BEHOLD IMPRESSIVE SCORE CARD OF PRINCE MICHAEL OGUNGBEMI ( EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN AJONI LOCAL COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AREA OF EKITI STATE)

By Omotayo Olatunde

Many are in the world wondering how things are happening but only few are in the world making things happen. One energetic and innovative politician who belongs to the group of people making things happen is Prince Hon. Michael Ogungbemi, the Executive Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State.

Ogungbemi who is the first democratically elected Chairman for AJONI LCDA was sworn in by the former Governor of Ekiti State Dr John Kayode Fayemi on 4th January, 2021.

Today, this young man with adult profile has been able to distinguish himself as a unique and understanding personality.

His desire to meet the peculiar needs of his people at the grassroots has now become a reality, considering many projects that now dotted the entire Local Council Development Area.

As a man of content and character who is always walking his talk and match his words with action, most of his promises during the electioneering campaign have been fulfilled, within a space of just a year.

While many of his colleagues are complaining about paucity of funds to make tremendous impact, Prince Ogungbemi who is blessed with solomonic wisdom in abundance entered into productive partnership with several Foreign Non Governmental Agencies to complement what the LCDA is getting from the federal allocation.

Some of these NGO are LDS-Charity, Build A Sçhool Initiative in Africa ( BASIA), Family Search International (FSI), Bountiful Children Foundation (BIF).
Others are Fluid Management Services (FMS), National Center for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), MC George Consulting and Rural Water Sanitation Agency.

With the robust support from these NGO’s, the litany of the achievements of Prince Ogungbemi are beyond human thinking.

Today he can be described as not just a pacesetter, but an unusual pacesetter setting the pace for his colleagues.

Within his 365 days in office as the Executive Chairman of Ajoni Local Council Development Area, he has been able to do the following for his people:

~Completion of a block of four new standard classrooms, constructed by Ajoni LCDA in counterpart funding partnering with Build A School initiatives in Africa at Saint Stephens Primary School, Ayebode Ekiti…a project delivered within 8weeks.

~Purchase and installations of Solar Street lights (Electricity) at Iyemero, Ipao and Itapaji respectively to lighten up the border towns, in a bid to curb insecurity and insurgencies.

~Completion of 50 Open market stalls and 5 Lock up shops, constructed by Ajoni LCDA in order to upgrade the thriving Ayebode community Market to Ajoni Central Modern Market which is aimed at boosting the Internally Generated Revenue of Ajoni LCDA.

~Hosting of the Bountiful Children Foundation by the office of the Chairperson.

~Conducted screening of about 400 Pregnant/nursing mothers and children and provision of free food supplement sustainable for six months, targeted at children within 1,000 days of life. This programme is eradicate or reduce malnourishment to the barest minimum within the LCDA. Bountiful Children’s Foundation, BCF is a global nutritional organization based in the United State of America, providing nutritional supplement for malnourished children in the world, to guide against child mortality rate.

~Inauguration of Gender Based Vioence Management Committee which was conducted by the office of the Chairperson in line with the official position of the state government on the implementation of the Ekiti State Gender Based Violence Law (2019), Sexual violence against children, compulsory treatment & care law (2020), the victims charter (2020) and provision of Shelter home at Ajoni LCDA.

~Empowerment of Cashew Farmers across Ajoni communities. One thousand (1,000) stands of improved cashew nut seedlings from Mc George Consulting through Cultivating New Frontier for Agriculture (CNFA) under the United States’ Development for Agricultural programme were evenly distributed as 100 stands per town.

~Establishment and launching of the Ajoni Local Security Network (ALSN) tagged OPERATION EBBORAC: TO ERADICATE BANDITS AT THE BORDERS OF RURAL AJONI COMMUNITIES

To guarantee peace, safety and security of lives and properties of the entire citizens and resident at the territories within Ajoni forest and border towns against insecurity and insurgencies, the Administration

This programme is to complement the efforts of the conventional security agencies i.e. Nigeria Police whose duty are to maintain internal security.

Ajoni LCDA security personnel have consistently ensured forest combing, arrest of bandits & kidnappers, received prompt incentives as mobilization, remuneration, logistics and support from the Council.

Operation EBBORAC, has been saddled with three security assignments of patrolling, survelliance and intelligence gathering at the borders and forest of Ajoni LCDA.

The team is made up of local security personnel drawn from Local & Village Hunters (LVH), Oodua people’s Congress (OPC) and Vigilantee Group of Nigeria (VGN), and have been trained on unarmed combat and intelligence gathering as directed by the Commissioner of Police.

The LCDA has donated new generating sets to power the military formations around Ajoni LCDA.

~Reshaping of r from Odo-Ayedun -Ayebode Ekiti was carried out to aid free movement of vehicles and prevent criminalities along the road.

~Family Search International, an American based Non Governmental Organization through African History & Oral Genealogy project trained Ajoni youths to enhance the quality of life, knowledge and skills development. This programme has exposed the youth through participation to a survey research on Genealogy across Africa, tracing family history, conducting and unifying families and creating an archive for family heritage. Selected and accredited youths who participated were remenurated according to the spade of work done to boost human capacity development and job creation.

~Ajoni youths are currently been mobilised to participate in a fully funded agriculture mechanized system of farming at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization.

~Ajoni LCDA entered into partnership with Fluids Management Services, FMS for the training of selected and accredited Ajoni youths on best Agricultural farm practices on commercial Agricultural empowerment programme funded and collaborated with Ajoni LCDA and FMS Farms.

~Training of women in agri-business (Vegetable farming) to produce legumes, cucumber, carrots e.t.c. at the FMS Farms.

~Ajoni LCDA in partnership with Royal Ward Global Investment in collaboration with Process Wood Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (PWPMAN) set to boost sustainability in capacity training to charcoal producers.

~Ajoni LCDA in partnership with Ekiti State, Rural Water Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA benefitted 7 out of 12 New Solar Boreholes across Ikole Local Government Area, a Federal Government funded water project through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

~Montly provision of steady payment for Traditional Rulers recharge solar subscription.

It is worthy of mentioning that the following projects are ongoing in the Council Area:

*Renovation of 5 Lock Up Shops at Oke Ayedun Market, Oke Ayedun Ekiti.

*Renovation of 5 Lock Up Shops at Odo Ayedun Market, Odo Ayedun Ekiti.

*Construction of 10 open market stores at Ijowa Ekiti.

*Construction of 10 open market stores at Irele Ekiti.

*Installation of Solar Street light at Oke Ako.

*Rehabilitation of Bore-hole at Esun Ekiti.

*Construction of culvert and line drains at Iyemero Main Market.

Considering the impact and giant strides of Prince Ogungbemi in AJONI LCDA, you will agree with me that he can be described as an extra ordinary man who is passionate about the well being of his people .