BY DAYO JOHNSON
AKURE — FOR rapid development of rural communities across the 18 council areas of Ondo State, the state government is to expend over N2.3billion on projects suggested by the stakeholders in the communities.

Addressing newsmen in Akure, Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Clement Faboyede, said already N1.6 billion had been spent on the execution of about 150 projects in 150 communities of the state since the inception of the present government in the state.

Faboyede said the state government had been able to take governance back to the people through the activities of the ministry.

According to the Commissioner by the end of 2011, the ministry would have executed not less than 305 projects across the state.

He explained that these projects were community- based projects that could contribute to the economic and social development of the people of the state.

The Commissioner pointed out that 110 different projects were inaugurated in 110 communities in 2011. adding that the remaining 40 would be inaugurated in Akoko North West, Akoko North East, Ose and Ese-Odo local government areas.

Faboyede noted that over 100 projects executed under the quick win programme of the state would be inaugurated during  the second anniversary of the Olusegun  Mimiko administration.

According to him, the projects were executed after due consultation with the people of the communities where they were located.

“A major achievement of this administration is that we were able to take governance to the interior and inculcate the spirit of participatory governance in the people and this made them to see themselves as part of government”.

He said following the successful execution of the Training and Project Roll out 1 by government, it would move to the second phase of the roll out with execution of projects in five communities in 15 local government areas of the state.

Giving the breakdown of the N2.3 billion allocated for community development in the 2011 budget, the commissioner said N520 million would be used for the execution of the constituency projects of the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

Faboyede added that N500 million was earmarked for  counterpart funding of self help projects to be embarked upon by communities and the establishment of cluster micro based industries.