Ekiti @ 30: Stakeholders harp on unity, consolidation of development

Stakeholders in Ekiti state have stressed the need for greater unity, active citizenship and collective efforts among the people to consolidate the gains of the past 30 years and build a more prosperous and opportunity-driven state for future generations.

They made the call on Wednesday at a public hearing organised by the Ekiti state House of Assembly as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the state.

The public hearing, with the theme, “Ekiti at 30: Reflecting on Our Journey, Charting Our Future,” brought together former political office holders, lawmakers, technocrats, academics, traditional stakeholders and other citizens to assess the state’s journey since its creation in 1996 and chart a roadmap for its development over the next three decades.

The stakeholders maintained that Ekiti had recorded considerable progress in infrastructure, education, human capital development, economic growth and other sectors over the years, but stressed that much more needed to be done to position the state as a hub of opportunities, investment and prosperity.

A former governor of the state, Chief Segun Oni, who congratulated the House of Assembly and the people of Ekiti on the anniversary, said the state had achieved considerable stability and growth in the three decades of its existence.

Oni urged the people to support the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and contribute to promoting the ideals and development aspirations of the state.

He said the progress recorded so far should serve as a foundation for a more ambitious development agenda capable of transforming the state and improving the standard of living of its people.

Speaker of the House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, said the public hearing was convened to critically interrogate the 30-year journey of the state, identify the challenges confronting it and generate practical and actionable measures for its future development.

Aribasoye said the recommendations and resolutions generated from the exercise would form part of the legislative agenda of the Seventh Assembly and provide useful guidance for future legislatures in their efforts to place Ekiti firmly on the path of sustainable development and prosperity.

He said: “Thirty years is both a milestone and a moment of reflection. It gives us an opportunity to look back at where we started as a state, examine the journey we have travelled, appreciate the progress we have made, acknowledge the challenges and shortcomings that have confronted us, and, most importantly, ask ourselves what kind of Ekiti we want to build in the years ahead,” he said.