An Address By Dr Kayode Fayemi, Governor Of Ekiti State At The Launch Of 26-Community Development Plan Of Ekiti State Comunity And Social Development Agency, EKCSDA On Friday, 14th September, 2012.

1. AN ADDRESS BY DR. KAYODE FAYEMI, GOVERNOR OF
EKITI STATE AT THE LAUNCH OF 26-COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
PLAN OF EKITI STATE COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY, EKCSDA ON FRIDAY, 14TH SEPTEMBER, 2012.
PROTOCOLS
I am highly delighted to be here this morning to officially launch the 26
Community Development Plan. Through this Plan, 26 communities would be
executing a minimum of three (3) micro community development projects.
The Plan is being put together by the Ekiti State Community and Social
Development Agency, EKCSDA. I am happy to note that what we are doing
here today is a proactive measure aimed at improving the well being of our
people most especially, people at the rural level. It is part of the fulfillment
of our promise to reduce poverty in the State as encapsulated in our eight
point agenda.
The choice of Ekiti State as one of the states implementing the Community
and Social Development Project (CSDP) - a Community Driven-Development
(CDD) concept in design, implementation and evaluation is consistent with
the grand mission of this administration to put poverty to flight in the State.
This is an initiative of the World Bank and the Federal Government in active
conjunction with the Ekiti State Government. The benefitting communities
would today receive a total sum of N238 million for these well conceived,
community driven projects. These I believe would further enhance our
community development drives as encapsulated in our 8 Point Agenda. In

2. all about 78 projects with direct impact on the people would be financed
through this initiative
The Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency, EKCSDA is a
product of the development focused partnership. One of the cardinal
objectives of the agency as outlined in the CSDP Project Implementation
Manual (PIM) is to sustainably increase access of poor people to social and
natural resources infrastructure services. Others include increasing the
capacity of LGAs to implement and monitor CDD policies and interventions
for sustainable development, to encourage increased percentage of Local
Government budgets that incorporates Community Development Plans
(CDP), and to empower communities to plan, part-finance, implement,
monitor and maintain sustainable and socially inclusive multi-sectoral micro-
projects.
It is therefore our duty as a responsible and responsive government to
ensure that everything is done to make EKCSDA perform its responsibility
creditably and in line with the objectives of the CSDP approach. Let me say
here that the provision of basic social-economic infrastructure that would
ensure minimum comfort and good living standards for our people is a
collective responsibility of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies. It is on
this note that I want to commend the laudable activities of EKCSDA over
the last three years in its unique efforts at complementing the
transformation process of this government across all levels of development
in the state.

3. Let me remind you at this juncture that during my Town Hall/Village Square
meetings to avail the government of firsthand information on the needs of
the communities in order to fashion out participatory budgets for the state,
we indeed urge communities to access funds at EKCSDA for their socio-
economic development and wellbeing. As I have been briefed, this is part of
the activities to deliver 300 Micro Projects by the end of this year.
As a key component in our collective drive to transform Ekiti State
strategically, EKCSDA reasonably holds it a responsibility to play critical
roles for the common benefit of our people. It is indeed a considered tool
of development for the transformation and empowerment of our people
particularly at the grassroots.
I like to draw your attention to the massive construction of roads across
major towns and communities in the state as well as provision of other
landmark infrastructural facilities which we consider as parts of our
administration’s efforts to create jobs for our youths, fast track
development and encourage investors to the state. With a common goal in
focus, the state government would neither spare any effort nor relent in its
determination to continue the worthy partnership with relevant agencies
and bodies to realize the goal of the administration.
Let me congratulate all the 26 benefiting communities here today who have
been found worthy and are able to fulfill all the conditions set by EKCSDA
to access this fund. It is my strong belief that the money will be put into

4. proper use to accomplish its purpose for the common man. However, may I
remind you that this is not free money to be spent carelessly, but should be
channeled towards the building of our communities. I hereby charge all the
respective Traditional Rulers, Community Leaders, the CPMC officials and
the supervising Local Government officials to make sure that they perform
their respective roles to make sure that these projects are thoroughly
implemented according to specifications.
It is important for me to stress that participatory budgeting should be
properly midwived to the budget planning at the Local Government levels
and Local Government Review Committees. Any LGA that does not do this
will deprive its communities from benefitting from these interventions. All
local government chairmen are, as a matter of compulsion make quality
support to the CSDP a prime importance. A deviation from this would not
be tolerated from any quarter.
I also want to use this opportunity to remind all the necessary MDAs to
ensure that these projects especially the Health Centres, when completed
are adequately staffed and equipped to achieve the expected outcome.
I acknowledge the roles of the Federal Ministry of Finance, The Federal
Project Support Unit and indeed the World Bank for making this project a
reality. As we have consistently repeated, this administration will continue
to collaborate with various development based organizations so as to create
a synergy through which poverty can be driven out of our state.
Thank you and God bless.