By Lekan Adejuwon
For Prince Oluwadare Ogungbemi, the Executive Chairman of the newly created Ajoni Local Council Development Authority (LCDA), service to the people has been his driving force since he took over the mantle of leadership in the fast rising council area.
In an exclusive interview with Ekiti Standard Tuesday, the youthful and highly cerebral Ajoni Council boss reeled out a number of legacy projects of his administration to impact on the people of the area and still counting.
Ogungbemi, who summarized the policy thrust of his administration on what he called; “critical grass root governance” said;
“This is the 16th month we have been in the saddle of governance of Ajoni LCDA and within the past 16 months, I’ve established what we call critical grassroots governance in working with development agencies
“I have six international Non- Governmental Organizations that are working with me in Ajoni LCDA. I’m working with the Bountiful Children’s Foundation, DC Global World Nutritional Agency in America I’m working with Interwave Solution International, also a non- profit making organization that has provided training modules of self reliance to young entrepreneurs and business men and women and those that wish to start their own businesses, they train these young people and also provide them with micro grants to add value to their businesses” he said
Continuing, Ogungbemi said, ” I’ve also worked with Abasia, a build- in -school initiative. They build schools around Africa sub region trying to reduce out of school children in Africa . For me in Ajoni LCDA they’ve built a block of four classrooms at St Stephen Primary School. The second one is going to be built at St Louis Primary School at Oke Ayedun and Esu Ekiti right away.
“I’ve worked with Mark George Consulting under the Center for New Frontiers of Agriculture and helped to provide support for one thousand hybrid cashew plants to fifty cashew farmers. I have worked with FMS which is -Field Management Services to provide commercial agriculture to young farmers twenty five of them benefitted from that.
” I have also worked with African Oral History and Geological Project that has provided gainful employment to young entrepreneurs and young school leavers. They pay them N40,000, N70,000 according to the pace of their work.
“We have provided 50 open markets at Ayebode which we have taken over as Ajoni Central Market with 5 lock-up shops constructed under my administration. We have built 5 lock -up shops at Owode market at Ipao Ekiti, we are going to build another a 5 lock- up shops at Iyermero market, We have built 10 open market stores at Ijowa Ekiti market and another 10 open market stores at Irele Ekiti Market. We have innovated 5 lock up shops at Oke Ayedun main Market. We have also renovated and reconstructed 5 open lock up shops at Odo-Ayedun market.
” We have provided boreholes new solar motorized boreholes funded by Federal Ministry of Water Resources in partnership with Ajoni LCDA.”
A Fellow of the prestigious Young African Leadership Forum, (YAF) among other civil society groups, Prince Oluwadare Ogungbemi revealed more about his landmark achievements inside the July edition of Ekiti Standard. Watch out!
