikogosi-AbaOsun- Aba Ori Okuta Road and Ara-Ekameta School Road.
Governor Oyebanji’s Midas’ touch on the roads is already generating excitement in the rural communities and they cannot but express their gratitude for giving priority to rural development and by extension agriculture which is the major occupation of the rural dwellers.
The sighting of workmen, bulldozers and other earth-moving equipment on the Igirigiri Road which marked the commencement of work has brought immense joy to the residents and users of the road. They had endured hardship brought about by the dilapidated condition of the road but the story of the road is changing following the intervention.
The tears, pain and anguish of the past will soon give way. Farmers, residents, petty traders, commuters, drivers and staff of Ado Ekiti Local Government whose secretariat is located along that axis have heaved a sigh of relief because a big burden is about to be removed from their daily itinerary.
The Obanirare of Irare Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area, Oba Olukayode Adebowale, hailed the Oyebanji Administration and the World Bank for making his domain to benefit from one of the newly-awarded road projects.
Oba Adebowale said the construction of Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road would not only be beneficial to to farmers in the benefitting rural communities but also provide access road to Irare.
The Oba noted that the award and execution of the project would bring relief to the users of Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road which is the only road that leads to his community which becomes impassable during rainy season.
Like Oba Adebowale and his subjects are already excited, the same is the sentiment being expressed in all communities that are benefiting from road construction because of the multiplier effects on their personal, social and economic lives.
Ogunmola is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media (Print Media)