Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Tuesday said his administration was partnering the World Bank to check perennial flooding in parts of the state.

Fayemi said this when he inspected the channelisation projects and gully erosion control work at Ikere-Ekiti and other project sites.

The governor said the state government was partnering the World Bank through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEW-MAP).

He said that the erosion control projects were being accorded attention to ensure their completion before the rainy season.

According to him, this is to checkmate the massive flooding usually experienced in the areas.

Other projects visited by the governor were channelisation of Aiya I and II Gully Erosion Control Work in different parts of Ikere, including the 2.6km Bisi Aloba – Adun Ogbon channelisation project.

He also visited the newly completed Ajolagun Bridge as well as Afao-Oreibu community gully erosion control projects.
The governor said the World Bank was also monitoring the projects to ensure quality work and timely delivery and expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done by the contractors.

Fayemi also inspected the Ekiti Cargo and Passenger Airport project site and assured the people that the project would be inaugurated before he leaves office in October.

“I have said repeatedly that we would work till the last day in office and whatever it takes for us to deliver on the promises we have made to our people, we would do that.

“This network of roads and channelisation for erosion management in Ikere is just one aspect of that.
“If you have seen all the places we have been to, it is a network that takes care of all the flooding issues that we have been having in this large community here in Ekiti South.

“I am sure that the contractors will finish the work on time and of course, we are mindful of the rains but we still have quite a bit of time.

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“You can see that by the time they link all the channelised areas and resurfaced the roads and the drains, it should be finished by March latest and rain would not have taken over at that time.

“So, the communities would no longer be under the threat of being submerged by water. That is what we are trying to address here with this erosion management project,’’ he said.

On the cargo airport project, he said: “This was the agreement we had that this project would be finished, the runway, the terminal building, the taxi way, the access
road to the airport, control tower, everything will be ready.

“And the professionals will not sign up to a contract if they are not sure they can finish it and you heard what they are doing with the runway alone which had now gone to 2.3km out of the 3.2km.

“This is the most critical part of the job,’’ he said.

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Fayemi was accompanied on the inspection by the NEW-MAP Project Coordinator, Dr Akinyemi Akinyugba, and Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Iyabo Fakunle-Okhiemen.(NAN)