Obiano Honoured With Award Of Excellence In Community Development

Governor Willie Obiano has been honoured with an award of Excellence in Community and Social Development.

Governor Obiano received the award from the State beneficiaries of the World Bank-assisted Community and Social Development Project Additional Financing.

Correspondent, Ebele Ezeh reports that the award was presented to the Governor during the public presentation of the achievements of the Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.

Receiving the award, Governor Obiano represented by the State Head of Service, Barrister Harry Udu said the two hundred and fifty completed micro projects within the twelve participating council areas of the State are in fulfillment of his efforts in making sure that development gets to various communities.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development Partners, Mr. Mark Okoye disclosed that Anambra State Government invested over seven billion, two hundred million naira into the project.

Mr. Okoye listed communities desire for a direct assistance through Community-Driven Development Programme that can shape their destinies, empowering communities with resources, voice and capacity building to sustain development and management of fund by beneficiaries to help reduce corruption as some of the lessons learnt during implementation process.

In his speech, the Board Chairman, Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency, Igwe Roland Odegbo of Nteje, disclosed that they supported sixty-two poor communities and seventeen vulnerable groups across the twelve focal council areas with over one billion, four hundred million naira to implement and complete two hundred and fifty micro projects as at September 2020.

Igwe Odegbo expressed satisfaction that they were able to achieve the Project Development Objective despite the limited period they had.

Later in a goodwill message, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Community and Social Development Project, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa, through the General Manager, Anambra State Community and Social Development Agency, Mr. Chudi Mojekwu said that they were proud of the impressive results and impact of the agency on the lives and livelihood of the poor in rural communities in Anambra State.

Presenting a paper titled “Outcome evaluation study of the Community and Social Development Project in Anambra State”, a resource person, Professor Daniel Ugwu recommended capacity training and retraining of stakeholders at the council areas and communities on the concept and benefits of Community-Driven Development, finance and conflict management to guarantee sustainability and accelerated grassroots development.

The public presentation featured award presentations to some outstanding benefiting groups, drama on implementation process and cultural dance.