By Oyintokoni Joel , Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, has said that the Prosperity Government remains committed to meeting its counterpart funding obligations towards driving critical development projects and programmes in the state.
Dr. Akpe stated this on Tuesday when officials of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Programme (RAAMP), paid him a courtesy visit in Government House, Yenagoa.
He reaffirmed the Governor Douye Diri-led administration’s resolve to prioritise infrastructural development, especially in the area of road and bridge construction to ensure connectivity across the length and breath of the state despite its challenging terrain.
Dr. Akpe, who noted that government’s approach to development was the adoption of strategic partnerships in executing key projects in Bayelsa, maintained that such collaborations had yielded positive results
Acknowledging the role of RAAMP for creating access to rural communities through road construction and improving agricultural business, he said the initiative would also complement government’s drive to connect the hinterlands to the capital city thus boosting socio-economic activities.
The Deputy Governor used the opportunity to call on RAAMP and other development partners running counterpart-funded programmes to consider the difficult terrain of Bayelsa in their budgeting and project planning to ensure equity and fairness.
His words: “One of the approaches the Prosperity Government has adopted in its scheme of things is partnership; we are partnering with well-meaning organizations, institutions and individuals. And it has been yielding dividends because we understand the importance of partnership in executing laudable projects and programmes such as yours.t
“So, it is not news to us that we are among the states that have met the criteria set for this particular programme. You have listed a lot of conditions we have fulfilled and just very few areas that we are yet to meet.
“But I want to assure you that we will also take care of those areas including the counterpart funding you mentioned. So, you should not be afraid of that at all. I also want to assure you that our officials are very well experienced and of high integrity.
“As a government, we take the construction of roads very important. That is one of the areas we give priority attention to. We are building roads and bridges across big rivers, rivulets and swamps.
“And you know that our terrain is a very interesting one. But we are determined to conquer it. So, you have to take that into consideration because most of the time, when you run your budget, or make your project plans and expenditure, you don’t take cognizance of the terrain.
“Nevertheless, we are building major roads across the creeks to link local govt headquarters and that is opening up our state for agriculture and business.
“Your RAAMP Project is to take the roads to our farms. I believe that will boost or complement what we are already doing. And that is why we are jumping at it.”
Earlier in his remarks, the team lead, Mr Chinedu Olisah, announced a total sum of 600 million dollars as donor funds available for distribution amongst states in the country that will meet the conditionalities for participation in the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Programme (RAAMP).
According to him, out of the 600 million dollars, 500 million dollars was from the World Bank, while 100 million dollars would come from the federal government.
Mr Olisah, who is the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of RAAMP, commended the state government for the criteria it has fulfilled so far, including the constitution of boards of the Bayelsa State Rural Access Roads Authority (RARA) and Bayelsa State Road Fund (SRF).
He, however, appealed to the state government for the provision of a take-off grant to enable the state RARA office discharge its responsibilities effectively.
Mr Olisah also suggested that the Bayelsa RARA office should be merged with that of the SRF office, and stressed the need for government to meet its counterpart funding.
