Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (Kogi CSDA) has been commended for raising the bar in community development.
Governor Yahaya Bello gave the commendation on Saturday at the inauguration of some completed micro projects assisted by Kogi CSDA.
Governor Bello, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Edward David Onoja, said the projects were in line with his administration’s New Direction agenda with a knack to open up the rural areas for socio-economic growth.
He described the agency as a veritable vehicle driving his administration’s rural development programs, adding that he would continue to accord it the priority attention it deserves.
Bello applauded the agency for its visionary projects which has availed the state government the opportunity to address the infrastructural needs of the rural dwellers and bridge the deficit in various sectors in the state.
He said the agency was not just adding more values to human dignity but also sustaining the developmental strides of the current administration in the state.
He said the impact of the interventions by the agency was a step forward in the effort of the state to reinvigorate and strengthen service delivery to the rural dwellers.
He reiterated that his government was based on values and would strive to provide leadership for all segments of the society at all times.
Bello said without any iota of doubt, the rural development stride of the agency had improved the lives of the rural dwellers in the state.
Projects commissioned by the governor include the inauguration of a 500KVA transformer at Agbeji-ojimele community, construction and furnishing of a skills acquisition centre and construction of power borehole at Efekpe community.
Other projects commissioned were an ultra-modern skills acquisition centre and an ultra-modern multipurpose hall at Emonyoku – Ochaja – Ogugu, named in honour of the late mother of the governor, Hajia Hauwau Oziohu Bello, in addition to a furnished health clinic sited in Ileke Emonoja.
The governor who was visibly elated with the speed and quality of the project said it was an indicator of his administration’s determination to meet the yearnings of the people of the state.
Bello pledged his administration’s continuous support to the Agency through regular funding and the political will-power to deepen participatory governance, and implement more desirable projects for communities in the state.
While reassuring that the state remains committed to sustain the goals recorded so far, governor Bello urged beneficiaries of the projects to protect and sustain them.
He particularly charged youths of the communities to take ownership of the projects, warning them to be wary of “palliative looters”.
Gov. Bello expressed appreciation and gratitude to the communities, who came out in their droves to witness the events, for their support and cooperation for his administration, and further pledged his continuous commitment to delivering more dividends of democracy in the state.
Earlier, the General Manager, Kogi CSDA, Mallam Dauda Momoh, explained that the goals of the World Bank assisted agency was geared towards providing the basic social amenities to the rural dwellers and their communities.
Malam Momoh praised the present administration in the state for its commitment towards the overall improvement of basic needs and infrastructure to the most vulnerable citizens of the state.
Momoh maintained that the state government was leveraging on the structure of the agency to mitigate poverty and hunger in the land, and replacing it with life-changing amenities. He said this was in tandem with the overall goal of the CSDP which is to improve access to services for human development.
The GM explained that the projects were identified and specified by the stakeholders of respective host communities without interference from the agency, adding that it only supports communities to achieve such.
“These projects are initiated by the communities. It is not the request of the agency to the community. We neither force projects nor preferred service providers on benefitting communities,’’ he said.
He reiterated that the CSDA had at least two micro projects in every community with the amount not exceeding N10 million, saying the commitment of any community is a contribution of 10 per cent while the Agency paid the remaining 90 per cent of the project total cost.
According to him, “the essence of the 10 per cent from communities is just for them to show commitment and taking ownership of those projects. The projects belong to them and they must maintain it, otherwise.”
In their separate remarks, the people of the communities expressed appreciation to the governor for finding them worthy for the provisions, promising to protect and preserve them. They also assured him of their constant support for his administration.
