World bank project: Oyo state government pays counterpart fund, says Governor Makinde
World bank project: Oyo state government pays counterpart fund, says Governor Makinde
Segun Showunmi in Ibadan.
The Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has disclosed that his government promptly paid the counterpart fund for Development Partners-backed Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) to ensure accelerated development of the rural communities in the state.
Penpushing reports that the Governor made this known in a a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, on Wednesday which was made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The Governor, while speaking at the inauguration of the Project Monitoring and Technical Steering Committee, at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, said that the sum of N350million was paid two months into his tenure in office to facilitate the project.
Penpushing further reports that,the project, which was instituted in April 2016, had remained moribund as a result of the failure of the state to pay the 12 per cent counterpart fund required by the Development Partners including the World Bank, the French Development Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), among others.
“When we came in, we met the RAAM Project almost moribund because Oyo State couldn’t pay its own counterpart fund. Within two and half months of our administration, we provided the counterpart fund and we were able to get the project back on track’, Makinde said
Penpushing also reports that,the project, which was meant to construct, rehabilitate and maintain over 1000 kilometres of rural roads across 33 Local Government Areas and 35 Local Council Development Areas of the state is aimed at linking the state’s Agro-logistic hubs for
economic and social development.
The Governor said that the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is aimed at improving the standard of living of rural dwellers, ease access to transportation and enhance rural participation in economic development.
“I want to congratulate the members of the committee… As a member of this committee, one thing we want to ensure is that quality is maintained. We don’t want situation like in the past whereby roads and critical infrastructure are constructed and before that administration will even leave office, the infrastructure would have got to a total state of decay and you will know that within a very short time, you won’t see those infrastructure again.
“A case in point is that we went to Eruwa this time last week, the road from Ologuneru to Eruwa, they are still working on it, it is yet to get to the final point at Eruwa, but we saw many sections of the road that have failed already. That is not what we want, quality has to be maintained.”
Penpushing also reports that earlier in his address, the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) coordinator, Dr. Moses Ayanlowo, said the project was aimed at internationalising the capacity and culture for coordination, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of rural road networks that will ensure an all year-round accessibility to farms and agro-logistic centres and markets.
The coordinator appreciated the Makinde-led administration for paying the counterpart funds, which he said had debarred the State. from benefiting from the RAAMP since 2016, noting that the project will bring profitable agricultural enterprise to the State
Penpushing reports that in his response, the Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, who also doubles as the Vice Chairman (Administration) for the steering committee, Hon. Ojemuyiwa Ojekunle, said the relaunching of the RAAMP was an indication of the1 current administration’s commitment to the agricultural sector, adding that the initiative would encourage more investments in agribusiness and alleviate poverty for rural dweller’s
