By Stanley Onyekwere
As part of ongoing efforts to improve the wellbeing of the citizenry, the FCT Administration has commenced the disbursement of Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (NG-CARES) funds to 14 beneficiary communities in the Territory.
The FCTA, through its Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) yesterday presented cheques to the first batch of beneficiary communities across the six Area councils to the tune of One hundred and forty-six million, four hundred and fifty-three thousand one hundred and three Naira (146,453,103.00) only.
The initiative is a World Bank designed to cushion the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents of the FCT and other participating states.
Performing the official presentation of the cheques to the beneficiary communities, having a total of 33 projects, FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said the program is leveraging the existing World Bank operations anchored on community-based approaches and structures.
Bello, who represented by his Chief of Staff, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, revealed that the FCT-CSDA formulated 14 Community Development Plans (CDP) for implementation of projects, comprising the rehabilitation of primary health care centers, drilling, rehabilitation and upgrading of boreholes and construction and rehabilitation of classrooms across the 6 Area Councils.
He noted that following the advance of N1.1 billion NG-CARES funds by the World Bank to FCT, the Administration has commenced subsequent disbursement of this fund to its various delivery platforms, namely FCT FADAMA, Abuja Enterprise Agency AEA), FCT Cash Transfer programme and the FCT-CSDA.
According to him, the objective of the program is to protect livelihoods and food security for poor and vulnerable families negatively impacted by the pandemic and facilitate the recovery of local economic activities.
He reiterated the resolve of the FCT Administration to continue to partner with various development partners with a view to achieving the vision of improving the wellbeing of people in the Territory.
“It is therefore imperative that the direct beneficiaries not only utilize them effectively but also ensure their functionality by owning and protecting them.
“ I therefore call on traditional and community leaders to the projects achieve the aims for which they were instill in the people this sense of ownership in ensuring that they conceived”, he stressed.
Also, the Minister commended the FCT-CSDA and the Economic Planning, Revenue Generation (EPRG) and PPP Secretariat for the diligence with which this programme is being implemented, while urging them not to relent in their efforts to ensure that it fully meets its objectives.
Earlier, the Secretary, Hon. Lukman Agboola Dabiri, EPRG and PPP Secretariat explained that the selection of the structural projects, followed series of meetings with beneficiary communities and authorities of the Area Councils, where they agreed on what they wanted.
He added that the beauty of the programme is that the projects are not done by us (the government), but the respective communities, so as to take full possession and owner.
On his part, the Etsu of Kwali in Kwali area council, HRH Alhaji (Dr) Audu Shaban Nizazo III described the implementation of the initiative a welcome development, as it will bring succour to the people especially rural dwellers.
The Monarch, who represented the Ona of Abaji, while commending the FCTA and its development partners for the initiative, made case for the sustenance and expansion of the programme.
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