Three LGs Selected For MDGs Pilot Scheme

Three local government councils in Enugu State have been selected among the 113 council areas in the country to participate in the pilot programmes of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Conditional Grant Scheme.

Disclosing this last Wednesday, while briefing newsmen  at the end of the meeting of the State Economic Planning Commission in Enugu, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks  Ugwoke,  named the three council areas as  Aninri, Igbo-Etiti and Isi-Uzo.

According to him, the commission had already  given its approval for their participation in projects on education, water supply, health-care and agriculture, adding that the projects are to be funded through co-financing arrangement by the federal, state and benefiting local governments in the ratio of 50 per cent, 30 and 20 per cent, respectively.

The commissioner further disclosed that during the meeting, all   the  17 local government council chairmen in the state approved direct deduction of N250,000.00 each from their allocation to support the Rangers International Football Club of Enugu.

The Chairmen, Mr. Ugwoke went on, made the commitment to help ensure timely release of money for the continued progress and improved performance of the players in both national and international competitions.

He also stated that the commission used the occasion to implore the council areas to continue to ensure that the state and local governments pay their contributions promptly to sustain the free maternal and child health care programme in the state.

The commission, he said, also urged the council chairmen to ensure prompt deduction and remittance of taxes collected to the relevant tax authorities and reconcile the status of commitments to ensure appropriate compliance, pointing out that the commission further approved the release of money for the completion of the local government audit building at Independence Layout, Enugu.

His words: “The state ministry of works has been directed to assess the extent of work required after which the cost will be shared between the seventeen council areas in the state”.

Mr. Ugwoke also revealed that the council chairmen used the occasion to give an update on the pace of work in the on-going road projects they are executing in partnership with the state government and applauded government’s delivery of good governance and amenities in the rural areas.

They, therefore, expressed happiness that the 29 kilometer Ugwuogo-Nike – Neke – Ikem – Isi-Uzo road projects earth work has been done up to one kilometer to the council headquarters at Ikem , the commissioner added.