The Project Coordinator of Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) Hon. Sunday Adunmo has said that the proposed flag off ceremony by Ido Ekiti for the construction of 15.10km Ido-Ipere-Iludun is an indication that communities in the State have taken ownership of RAAMP projects in their localities.
Speaking in Ado Ekiti on a simulcast radio programme tagged ‘Ekiti Today’, the Project Coordinator said RAAMP benefiting communities have reposed confidence in the state government under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji by partnering with government to ensure that projects are executed in time and on cost.
Adunmo who said he was surprised to receive a letter of invitation to the flag off ceremony which is scheduled for this Saturday said the award of Ido-Ipere-Iludun road which had been abandoned for almost two decades must have inspired the people of the community to take ownership of the road.
While giving reason for the decision of the Project not to organize a flag off ceremony for other roads, the Project Coordinator said the Oyebanji-led administration is result-driven and is more interested in commissioning projects rather than merely flagging them off for show-off.
“The traditional rulers are embracing RAAMP projects. Communities are taking ownership of our roads and we are very happy about this. I was surprised to receive an invitation to the flag-off ceremony for the construction of Ido-Ipere-Iludun road coming up this Saturday. The community is flagging off construction of the road. We awarded the road and two others last week, and the decision of Ido community to flag it off underscores the need for synergy between government and citizens. The gesture is a proof that people are building trust in the government as partners in progress”, Adunmo said.
He disclosed that the Project office had received several letters of calls for intervention from communities who were earlier skeptical about the success of the project but have now seen the breakthroughs made in Ikole-Isaba-Ikoyi-Igbemo road and others.
Adunmo, in response to the letters, said a number of roads including Ikere-Ijare road, Ido-Orin-Ifaki road, and Isan-Ipere road among others would soon be advertised for construction.
The Project Coordinator, who attributed the successes made by RAAMP to the unflinching support of Governor Oyebanji who insisted that all RAAMP projects in Ekiti State must be asphalted to enhance durability, disclosed that Ekiti RAAMP clinched two of six awards at the last Mission Implementation meeting of the Project held in January this year.
He emphasized the Governor had not failed in providing the State’s counterpart fund but has consistently reviewed progress of work with the State Project Implementation Unit as a mark of his commitment to the success of the project.
“Governor Oyebanji has given us adequate support for Ekiti RAAMP to thrive. He always reviews our progress with us, and it was as a result of the support that he gave the Project that Ekiti out of 19 States won two out of six awards at the last Mission. People have asked me if we would put asphalt on our roads. One of the issues which the Governor helped us resolve during his visits to the World Bank office was this. He insisted that all roads that would be constructed in Ekiti must be asphalted. So we are not grading roads, but constructing and putting asphalt on them all”, he said.
Adunmo assured that aside Ikole-Isaba-Ikoyi-Igbemo road where asphalting has reached 10km, road asphalting would commence in five other road by early May.
On the maintenance of the roads, the Project Coordinator hailed Oyebanji for his far-sightedness by signing into law the Rural Access Roads Authority (RARA) bill and ensuring its operationalization; saying that the new Agency which was set up to ensure maintenance of all RAAMP roads after construction would also involve community members who are already taking ownership of the roads.