Kwara rural communities charged on accountability, transparency
Rural communities in Kwara State have been called upon to make accountability and transparency their watchwords to further boost community development in the state and to encourage government to do more at the grassroots.
The state Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Alhaji Wasiu Odewale gave this call in Ilorin yesterday during the opening ceremony of training workshop of another 9 communities who are about to benefit from KWCSDP.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Comrade Olaitan Adefila reminded participants that the project which is government initiative is implemented through communal efforts which Africans value most and in accordance with the decisions of community members, during Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), on their needs assessment.
While assuring the gathering of government’s commitment to further buy in to the projects by making available funds needed to implement their choice project, Odewale added that gone are the days when government do the thinking, choice and implementation of rural projects, urged beneficiaries not to betray the trust reposed in them by expending the funds judiciously.
Declaring the workshop open, the Commissioner congratulated the beneficiaries in advance of their cheque presentation, urging participants to be attentive during all the sessions, to acquire the needed knowledge, on project implementation.
Welcoming participants to the training, the Acting General Manager, Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency, Alhaji Yahaya Ahmed explained that the purpose of the training is to enlighten them on the procedures to be followed in project implementation, as it will give participants insight on dos and don’ts of the project.
Ahmed who appreciates the state government for being favourably disposed to the provision of infrastructural facilities to rural communities, in order to uplift their standard of living, implored participants to pay rapt attention to the training.
One of the participants from Bayagan-Ile community Mallam Mohammed Yusuf thanked government on behalf of other participating communities, for its efforts at ensuring community development, for the betterment of the people at the grass root.
Communities invited for trainings in view of the above are; Akuo Gaa, Dada, Maako, Kpilegi, Gbale, Yawu, Wadata, Sagbonyin and Bayagan-Ile in Moro, Edu, Baruten and Ifelodun Local Government Area respectively.