Ondo to spend N1b on rural projects
From Niyi Bello, Akure

TO ease life for rural dwellers, the Ondo State government will this year spend N1 billion on community development.



http://odili.net/news/source/2010/feb/9/7.html

This is apart from the N483 million it has expended on the provisions of projects in 80 communities in three local councils last year.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko unveiled this yesterday in Akure when he opened the second phase of the week-long Training and Project Programme (TAPP II) for 150 community change-agents.

Mimiko said his administration had also embarked on 150 projects at 10 projects each for the renaming 15 councils while it will develop capacities in the initial 80 pilot communities in the second phase.

Mimiko said the N483 million spent on community development in 2009 was a testimony of his government's resolve to empower communities to take their destinies in their hands while the government will only provide the enabling environment for the achievement of these goals.

The governor remarked that since the greatest challenge facing the

society now is youth unemployment, all stakeholders must look for ingenious ways to find jobs for them to channel their energies to creative ventures rather than allowing them to become veritable tools in the hands of mischief-makers.

While describing the first set of 75 members of the Volunteer Corps as worthy ambassadors of the state, Mimiko said the new trainees who would be amazed at the level of energy and positive engagement being wasted at the community level, should regard their participation as a call to duty and life-changing experience for

a better output.

He, however, warned that his government would not tolerate non-presentation of periodic reports as such act will affect speedy implementation of community change programmes.

He enjoined the trainees to be conscious of political happenings in their environment since there is a nexus between election, democracy and governance.

The Commissioner for Community Development and Co-operatives, Mr. Clement Faboyede, said the programme had shaped the thinking and psyche of the participants after seeing poverty rate in the

three pilot councils of Ifedore, Owo and Odigbo.

Also, the Commissioner for Employment, Labour and Productivity, Mr. Wole Akinjo, said a website would soon be created

for the agents to interact with the government on getting paid jobs.