Delta Approves N3.887bn Disbursement Fund For D-CARES Programme

By Onomiguren Agbamu

Delta State Executive Council (EXCO), Friday, gave approval for the disbursement of the sum of N3, 887,277,784.66 billion under the D-CARES implementation programme of the state government being second reimbursement from the World Bank.

The State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen disclosed this while briefing journalists on some of the decisions reached at the State Exco meeting presided over by the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.

Mr. Ekedayen said the sum has been distributed through Direct Cash Transfer, FADAMA, Livelihood and Direct Labour, adding that the approval was part of Governor Oborevwori’s agenda for human capital development and social intervention.

“As we speak, you can confirm that some Deltans have already started receiving alerts and this is part of the governor’s agenda for human capital development as well as social intervention.

“This is going to be a continuous exercise. We are believing that as from early January, next year, the coordinating body of the programme in Abuja, NG-CARES will come for another round of independent verification exercise.

“During the verification exercise, Delta State will be assessed based on what we have done so far and hopefully, the state will be given some additional reimbursement,” he said.

On the 2024 Delta State budget recently signed into law by the governor, the Commissioner commended the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor and the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Marilyn Okowa-Daramola and members of the House for the speedy passage of the budget.

Mr. Ekedayen said the increase of the appropriation bill with N10 billion before it was assented into law was to give room for more infrastructural transformation.

He said going by the recent result in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), N144 billion was expected as against the initial N110 billion, stressing that the implementation of the 2024 budget of the state was not going to experience any challenge.

Also briefing journalists shortly after the State Exco meeting, the Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr. Charles Aniagwu said approval was given for the reconstruction of the road from Okan junction in Okpe, passing through Agbarho in Ughelli North to link the East West Road.

According to him, the road project which traverses heavily built up area is about 3.47km stretch, saying; “you will recall that about two weeks ago, l had a privilege of visiting that corridor with some of my colleagues and some Directors in the Ministry where we also identified that, that road will be very important to ease off traffic particularly in the course of the construction of the flyovers around PTI, DSC and then Effurun roundabout.

“In order to give room for free flow of traffic, there was a need for us to clean up that corridor. So, today at Exco, we were able to secure the approval for us to proceed to advertise for award of that particular road (Okan junction through Agbarho to the East West Road). This project is part of efforts of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration desire to add value to infrastructure in the state.”

He said exco also directed the Ministry of Works (Rural and Riverine Roads) to investigate the Bomadi road because of the complaints received about the road that it was not in the best of shape.

“Though we are already building the bridge across the Bomadi River, what we are going to do now is that by next week, we will proceed to investigate the other aspect of that road.

“So that in the first or second week of the new year, we would have been able to come up with the cost estimates to enable us to award that contract so that people who live along that corridor would now have a much smoother and motorable road”, he added.

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