Mimiko charges communities to drive own development

Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has said communities across the state would continue to drive their development as they initiate projects to be executed in their areas.The governor stated this at the inauguration of some developmental projects in different communities in the northern senatorial district of the state.The community-based projects, executed by the State Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives, include a Basic Health Centre at Auga Akoko and two town halls at Ise-Akoko and Oba-Akoko respectively.The governor reiterated the commitment of his administration to bridging the wide gap between the government and the governed.According to him, government would continue to actively involve the people at the grassroots in the development of their communities, saying he was ready to provide exemplary leadership towards the realization of the set targets.He said about 300 of quick-win projects had been completed in different locations across the state, adding that the major aim was to transform the rural communities through the provision of essential basic amenities that will improve the quality of lives of the rural dwellers.With the participation of the beneficiaries in the execution of the projects, the governor was of the opinion that the people will claim the ownership and save guard the projects from being destroyed by vandals.To create wealth among the people, he disclosed that some of their representatives will soon undergo training, while his administration will establish factories for the towns within the cluster that have common mineral resources.His words: 'Our administration's community based projects are participatory because we believe in the capacity of our rural dwellers to drive the development of their communities. We know that before now there was disconnect between the people and government.'This is why we have been making frantic efforts to bridge the gap by training our youths, the change agents, who now move from one town to another to interface with the communities on their need assessment. This programme has helped us to reverse the trend whereby government will just move in and execute project of its own choice rather than the choice of the people.'While speaking on behalf of their people, the Alauga of Auga-Akoko, Oba Samuel Agunloye, Onise of Ise-Akoko, Oba Adegbenro Omola and the Oloba of Oba-Akoko, Oba Nurudeen Adegoroye, expressed delight over the execution of the projects which they said would add value to the lives of their people.They assured the governor of their support and that of their subjects and advised him to continue to implement his people-oriented programmes.
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