Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The government of Ekiti State has appealed to its citizens not to victimise any Fulani herder doing legitimate business in the state.
The state government urged the people of the state to exercise caution and employ prudence in their actions towards herders and distinguish between herders that are pursuing their means of livelihood in a decent manner from those perpetrating evil.
The government also revealed that it has approved the appointment of Prince Alexander Adebukola Aina as the new Owa of Oke Oro in Ijero Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, at the post state Executive Council press conference, Commissioner for Information, Aare Muyiwa Olumilua, said part of the security strategies of government has been that all the residents must be vigilant and report strange faces to security for prompt action.
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“The government has no problem with Fulani herders doing legitimate businesses. Our people must know that we have the Ekiti anti grazing law in place and it shall be applied when necessary”.
Olumilua said the Council also approved the contract for the completion of Oba Adejugbe Market, in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital; the construction of internal roads at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital and additional upgrading of the Technical College , Ado-Ekiti, for optimum productivity.
As part of efforts to boost food production in the state, Olumilua added that government has approved the clearing of 1,500 hectares of land across five local government areas, which would be done in partnership with multinational agencies for direct investment in the state.
Speaking further on the Oba Adejugbe Market, Commissioner for Works, Mr. Sola Adebayo said, “The facility is 70 per cent complete and we want to commission it during Fayemi’s first year in office.
“The contractor has been mandated to deliver by September ending. We have done a lot of amendments by removing some structures therein.
“We have a local content law that will make the indigenes participate in the contract and allocation”, he said.
On the state government’s commitment to improve the health sector, Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said the state has 320 health centres, clarifying that 177 of them were being concentrated on to give healthcare delivery across the wards in the state.
Yaya-Kolade said the state would introduce universal healthcare insurance scheme under the Kayode Fayemi led government to bolster health sector and elongate the life expectancies of the citizens.
In his contribution, Commissioner for Education, Mr. Foluso Daramola, said the state government would implement reports of the visitation panels sent by Governor Fayemi to look at the states of the facilities in the state-owned higher institutions to enhance qualitative education in Ekiti State.