As part of moves by the Dr. Kayode Fayemi administration in Ekiti State to carve a niche for the state, the government has unveiled an integrated digital media channel to interact with the world and showcase the state’s hidden treasures, Raheem Akingbolu reports.
At the beginning, Ekiti people were known more for their desire for knowledge and an avowed belief in integrity as a tool for positioning. But since the last few years, the state with the moniker, ‘Land of Honour and Fountain of Knowledge’, suddenly became a house of commotion as a result of various political crises. Then the perception changed and its uniqueness became the subject of controversy. As a result, the brand equity of Ekiti State was eroded and its promoters became confused on how best to launder its image.
But on October 15, 2010, a new chapter was opened in the state, following the swearing in of Dr. Kayode Fayemi as governor of the state after a Court of Appeal in Ilorin ousted former Governor Segun Oni. With this development, peace returned to the state but the negative perception about the state stayed glue to it.
For Fayemi, who had appeared like a redeemer, expectations from the public was high as many were eager to see the magic wand he would deploy to rewrite the name of the state. In the last 505 days of being in charge of governance in the state, the chief executive seems to have reached out to stakeholders within and outside to promote a better picture of the state.
As part of the measures to achieve this, last year, his administration unveiled a new logo, which was heralded with many activities, aimed at telling the world the origin and values inherent in the people of the state. Also, last week in Ado Ekiti, the administration reached another milestone by launching a new digital channel, through which it plans to interact with the world and project the state.
Speaking at the occasion, Fayemi said he decided to come out with the initiative as a result of the need by the people to be at par with current trends in the world. According to him, “As a people, Ekitis are known for transparency and sophistication and we think it is the right time for us to raise the bar for our website to be multimedia website that would serve as a bank for any individual seeking to know anything about our people and the government.”
The governor also stated that part of the reasons for the digital channel was to create a platform that would make governance accessible to the people and make an impact on today’s generation. In the day-to-day running of government, the governor disclosed that his administration has deployed ICT in the operations of the board of internal generated revenue, which has made it possible to jack up the state IGR in many folds. He also stated that the same approach has been extended to payroll management.
On why he was encouraged to improve on the website, the governor disclosed how the Nigerian Governors’ Forum rated Ekit third among the entire 36 states that operate a rich website with a lot of information. Lagos and Cross River were said to be Nos 1 and 2 respectively.
To sustain the digital culture, Fayemi said the state has entered partnership with Samsung West Africa to supply solar laptop computers for secondary school students.
Also speaking on the new initiative, the president of Dymore Vision Consulting Limited (the firm that developed the channel), Dr. Anderson Uvie-Emegbo, commended the pro-activeness of the governor’s team and urged other government agencies in the country to emulate it.
Uvie-Umegbo, who disclosed that Ekiti rated second among the 20 most visited sites in Nigeria, said what the state launched was not just a website but a multimedia platform to feed the world anything that needs to be known about the state.
Earlier, special adviser to the governor on Infrastructure and Public Utility, Mr. Kayode Jegede, called on Ekiti people at home and in the Diaspora to begin to interface with the platform, so as to be able to offer advice and know the level of development in the state.
This article was first published in THIS DAY newspaper on March 11, 2012.
Last modified: March 12, 2012