…Says initiatives, game changers for food security, MSMEs
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for facilitating the award of N17 billion worth contract to unlock Ekiti’s lurking potentials in agriculture and food security via aggressive rural road construction revolution policy.
In the same fashion, Bamisile described the EKSG-ACCESS Bank’s N1 billion soft loan for women entrepreneurs as another game changer, saying the policy will usher in radical business growth to the state.
The lawmaker representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, opined that the policies will be game changers for the progressive development of food security and Micro, Small and Medium Scale businesses that would serve as springboard for job and wealth creation.
Bamisile said these in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, while reacting to the Flag off of N17.2 b rural road projects and EKSG-Access Bank N1b soft loan for women entrepreneurs, facilitated by the administration of Governor Oyebanji .
Speaking about the enormous benefits inherent in the initiatives, the federal lawmaker, said these further buttressed the mileage the Public- Private Partnership thrust of the current administration has reached, and how beneficial the concept has been to the masses.
Bamisile stated that the N17.2 billion contract awarded by Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) to seven contractors for the rehabilitation of 13 rural roads, would automatically enhance the state’s agricultural infrastructure and solidify its position as the food basket of the South West.
According to him, “The awarded roads, divided into seven lots, include Enu Odi-Igirigiri Road, Omisanjana-Ben Folarin-Oke Aso Road, Ise-Imola Road, Owode-Anaye Road, Afolu-Odofin Road, Oye-Are Road, Ilupeju-Igbo Egan Road, Iye-Isapa-Olopemeji-Ikun Road, Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road, Igbole-Egan-Osi-Iropora Road, FMS Farm-Oke Ako Road, Ikogosi-Aba-Ori Okuta-Ikogosi Road, and Ara-Ekameta School Road.
“The aggregate of all these will enhance access to agricultural zones and return Ekiti to its pride of place as a food belt and basket of the country. The current hard biting food inflation will soon be a thing of the past when the projects fully come on stream”.
For the projects to yield optimal benefit, Bamisile urged the security agencies to synergise with the government to ramp up strategies being contrived to provide water-forced security in all sections of the state.
On the N1 billion soft loans to businesswomen, the lawmaker appealed to his constituents to key into the programme and register at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives to benefit from the life- changing programme.
“The minimum interest any bank can charge on loan facilities is 35%. But this soft loan will only attract 10% interest rate annually and it means the government has paid 25%. I commend the governor for being compassionate about the welfare of the masses.
“One can’t imagine the multiplier’s effects the injection of a humongous sum of N1 billion into the state’s economy would bring. This is one initiative every Ekiti indigene must embrace and fully utilise.
“I appeal to my constituents to key into the programme and register to access it and contribute the growth of our local economy”.