The Bayelsa State Government has inaugurated the state project monitoring committee of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) with a charge to work assiduously to ensure the success of the programme.
The state Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. David Alagoa gave the charge in Yenagoa at the inauguration of a 13-man committee headed by the acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Ebasi Okoya.
According to Alagoa, efforts by the ministry in accessing most rural communities in the execution of agricultural projects in the state has not been successful but expressed optimistism that with the intervention from RAAMP communities would be accessed.
He noted that the members of the committee who were chosen from various government ministry and agencies, private sector, academia and the NGO are men of experience and capacity and urged them not to fail in carrying out their assigned task.
The Commissioner appreciated the Federal Government and the World Bank for chosen Bayelsa to benefit from the programme, adding that the state will ensure that it comes out tops in terms of projects implementation.
The National Coordinator of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Engr. Aminu Mohammed said Bayelsa State has made history as the only state where the state Governor personally inaugurate the state Project Implementation Unit of RAAMP, adding that this shows the importance the state attached to the programme.
Represented by Engr. Godwin Onu, Mohammed said the State Project Monitoring Committee (SPMC) is a very vital organ of RAAMP and one of the criteria to be met for participation in the programme.
He explained that the SPMC functions like a Board that oversees the smooth operations of the activities in the project.
The RAAMP National Coordinator enumerated the responsibility of the committee to include: policy guidance, to ensure that the projects to be carried out are properly monitored by making sure that they meet the criteria set by the donor agencies and to ensure that the annual work plan is vetted by the committee before final submission for no objection by the World Bank.
The Lead Consultant of Capital Communications Limited, Mohammed Badamasuiy in an overview stated that RAAMP which is a donor funded project is an offshoot of Rural Agricultural and Mobility Project introduced in 2010.
Badamasuiy noted the need for the periodic review of the impact first RAAMP which focuses on access roads construction it became imperative to expand the scope to not only for access roads construction but to cover agricultural marketing and other facilities targeted towards the socio-economic benefit of the rural people gave rise to the new RAAMP.
He commented the state Governor, Douye Diri for the support given to the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU and other stakeholders as well as giving the marching order to ensure that the state meet the necessary criteria to qualify as a beneficiary.
Earlier the state Coordinator of RAAMP, Dr. Paul Ebienfa expressed gratitude to His Excellency, the Governor of Bayelsa State for the opportunity to serve as the state Coordinator of RAAMP, adding the governor demonstrated his unflinching support by providing a befitting office space for RAAMP and for approving the payment of counterpart funding.
Ebienfa noted that the inauguration of the Same Project Monitoring Committee is a critical step in achieveing the task that is ahead and reposed confidence on the caliber of persons selected to serve on the committee.
He pledged his total committment to collaborate professionally and productively with the committee for the overall benefit of the state..
About Author
