The essence of the Abia State Joint Team of Project Supervisors for Local Government Areas in the State was to ensure that funds allocated to LGAs for execution of project were actually utilized for those purposes, according to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sir Gabriel Onyendilefu.
While making the clarification in an exclusive interview with ABIA ONLINE,
Sir. Onyendiefu who noted that the Committee was to find out the extent of use of these funds in the projects they have undertaken to do.
He further clarified that contrary to insinuations that the inspection was a witch hunt, the Committee was set up to perform both corrective and advisory roles with particular reference to Local Government Areas that are not doing too well.
“In all the local govts we have visited, we had told them that the essence of this visit is not to witch hunt anybody rather it’s for us to find out to what use funds have been put to, what are your constraints?
Some of them have started some projects like in Umuahia South, they have started constructing a town hall for one of their communities; so we saw what they are doing, very quality work, then we found out that why the job is stopped is because of fund, so to that extent, what you are going to do is to let the government know, see this people have a very nice project but because of funds they have not been able to complete the project, then we will now ‘recommend them for more support.:
So it couldn’t be a witch hunt and also it is a corrective measure, where we see them not doing well, we advice them, this is what you should have done on this.”
The Commissioner in commending some TC Chairmen and their Local Government Areas for complying with the vision of the State Governor in terms of infrastructural provisions said he was impressed with the kind of projects being embarked upon by some Council bosses.
On the progress so far made in the project inspection and appraisal based on their observation, Sir Onyendilefu informed that his Committee had visited virtually all the Local Government Areas in the State and that projects being embarked upon are those that would have great impacts on lives of the people in the communities.
Hear him, “Honestly speaking, some of the projects they have undertaken currently, going on is grading of roads, you know what that means to our people. You know our area is agrarian, if the roads are not good, they cannot get their goods to the urban areas to sell them. So you find out that what we are doing in terms of road building is helping the people to have accessible road so that they can bring out their farm produce to the town.
“Most of them have drilled water boreholes, you know water is one of the most essential needs of life. The boreholes they have sunk have helped in reducing the issue of water scarcity in these areas. Some schools are rehabilitated to make sure that students, pupils are comfortable in those schools. So these projects have great impacts on the people.”
Onyendiefu who described his relationship with the traditional institution in the State as ‘very very cordial,’ argued that the his simple disposition has made him easily accessible by the royal fathers who themselves have confirmed that, “this is the first time they are having it so easy here especially meeting a Commissioner who is always on sit.”
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