Date Published: 09/02/09

Mimiko signs bill on World Bank assisted programme, lauds Ondo legislators

Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko yesterday signed into law a Bill on the World Bank Assisted Community Social Development Project just as he lauded members of the State House of Assembly for throwing aside political differences in the overall development of the State.

Governor Mimiko, while speaking during the occasion which was his first bill to be signed into law described the two arms of government as partners in the quest to move the state forward. The Governor noted that the World Bank project has significant relationship with his administration's Quick Win projects aimed at involving communities in their developmental projects assuring that the state government would be pro-active in tapping from the $200 World Bank community development project.

While enthusing that in Ondo State, democracy was at work, the Governor noted that in spite of their political differences, members of the House chose to rise to the occasion due to the beneficiary nature of the Project and in view of the August 31 deadline given the State by the World Bank.

Mimiko further assured that his administration would utilize the opportunity to empower the people of the state, promote private enterprise development and improve service delivery for human development.

His words "This programme is related to what we have been doing in the State through our Ministry of Community Development and Cooperative. We've decided to make our people active stakeholders in their development. They have to be involved in the initiation, monitoring and assessing developmental projects around them."

The broad goals of the project, which include providing participating communities local government areas with social goods, rural roads, water supply, schools and rural roads among others, according to Dr Mimiko, would be fully utilized for the benefit of the people.

He said that execution of projects in the 80 pilot communities in Ifedore, Odigbo and Owo local governments for the Quick Win projects would commence this week.

Earlier in his remark, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Taofeek Olawale Abdusalam, reiterated the Assembly's readiness to partner the executive with a view to taking the state to the next level of development. He explained that the House of Assembly worked extra hours to ensure quick passage of the bill, which was sent to the House on June 23 this year, stressing that any opportunity that will bring speedy development to the state would always be accorded priority by the House.