By: Obinna Moses, Umuahia
Abia State Government has stated it’s determination to embark on Community Development Projects as part of measures in rebuilding agenda of Governor Alex Chioma Otti led Labour party government in the State.
This cheering news was dropped by the Commissioner for Information and Culture,Prince Okey Kanu Monday evening at Government House, Umuahia while briefing newsmen on outcome of State Executive Council weekly meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Hon Commissioner for Information and Culture further said that Abia State will embark on Community Development programme, tagged,” Community choose your Projects”
The Commissioner, who spoke along side the Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, Rev. Father Christian Anokwuru said that government officials would tour the communities and see the projects chosen. He said, the projects to be done would be chosen by the benefiting communities and not the government , adding that the project would not be more than 15 Million Naira for a project while the community would make a 5 percent financial contribution to the project.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, Rev. Father Christian Anokwuru said interested communities in the Abia -CSDA project would be expected to apply with community letter headed paper for any project of their choice
The Special Adviser said the projects would be co- owned by government and the benefiting community .
Rev Father Anokwuru pointed out that every interested Community
in the State should apply as new projects would be selected , built and commissioned. He maintained that , the prospective community must have a bank account through which the project funds would be transacted .
In another development, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu noted that a total of six roads have been commissioned in Aba by Governor Alex Otti, assuring that more will soon be commissioned as some other roads are under construction in the area.
He said that serious work was ongoing on the Aba – Port harcourt axis of the Enugu – Port harcourt express way ,adding that one end of the road would be ready for use by the end this month. He added that Julius Berger has commenced work at the Port-harcourt road Aba
Kanu also revealed that Abia State Government has extended verification exercise for public servants and pensioners to two weeks in order to allow those yet to complete their registration to do so.
Abia State Government therefore has directed the 11,479 individuals who are yet to participate or complete their verification exercise to utilize the grace period to get verified or be yanked off from the payroll of government.
Prince Kanu, who noted that some workers did not turn up for the exercise, implored those in this category to use the next two weeks of the extension to complete their registration .
Also contributing, the Senior Special
Assistant,SSA to the Governor on Special Duties, Dr. Mrs. Berthy Emeka Obasi revealed that 62,479 public servants including pensioners have been verified while some did not turn up or did not complete the exercise.
According to her, “we set up a verification committee. We picked people from the State Civil Service, the Local Government, the pensions board,the parastatals, organised Labour ;NLC, TUC, ICPC, just to make sure that what we are doing is credible “
Dr. Obasi further explained that, “some started and could not complete because something was obviously wrong with them being part of the system. So, what we have started to do is to put out that 11,479 people, those that could not complete and those that did not start the verification at all at their various MDAs and Parastatal , their institutions, pensions board, their names will be there . And what it means, is if you’ve been yanked off the system, you could go back there, look through, if your name is there, you could see the reasons why you did not qualify to be those that were fully verified “
The SSA to the Governor added that those affected should go to the desk office created at the Ministry of Finance premises for corrections or making cases. According to her, data of those who are verified have been sent to the heads of their establishments.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Kazie Uko was part of the government officials at the press briefing.
