Effort by the present administration in the state to sustain its people-oriented and life-enriching programmes for rural dwellers has further yielded positive results with the completion of about 300 community initiated and managed micro projects valued at over N911 million.
Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada has commissioned the N47 million office complex for Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA).
The colourful ceremony to mark the commissioning of the ultra-modern one-storey administrative building sited along Ganaja road, Lokoja, afforded stakeholders in the rural development projects, the opportunity to confer awards on the state governor for his contribution towards transforming lives of grassroots dwellers.
The governor bagged the Award of Excellence in Rural Transformation and Good Governance by the Coalition of Community Project Management Committees (CCPM), a Certificate for Continuity by youths of Ganaja, Gadumo and Kogi Youth Orientation Alliance as well as the National Assembly House Committee on Rural Development Merit Award for North-Central Zones won by the agency recently.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Idris Wada described the construction of the office complex as a vital element required to ensure that the agency remains a virile and productive institution dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of the people.
He further disclosed that he was motivated to partner with the agency in view of the impact it was making on rural dwellers as well as its participatory approach which enables communities have a say in project identification and execution.
Captain Wada while thanking the groups for the awards, disclosed that the commissioning of about 300 Kogi CSDA projects would commence in May this year, just as he used the occasion to reiterate his administration’s resolve to contribute its quota towards sustaining the agency’s programmes in the state through the payment of the annual counterpart fund.
The governor then directed heads of administration at the local government level to adopt the community participatory approach as part of measures to enhance rural development while urging staff of the agency to take adequate care of the property.
Earlier, the Chairman Board of Kogi CSDA, Dr. Samuel Abdullahi appealed for sustained contributions from the state government to enable the over 900 communities across the state that have indicated interest in accepting support from the agency benefit from the on-going rural development programmes.
On his part, the General Manager of the Agency, Mr. James Odiba disclosed that to date, 287 community initiated and managed micro projects valued at over N911 million Naira supported by Kogi CSDA had been completed in various sectors of the economy.
Source: The Graphic
