The Chairman of the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission (ESLGSC), Mr. Samuel Abejide, has emphasized that protecting the social and economic rights of rural communities is largely dependent on how effectively developmental projects are managed and sustained.
He made the remark while declaring open a seminar themed *“Improving Effectiveness of Works, Services, and Maintenance in the Nigerian Local Government.”*
Mr Abejide who Spoke through the Commissioner in charge of Training and Manpower Development, Mr. Wole Olujobi noted that the seminar was designed to enhance transparency, accountability, efficiency in procurement and project execution across the local government areas in Ekiti State.
According to him, “Efficient project management is not just about completing tasks; it’s about ensuring that the rural poor—who often lack the empowerment to demand their rights—directly benefit from government interventions.”
Mr. Abejide also used the occasion to commend the exemplary leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, acknowledging his unwavering support for local government institutions and raising service delivery standards in the state.
He highlighted that rural communities remained the most vulnerable segments of society, and as such, failure to maintain public infrastructure directly threatens their access to essential services, critical components of their basic economic and social rights.
The chairman urged participants to approach the training with seriousness, describing it as a strategic tool for improving grassroots development and bridging the service gap between urban and rural areas.
The Permanent Secretary in the commission, Mrs Titilayo Toba-Ojo represented by Mr SA Familoye charged participants to regard the programme as a serious developmental opportunity, and not a leisure activity.
“Government has invested heavily in capacity building at the local government level. This training is designed to equip you with the necessary skills to function effectively and fulfil your responsibilities as 21st-century public servant, she said.
Earlier in an address, the resource person Barr. Tope Agunbiade emphasized that the local government remained the bedrock of grassroots development, highlighting that many community-based projects have either succeeded or failed due to management lapses or lack of urgency in execution.
He argued that meaningful development cannot occur unless existing infrastructure is properly maintained and new projects are executed effectively.
“The task of fashioning appropriate strategies for maintaining available services is a necessity, This seminar is a platform to critically discuss how to make works and services in local government meaningful and impactful.” he said
He reminded attendees that the seminar is meant to be an interactive discourse rather than a one-way lecture, and called for cross-fertilization of ideas, especially among civil engineers, procurement officers, and quantity surveyors, who are the key actors in public works and infrastructure.
A Director in the Works Department, Engr Adesoji Obaleye commended the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission (ESLGSC) under the leadership of Chief Samuel Abejide for facilitating a long-anticipated interactive session between Directors of Works and staff from the Works and Procurement Departments.
He also expressed appreciation to the Commission for creating a vital platform that fosters collaboration among key technical arms of the local government system.
“We’ve been clamouring for this opportunity for a very long time—an interaction between the Director of Works and the distinguished works staff, in collaboration with the procurement department. We are grateful for this unique opportunity.
Omolara Oladija
Director of information
