Guardian

TRADITIONAL rulers in Ekiti State have commended the Federal Government over the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), describing the programme as laudable and worthy of support.

The traditional rulers, who expressed this opinion when the Chairman of the SURE-P State Implementation Committee, Rt. Hon. Femi Akinyemi led other members of the committee to their palaces, said if the State and Local Governments implement the programme as well as the federal government, poverty would soon become a thing of the past in the State.

The monarchs visited on Thursday included the Chairman of the State Council of Obas and the Owa-Ooye of Okemesi-Ekiti, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji; the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe; Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye; Alara of Aramoko, Oba Olu Adeyemi; and Alare of Are-Ekiti, Oba Boluwade Adebiyi.

Both Alaaye of Efon, Oba Emmanuel Adejare and Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Oba Ajewole were not on seat when the committee visited.

Receiving the SURE-P delegation in his palace in Okemesi-Ekiti, Oba Gbadebo Adedeji said the SURE-P was capable of reducing poverty among the people as well as crime in the state if well implemented.

He commended the State Implementation Committee for carrying the traditional rulers and stakeholders in the state along in the programme implementation.

Also addressing the committee in his palace, the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adejugbe urged company owners to take advantage of the Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) by registering their companies so as to be able to provide employment for graduates in the state.

Oba Adejugbe, who also lauded the Federal Government for initiating the programme, described the State Implementation Committee members as men and women of integrity that can be relied on for proper implementation of the programme.

Responding, the State Implementation Committee Chairman, Femi Akinyemi assured that all interested Ekiti youths would benefit in the programme irrespective of political party affiliation.

He said the committee was meeting the traditional rulers as part of its sensitisation exercise and to enable them have input into the community services to be rendered by the SURE-P beneficiaries.

The delegation included the State Implementation Committee Vice-Chairman and National Directorate of Employment (NDE) State Coordinator, Dr. (Mrs) Abimbola Oni, representatives of the three senatorial districts in the state, Hon. Tosin Aluko (Central), Hon. Kayode Ogunsaki (South) and Hon. Dare Olasebikan (North).