By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

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Ondo State House of Assembly has stressed the need for the Management of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to continue to take innovative steps and look inward in adding more value to the State for overall development.
The House Committee on Public Utilities and Transport emphasised this during a visit to the State Electricity Board, State Power Company and the State Agency for Transport.
The Committee led by its Chairman, Towase Kuti pledged to continue to support good initiatives and workable ideas towards strengthening the system.
At the State Electricity Board, the lawmakers called for more collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure increase in power supply in the state and the need to also strengthen the department in charge of street lights.
While acknowledging the giant strides of the present administration in rural electrification, the Committee advised the Board to explore Public Private Partnership to get better results.
During a visit to the State Power Company, the lawmakers commended the success recorded within the shortest time, noting that they did not regret passing the new electricity law.
According to them, people desired to get adequate and affordable power supply for the socio- economic development of the state, hence the need for the company to ensure that every community benefits from the service rendered.
They charged them not to limit its partnership, in order to make services competitive, thereby making power supply affordable to the masses, improve the economic prospects of the State as well as ensuring efficiency in the sector.
In their remarks at the State Agency for Transport, the Parliamentarians gave kudos to the Management for their mode of operations, including bringing sanity to parking of vehicles in the state.
They however charged the Agency to ensure that the School shuttle buses begin operation as soon as possible, adding that they will soon hold meeting with relevant Agencies on the need to curb the unauthorized usage of special number plates and covering of number plates.
Earlier, the General Manager of the State Electricity Board, Stephen Fadoju while reeling out the activities, achievements and challenges of the Board, informed that it has recently distributed over 27 transformers of different capacities across the state, re activated damaged ones and maintaining power supply in places within its schedule
The Managing Director, State Power Company, Williams Abe who explained that the company has engaged new investors and touched several communities in terms of power generation within the shortest time of passing the state electricity law, assured that the state will soon be a major player in the area of Mini-grid, covering 75 percent of the state to enhance productivity.
Also, the Permanent Secretary State Agency for Transport, Kayode Ogundele said that the Agency is in partnership with Private sectors in actualising its goals and objectives, evident in the revenue performance.
He hinted that efforts are on top gear to ensure that the Shuttle buses commence operations across the state, pledging that the Agency would always deliver on its mandate.