C'River tops in World Bank assisted projects' implementation

The Cross River State Government has been commended for being the first out of 26 states in the country to implement the World Bank Assisted Community and Social Development Project.The Chairman, Board of Directors of the Community and Social Development Agency, Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong, who made the commendation in a workshop in Calabar, said since the inception of the project over two years ago, the state had witnessed phenomenal development in rural communities.Ekpenyong, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Finance, Dr. Effenji Odey, said the agency had approved 85 community development plans with a total of 21 CSDP comprising 92 micro projects that had been completed.He explained that the objective of the project, which centred on the reduction of poverty to the barest minimum through the provision of infrastructure to the deprived rural dwellers in the state had been realised.Also speaking, Special Adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke on Economic Matters, Prof. Ndem Ayara-Ndiyo, represented by the Secretary, StatePlanning Commission, Mr. Charles Achu, said that the mid-term review workshop was crucial in an organisation that was focused like the CSDP to enable it to deliver on its mandate.Ndiyo, who said CSDP had affected development in all sectors of the economy, attributed the success to the determined and purposeful leadership of Imoke.He added that the governor had given the agency all the needed financial support.Also speaking, the General Manager of the agency, Pastor Victor Ovat, said thereview workshop was crucial as it had afforded the agency and the state an opportunity to identify all the progress made as well as effecting corrections where necessary.
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