OKONTA EMEKA
A one-day sensitization and implementation progress meeting with stakeholders in Local Government system has ended in Awka, with a call on Chief Executives of the 20 participating Local Governments, in the Fadama III Project, to see themselves as key players that would facilitate the success of the Project at the community level.
Declaring the meeting open, the Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Godson Ezenagu, noted that the meeting was expected to foster a more robust collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Local Government, in the implementation of this pro-poor and people-centered Project.
Chief Ezenagu contended that the Project would provide finance, technical assistance, training, equipment and other institutional support to the participating Local Governments.
Such scenario, he added would likely lead to innovations in the Local Governments’ planning programme and improvement in good governance and organizational capacity of the Local Governments.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government, Mr Dubem Obaze, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Maxi Onyekwelu, said that the meeting has cleared all the doubts and misunderstandings, about the Project, in both the Ministry and the Local Government system.
He urged the Fadama Desk Officers to endeavour to close the perceived communication gap between them and the Heads of Local Government Administration.
In a welcome address, the State Project Coordinator, Mr. Chudi Mojekwu, stated that Fadama III Project is expected to revolutionize the economy of our rural communities.
Within the life span of the Project, Mr. Chudi Mojekwu said that each of the participating Local Governments would receive a minimum of N 50 million in direct investment, adding that the incomes of about 45, 000 households are expected to increase by 60% in all the 20 participating Local Governments.
The Coordinator recalled that so far, over N 80 million has been disbursed for implementation of 167 subprojects in 56 communities, adding that three of such subprojects and 16 Input Support have been completed, within four months, while the rest are at varying and satisfactory levels of completion. He hinted that funds disbursement is being scaled-up in order to increase subprojects completion/implementation rate.
On the allegation by some Local Government bosses that they are not properly informed about Fadama III in the State, Mr. Mojekwu told them that operations in the Project are open and transparent and they should demand for any information from both the Desk Officers and the State Office.
A Consultant to the Project, Prof. Michael Madukwe, who presented three papers, reminded the Local Government Chief Executives that they remain the catalyst for the success of Fadama III Project in the State. He told them that aside from asking questions, they should help some of the groups, especially the vulnerable ones, pay their counterpart contributions, as well as make out time to go to the field, monitor and supervise the subprojects being executed in their areas.
Prof. Madukwe said that they should capitalize on such areas like small scale community-owned infrastructure and asset acquisition for individual groups, where the Bank would provide 90% and 70% matching grants, respectively, and write their names on the sands of time.
In a vote of thanks, the Head of Local Government Administration, Awka South, Engr. Davidson Nweke, thanked Governor Peter Obi for his unconditional passion for the Project and expressed happiness that the meeting has thrown more light about the implementation strategy and operations in the Project.
Discussions, questions and answers that followed later, thrashed a lot of thorny issues that were raised, to the satisfaction of all the participants.
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