By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State is to commission 100 Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme micro projects in the 21 Local Government Areas as part of activities to mark his 100 days in office.
Chief Dauda Momoh, general manager of the state Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) disclosed this at the on-going week-long training of the Community and Group Project Management Committees(CPMC) at Okene.
He said that the NG-CARES Programme being midwived by the State Government under the CSDA, was aimed at assuaging the economic challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 Pandemic among communities.
Chief Dauda Momoh said that the micro projects were part of measures aimed at enhancing access to basic infrastructures at community levels.
On the training, the General Manager said it was meant to build the capacities of the Project Management Committees and empower them in areas of project supervision, monitoring, evaluation, financial management, procurement, documentation and record keeping.
According to him, the new administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is poised to ensure the provision of basic amenities, facilities and services in rural communities as well as among Gender and Vulnerable Groups in the state.
The General Manager commended the immediate past governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for laying a solid foundation for seamless and smooth transition and continuity devoid of hitches.
Momoh identified the areas of intervention to include Health and Social Services, Education, Water and Sanitation and Nutrition Services adding that the micro projects include renovation as well as construction of Clinics.
Others are: Provision of Clinic Equipment and Drugs, Renovation and Construction of Schools, Construction of ICT Centers, Provision of Desks and Instructional Materials, Supply of Books, Renovation and Construction of Libraries.
The list also includes Water projects in the form of provision of Motorized Boreholes, Water Reticulation and schemes reactivation with other forms of support for communities and groups.
According to the General Manager, some communities are being supported with enhancement of their nutrition adding that the nutrition sector intervention ranges from Sensitization, Provision of Supplements and a Nutrition Support Center.
It is expected that about 300 Project Management Committee members of 40 communities drawn from across the three senatorial districts of the state would have been adequately grounded to properly handle the approved micro projects.
The training which is being conducted in three batches with 13 communities in a batch of 91 participants had the first from Monday to Tuesday with the second scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday while the last batch is for Friday and Saturday.
The General Manager said that the 100 community micro projects with eight-week time frame for execution, would soon be flagged and are expected to be completed and ready for the governor to inaugurate as part of his 100 Days In Office, in May.
Chief Dauda Momoh charged the participants to take the training seriously with full understanding of the modalities and processes and advised them to be good ambassadors of their various communities.