…laying solid foundation for steady economics development.
By Daniel Abe
The primary aims of creating Local Council Development Areas is to fastrack development at the grassroots and bring government nearer to the people. Hon. (Mrs) Dupe Bakare is not only striving to achieve these aims but she is doing everything to place Irewolede LCDA on a sustainable steady development through her impactful programs and projects. Her administration has touched all the six towns in the LCDA, in term of infrastructure development, not minding the paucity of funds at her disposal.
Road grading
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, says the Scripture. Hon. (Mrs) Dupe Bakare, the Executive Chairperson of Irewolede Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Ekiti State, is a woman who has paid her due in politics, particularly in the Progressives fold.
Newly constructed open market stalls at Temidire- Ekiti
After a successful career in the banking industry, this Temidire – Ekiti born Philanthropist cum female politician joined the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) and since then, she remained consistent and played prominent roles in the transformation of AD into Action Congress (AC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and now, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Extension of electricity at Ijurin- Ekiti
She has served the party in various capacity, both at the state and national level. She was the Ekiti State women leader of the APC between 2014-2018. She also served in different boards like, Ekiti State House of Assembly Service Commission and Local Government Service Commission.
Presentation of motor cycles and tyres to security agents
Therefore, when the APC leaders and members decided to pick her as the chairmanship candidate of the party for Irewolede LCDA during 2021 Local Government elections, her candidacy received massive supports and acceptability from all and sundry. All the stakeholders in the six communities that made up the LCDA, including, traditional and religious leaders, attested to her stainless pedigree, impressive antecedents and noble family background. They described her nomination by APC as a round peg in a round hole. And since assumption of office as the pioneer Executive Chairperson of Irewolede LCDA about one and half years ago, Hon. Bakare has justified the confidence reposed in her by the people.
Renovated 7 lock up shops at Iloro- Ekiti
On assumption of office on January 4, 2022, the first thing she did was to organise a special prayer to commit the journey ahead into God’s hands. She invited the former Regional Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Goke Kuti. The prayer session was held at the Council secretariat, Iloro-Ekiti, where the Senior Pastor prayed for a peaceful and successful tenure for the Chairperson and her team.
Immediately after this, Hon. Bakare hit the ground running. Being a newly created LCDA, a lot of things were needed, particularly at the Council Secretariat, as the seat of government was without electricity, water, office space, furnitures, while the structure is in dire need of renovations. But with sheer determination and commitment, Hon. Bakare surmounted all these challenges and transformed the Secretariat.
Today, the council boss has extended electricity to the secretariat, repaired the moribound borehole, repainted the building and demarcated the offices to make the environment conducive for administrative activities.
For effective service delivery, Hon. Bakare has purchased many office equipment for each department in the LCDA. These among others includes, Public Address System for the Information Units, two laptops and its accessories for BPRS and account departments, computers and printers for the office of Confidential Secretary, while the LCDA has also launched its own Website to showcase its activities to the world. In order to keep the council secretariat tidy,Hon. also procured two brush cutters for the works department
To mark her 100 days in office, this woman of excellence, who knows the importance of education in our society, distributed thousands of exercise books to the pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools across the LCDA. As part of activities marking the day, an health talk titled “Girl Child at Puberty” was also organized for the female secondary school students, where free sanitary pads were distributed to the students that graced the event.
The primary duty of any responsible government is the security of lives and properties of her citizens, this notion must have propelled Hon. Bakare in holding monthly security meetings and making the attendance compulsory for all security agents within the LCDA. Through this, the Head of Security Agencies tables their challenges before the management of the council. The Local vigilante group, hunters and Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), being the closest to the people were the first set of security agents to receive the attention of the Chairperson. The Council boss purchased rechargeable torchlights for them, to aid their works, particularly at night and as well compliment the efforts of the existing security agencies in the area. Hon. Bakare, later secured an office space for the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), Amotekun, at Iloro-Ekiti, the Local Government headquarters. Not satisfy with this, Hon. Bakare, extended the gesture to other security agencies few weeks ago, as she procured four motorcycles and tyres for patrol vehicles to enhance the activities of security personnels. The benefitted security agents were the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Police, Department of State Security (DSS), Peace Corps, Amotekun Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
It is the responsibility of Local Government to construct and regulate market. Hon. Bakare was not happy with the state of markets in some towns within the LCDA. This made her swung into action by renovating a block of seven lockup shops at Iloro-Ekiti. This is the first phase of the projects as arrangement is in top gear to commence the second phase which will take care of the remaining dilapidated shops at the Oja-Oba market in Iloro Ekiti.
For the first time, Temidire-Ekiti, can now boast of having a market as Hon. Bakare constructed a 10 open market stalls in the town.
The council boss did not just site projects distinctly in any community she also ensured all the projects meet the immediate needs and expectations of the people. At Ayegunle-Ekiti, the LCDA inherited a Police Station that can only be described as an eyesore. This made the Chairperson to embark on total renovation of the police station and today, the station is wearing a new look.
Hon. Bakare also makes grading of roads a priority of her administration. Oke-oro and Iroko-Ekiti have benefited from road grading as Oba Babade road and Alugbedu street were graded in Oke-oro, while the road leading to Iroko Comprehensive High School was also graded.
At Iloro-Ekiti ,Omi-ata and Oke-ore were graded. These roads leads to farms where cash and food crops are being produced in large quantities. Residents and farmers from this axis applauded Hon. Bakare for grading the road because the gesture will ease the difficulty being experienced in bringing their farm produces to the town.
The people of Ijurin-Ekiti will forever be grateful to Hon. Bakare and her administration for extending electricity from the Model Health Centre to Oke-abadan area of the town. This is the major electrification project in the town since 1986 when the then Military Administrator of old Ondo state, late Mike Akhigbe connected the town to national grid. This project will in no doubt fastrack development in the area.
Hon. Bakare has said all the projects executed by her administration are just a tip of the iceberg as more are still coming.
She expressed appreciation to the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) for the support he is giving to Local Governments and LCDAs which is enhancing their efforts at carrying out all these projects at the grassroots. She also thanked all the stakeholders in Irewolede LCDA and the management of the council for their cooperation. She assured that her administraion will continue to prioritize the welfare of the people.