allAfrica.com: Nigeria: A Year of Dividends in Ekiti (Page 1 of 3)

Ekiti State was not left out of the Celebration of this year's Democracy Day marked across the length and breadth of the country last Thursday.

How time flies, goes the popular saying. The whole affair looked like yesterday, but gradually 365 days have rolled by in the life of the present democratic dispensation across the country.

It is quite interesting to note that during the period under review, a lot of ding-dong political affairs had happened in the country among the political class. Since May 29 series of interesting political activities have been played out by the players in the act, just as the activities of the judiciary have not gone unnoticed.

For the first time in the political history of this country, judiciary has been able to discharge its duties as an unbiased umpire without fear or favor. In the course of discharging its duties, several election results have been upturned, while some were cancelled, some upheld, while several others were still pending at the various Election Petition Tribunals set up by the federal government across the country to look into the grievances emanating from the 2007 elections.

While some have accepted their fate in good faith and had already commenced preparations for the 2011 elections, some are still expecting and hopeful that one day, justice would be done.

But, as this continues, Ekiti State was not left out among other 36 states across the country that successfully celebrated Democracy Day, and one year in office of the present administration in a grand style.

The one week anniversary celebration kicked off Monday, May 26th, 2008 with a well attended press conference, which was addressed by the state deputy-governor, Dr Tae Sikiru Lawal.

The week was full of activities that set the state into a celebration mood. There is no doubt that the myriad of congratulatory messages relayed on the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES), as well as the Positive FM, played major role in creating awareness in the mind of the public over the anniversary celebration.

Besides, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state actively participated in the festival by organizing road show rally in all the three senatorial districts to sensitize the public..

During the two day rally, the PDP members, well-wishers and other party supporters used the forum to distribute pamphlets and hand bills that contained several achievements of the state government in the last one year.

The major event that marked the grand finale of the celebration took place on Thursday, May 29th,2008 when the people both old and young stormed the Oluyemi Kayode stadium in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital in a festive mood.

It was a moment of joy, happiness and merry making for the people of the state, especially members of the ruling party, who saw the day as not only a day of merrymaking alone, but a day for celebrating being in control of the state machinery.

Earlier in the day, before the activities at the stadium commenced, the state governor, Mr Segun Oni had addressed people of the state in a state-wide live broadcast relayed on both radio and television stations, where he took time to catalogue his numerous achievements within his first 12 months in office.

The governor, who began by calling for unity among the indigenes of the state, said with the oneness and unity of purpose, the state will get to the top and remain at the top where it rightly belong.

According to him, God that created Ekiti as the most homogenous people in Nigeria did it for a purpose and that purpose must not be defeated.

"The Almighty God created us as one, as the most homogenous people in the country, for a purpose. Let us exploit the oneness to the optimum. Let us, with the oneness and unity of purpose march together to the top and remain at the top, where we belong," he said.

While reeling out the achievements of his government, Oni said; "We are bold to say that, in the first year of this administration, we have been able to touch the life of millions of our people, positively, in several ways, through our various programmes in Education, Agriculture, Road Construction, the Micro-Credit Scheme, and Health and so on.

He added that, in Ekiti State, an average of two in every five families have benefited from the monthly health intervention programmes. The Eye Camp, and Surgical Festival, which he said began in July 2007.

"To date, more than 10,000 pair s of eye glasses has been given out free of charge to beneficiaries while hundreds who required medication to improve their sight were also provided with drugs free.

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