By Adoye Iyalla, Port Harcourt
In a bid to have proper planning and development, the Rivers State Government has commissioned the first ever State-Wide baseline study of the State. While briefing newsmen on Friday at the Ministry of Justice Auditorium, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Gogo Levi Charles said the study will include Streetscape and Infrastructural Survey, Property Identification Exercise, Land Use Survey and Socio-Economic Survey. Charles stated that the surveys will enable all interested parties, especially government agencies, Ministries, Parastatals and local government authorities to have up-to-date information for development planning.
He pointed out that the State wide baseline will last for four-weeks and would ensure that infrastructural need of the communities,which will then be taken into account in all areas of governance and will provide necessary information for efficient, functional and sustainable State.
‘’We want to move the state from the regime of unplanned development. We want to adopt a people-centred development approach through this baseline study. Government by this action wants the people of the state to take ownership of our programmes and development projects. The enumerators working on the baseline study will get direct information the people and we want to encourage our people to cooperate with them’’, he said.
According to the Budget and Planning boss while fielding questions from journalists , the present administration led by Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has made laudable and immense progress in the living condition of the people through developmental projects in virtually all sectors of the State.
He opined that Housing and Socio-economic survey will focus on 10 percent of the households in the State, whilst the other surveys will be 100 percent coverage saying when completed the report will be available for all stakeholders. He used the forum to urged residents of the State to embrace the enumerators into the communities and provide information requested.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the baseline study 2012, Governor Amaechi said his second term will be devoted to ensuring that every part of the State is developed for citizens and residents to maximize the socio-economic opportunities in the State. “As government, the outcome of the studies will help us and also provide empirical basis for us to execute our programmes in education, housing, industrialization, health, transportation, environment and other key areas,’’ the governor said.
