By Friday Idachaba, Okene.
KOGI State Government has released over N1.6 billion to the state Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) for execution of micro projects across 80 communities in the state under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).
Chief Dauda Momoh, General Manager of the Agency disclosed this on Monday in Okene in his opening address to the on-going two-day capacity building and training for Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) members.
The General Manager said that each of the 80 communities had identified their most pressing needs and the Agency under its Community Driven Development (CDD) approach had approved the projects for execution with ceiling of N20 million for each project.
“We are going to do about 80 development plans and we are going to intervene in about 80 communities and it is going to be more than that. For now, we have 40 already being implemented and another 40 billed to start by the end of this month.
“The ceiling we have is about to N20 million per project. Some may be more, some less but averagely, N20 million in 80 places gives us about N1.6 billion to be disbursed directly to the communities aside logistics.
He said that the training workshop would span over one week with the first starting Monday to Tuesday adding that the second batch would start from Wednesday and to end on Thursday the final batch is to start on Friday to end on Saturday.
“This training is one that should be taken seriously. We are very much ready to deliver the dividends of democracy as we have been mandated by His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“I want to assure you that the resources to execute these projects is already with us. We are not going to wait for this or that. After this training procurement will be done and the flag off of the projects Will follow immediately”, he said.
Chief Dauda Momoh urged the CPMC members to take the assignment given to them as a call to serve humanity saying that if they did the right thing, posterity will be kind to them.
Immediate past Board Chairman of CSDA, Chief Raphael Okomoda Olorunfemi, in his goodwill message advised management and staff of the Agency to keep the good work going and continue to project the name of the agency.
According to him, when it comes to Project Execution or Project Management, the Agency ranks highest in the state.
He said that the presence of the Ohi of Ihima, Alhaji Ahmed Abdulraheem tent credence to the fact that communities and their traditional institution were being carried along in the CDD initiative of the agency’s interventions.
In his remarks, the Ohi of Ihima and Chairman Okehi Local Government Traditional Council commended the Agency for the achievements, touching lives at the grassroots in areas such as Education, Water, Health, Sanitation, Food and Shelter among others.
The traditional ruler said the United Nations based its development and poverty indices on these areas.
Communities represented at the training include Jakura, Apamaru, Oke-Offin, Ekinrin-Adde, Ayere, Aingidi Ofinran, and Isanlu-Esa. (Ends)