From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The partnership between the World Bank, Federal and Kogi State Governments for intervention in rural infrastructure development has gulped over N3.2 billion since inception.
Mallam Momoh Dauda, General Manager of Kogi Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) disclosed this at a two-day training organised by for Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) members on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Our Correspondent reports that the participants were drawn from benefiting communities across the 11 focal Local Government Areas of the state.
The General Manager said that the money was expended on critical sectors in rural communities with a bid to reducing the poverty situation in rural communities in a sustainable manner using the Community Driven Development approach.
He explained that the sectors of intervention include Water provision, Education, Health care, Electricity, Social Economy, Environment and transport.
Dauda who was represented by the Mrs Berida Ebunola, the Acting Manager, Finance and Administration said the training was put together by the Agency to train the CPMC members on elementary knowledge of project management and basic book keeping principles.
This, he said, was to ensure that the community projects were implemented in line with the Community Development Plan.
The General Manager, said that the Agency was also funding specialised interventions for Gender and Vulnerable Groups component designed to ensure that Gender and Vulnerable groups were mainstreamed in the activities of the community.
He maintained the main objective of the Gender and Vulnerable component was to give voice to the voiceless in the community and the society at large.
Dauda urged benefitting communities to ensure sustainability of the project after completion as he explained the need for the domestication of the CDD policy at all levels for rapid development at affordable cost.
He also posited that the Expression from communities was increasing daily adding that only 20 per cent of the requests had so far been attended to.
The GM applauded the support of the State Government to the project and informed participants that as demonstration of the support, the State Governor recently approved the release of 200million as the state contribution for the 2018 and 2019.
He advised communities to reciprocate governments commitments by maintaining the micro-projects when completed to the greater good of the communities.
