Minister to monitor budget implementation in area councils
From Terhemba Daka, Abuja
FOLLOWING reports of alleged decay in the system, the Minister of State in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Chuka Odom will, from Thursday this week, embark on tour of all the six area councils in the territory to assess the ongoing projects in the Councils.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on media and Public Relations, Toni Akuneme, Chief Odom said the exercise is to physically assess the on-going projects in the various area councils especially those captured in the 2009 budgetary provisions, with a view to ensuring strict compliance and implementation.
According to the minister, all stakeholders in the development of the FCT satellite towns, including youths, the media and civil society organisations, both local and foreign, were free to be part of the project monitoring drive as the quest for the delivery of democracy dividends was collective, adding that "nothing can be achieved from the comfort zones of our offices or through sponsored publications by disgruntled elements".
He said: ''As the year draws to a close and given that my first tour of these area councils to commission completed projects and inspect on-going ones, was about seven months ago when we came on board, I am persuaded to go round again, one area council per week, for the next six weeks, to practically gauge the level of work going on in each area council and to equally feel the pulse of the local citizenry about the activities of government''.
Odom said he was convinced that in this era of growing cynicism by the electorate, it was in the best interest of the council chairmen, and indeed all custodians of public office, to be more transparent in their activities as to have ready-made answers to the relentless critics of government, especially as the 2011 elections draw nearer.
The minister said the current FCT administration was totally in support of the Federal Governments efforts in fostering accountability and due process in the conduct of public businesses and indeed as a way of life amongst Nigerians.
He stressed that the focus in the FCT area councils has been to change their orientation about governance and strengthen their institutional templates for budget implementation with emphasis on completion of existing projects.
''The recent three day intensive workshop held in Owerri, for FCT area council officials as well as Federal Lawmakers responsible for FCT matters, which we facilitated, was geared in this direction, as we felt that refocusing the minds of policy makers in the area councils about best practices had become key and critical to their effective management under their care'', Odom added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State has directed the Environmental Unit in the six area councils in the FCT to collaborate with Abuja Environmental Protection Board to checkmate residents' penchant for dumping of refuse in unauthorised places in the territory.
