By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Kwara State government has flagged-off an N850 million Community Development Programme with presentation of a N165 million to beneficiary communities in the state.
Speaking at the project launch and cheque presentation to 41 communities at the Banquet Hall, Ilorin, the state Governor, Mr Abdulfatah Ahmed said the first tranche of the counterpart-funded disbursement was released to promote all round development at the grassroot level.
Represented at the ceremony by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr AbdulWahab Babatunde Yusuf, Governor Ahmed said the aim of the programme was to enable all the 193 wards across the state have improved access to infrastructural services that will bring about development.
Under the scheme, ward-based community associations receive N5 million to implement water, education, health, energy and other micro-projects on provision of a ten per cent contribution.
He recalled that the sum of N50 million was injected into Community Development Projects in the State in 2015 with additional budgetary provision of #200 million in 2016 to consolidate government commitment to the project.
“The presence of counterpart fund of N200 million as contained in the 2016 Appropriation allowed for further draw-down of over N670 million to scale up the implementation of projects across the state,” the Governor stated.
He urged the communities to make judicious use of the funds and ensure proper retirement of receipts so as to facilitate the release of the second and third tranches. The Governor stressed that his administration will continue to put in place strategies to ensure all round development in the state, especially at the grassroot level.
Mr Ahmed commended the State Community and Social Development Agency (KWCSDA) and the World Bank for their efforts at ensuring rural development in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Mr Wasiu Odewale said a total of 318 community micro projects have been implemented and are in use in different rural communities across the 16 LGAs in the state so far under the scheme
Adedapo Adesanya