Business
Commissioner Assures On SEEFOR Project
The Commissioner for Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon. Charles Okaye, has reiterated the commitment of his Minitry to ensure that the objective of the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) project is achieved.
Hon. Okaye made this known while receiving a delegation of World Bank led by the Task Team Leader ( TTL) Mr. Jens Kristensen, who announced that the European Union has already provided $20m of the $100m grant for the project.
The Commissioner whose Ministry is in charge of the Community Driven Development (CDD) component of the project, said his Ministry has completed part of the preliminary implementation stage and is currently waiting for funds to continue.
He stated that he is working closely with the State Coordinator, Mr. Kelcious Amos, to ensure that the project objectives are achieved.
Hon. Okaye further stated that only local government that meets stipulated requirements for the project implementation in their LGAs will be selected aa beneficiaries.
In an earlier address, the TTL told the Commissioner that they were in the State to assess the level of preparedness of the State for the take-off of the project in 2013.
Mr. Kristensen informed the Commissioner that $20m additional financing grant from European Union $100m grant for the project is now available for the State. He said that they were in the state to assess the level of preparedness of the various components of the project.
He advice the Commissioner to work with his team to prepare a proposal on how the additional fund will support CDD activities in the State.
He pointed out that the State can provide fund for the effectiveness of the project, pending when the National Assembly will approve his borrowing plan of the project, stressing that the fund will be deducted from the project fund soon as disbursement is made by the Bank.
He emphasised the need for a learning tour for CDD implementing officers to States where they already have Community and Social Development Project, CSDP, to enable them have foundation on how the CDD component of the project will be implemented.
In his remark, the Project Coordinator, Mr. Amos informed the team that the Ministry has been very supportive of the project.
He informed the team that the component made remarkable achievement in their preparation, adding that the only challenge they are facing is the disbursement of cash to fund their programmes.