By Joke Adeniyi-Jackson
The World Bank has approved funding for the construction of a block of three classrooms with office attachment and VIP toilet for Iyeru-Okin Special Needs School, Offa, Kwara State.
The project is estimated at N8.2million with the first tranche payment of N3, 884, 783.86 to be released on Monday (today).
The project, funded by the Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency (KWSCDA), is expected to commence immediately after the cheque presentation to the concerned Group Project Management Committee (GPMC).
This was disclosed by the General Manager of the agency, Engr.(Mrs) Amamat Oluwatoyin Haruna to newsmen, on the sideline of a two-day training for members of GPMC and Sub-committees of the Community and Social Development Project from Iyeru-Okin and Love and Care groups in Offa and Ilorin West local governments of Kwara State.
The training with the theme; “Role and responsibilities of the committee and sub committees on project management was held at the Folusho Hall, Sango, Ilorin, on Wednesday 31st July and Thursday 1st August, 2019.
According to the agency boss, the school, which is categorised under the vulnerable group, released a piece of land as its five per cent contribution towards the project.
“The Iyeru-Okin Special Needs School is duly registered under the Kwara State Ministry of Education. But, in the school, children with various disabilities are put together, which supposed not to be. So, they expressed their interest by writing letter for the support of government; they are asking for a block of three classrooms- office attachment, water and VIP toilet.
“So, when we now sent their Group Development Project down to Abuja, after the review, the approval was sent to us to fund the project that is why we now invited the GPMC for this training. The project when completed will aid learning of the vulnerable children,” the GM stated.
“For the vulnerable group, their contribution is five percent unlike for the communities, which is 10 percent. The vulnerable groups are given the concession because most of them do not even have the five percent; sometimes it is philanthropists or government that help them pay it,” she explained.
On essence of the training, she noted that it is for members of the GPMC to know how to implement their projects and manage it themselves, adding that it is also meant for capacity building for them to understand transparency and accountability.
