Ekiti State Government, yesterday, said that the wealth and start-up bills recently passed into law by the House of Assembly would provide funds for unemployed school leavers and graduates in addition to facilitating savings in reserve for development purposes.
Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, who disclosed this at an interactive session with members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, in Ado-Ekiti, gave the assurance that the Governor Biodun Oyebanji-led administration would ensure that the standard of living of the people is boosted through the implementation of the six pillars agenda.
Olatunbosun noted that investment in agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, digital technology, and financial empowerment of the poor are already yielding positive results and making appreciable impact in the grassroots economy.
He said: “Oyebanji has the people at the centre of his shared prosperity vision that is anchored on the six pillars agenda carefully crafted to achieve sustainable development in the Land of Honour.”
He said workers, pensioners, artisans, market men and women, transporters, youths, students, local businessmen, local contractors, local auto dealers and the poorest of the poor were already feeling the impact of the administration.
According to him, the recent payment of about N1 billion gratuities to pensioners at once was unprecedented in the history of the state and was in fulfilment of the governor’s promise to give attention to the welfare of retirees and as well activate gradual payment of backlog of accumulated entitlements.
The commissioner stressed that only capital projects that would bring economic benefits to the people in line with the shared prosperity mantra of the administration are being executed across the state.
These, he said, include interstate roads, rural roads, roads that lead to farms, markets, schools, hospitals, adding that the Independent Power Project (IPP) that will soon be commissioned is a breakthrough in access to power supply for key institutions of government.
He, therefore, appealed for the support of the media in articulating the vision, programmes and policies of the state government, describing the media as an important partner in delivering good governance to the people.
