…Trains LG Chairmen, HLGAs, Desk Officers on Projects Implementation 

The Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA) has announced that the ongoing sixty-six micro-projects across communities in Oyo State have created 20,000 jobs for members of the communities that have skills in carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, electrical engineering among others.

According to Alhazan Rilwan, Project Public Relations Officer, this was disclosed by the Chairman, Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYCSDA), Hon. Abideen Adetokunbo Adeaga, at a-day capacity building workshop for Chairmen of the thirty-three Local Government Areas, the Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) and Desk Officers attached to OYCSDA’s micro-projects, where communities are implementing projects from the financial intervention of the agency.

While appreciating the State Governor,  Engr. Seyi Makinde, for releasing funds for the micro-projects, Adeaga clarified that the projects include construction or renovation of community health centers, provision of beddings, furniture and hospital equipment, construction or renovation of blocks of classrooms and toilets, teachers and students furniture and VIP toilets, drilling of boreholes, as well as, construction of culverts and line drainages to fight erosion.

“The sixty-six micro-projects that are currently ongoing in all the thirty-three local government areas of Oyo State, like those delivered before now, are source of joy for the people of these communities, because their worries on conducive learning environment for students and teachers, their fears of erosion, their headaches about lack of portable water and access to basic health care, are gone because the agency injected close to N18 million to each community for project intervention, which translated to wealth distribution and local institution empowerment.

“It is worthy to note that apart from these basic areas of felt-need interventions, the ripple effect that has been noted for record is that 20,000 jobs have been created for artizans in these communities.

“So, in this respect, we have to organize this capacity building training for the thirty-three local government Chairmen, the HLGAs and the Desk Officers attached to OYCSDA’s micro-projects, for them to know more about their responsibilities on the implementation of these developmental projects.”

In his remark, the Chairman, Lagelu Local Government, who spoke on behalf of other council Chairmen, said they were happy with the development in their respective local government areas where the projects were sited and promised to give their support to ensure the projects are delivered to time and standard is maintained.

The General Manager, OYCSDA, Mr Salau Jelili, pointed out that one of the essential principles of the World Bank-assisted programmes through the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) is synergy and collaboration among stakeholders and institutions, to achieve set goals, adding that the objectives of the workshop include empowering local government administrators with knowledge, skills and techniques to take charge of the development of their people.

He also spoke on the topic “OYCSDA: Success Story”, where he catalogued the achievements of the agency from the days of Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP), CSDP till the present era of NG-CARES.

The second resource person, a former Operations Manager of OYCSDA, Alhaji Amidu Adepoju, spoke on “The Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government Review Committee and The Local Government Authority in The Implementation of NG-CARES Projects”.

Special guests at the occasion included the State’s Commissioner for Finance, who is the Chairman Steering Committee on NG-CARES/OYO-CARES; Mr Akinola Ojo, who was represented by Mr Giwa Babatunde; the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde, who was represented by the Director, Resident Registration and Research; Mr. Salisu Olaonipekun and Mrs Ajose Alirat who represented the Auditor-General of Oyo State, Mr. Olatunji Daramola.