Delta approves N3.9bn disbursement for D-CARES programme

The Delta State Executive Council has approved the disbursement of N3,887,277,784.66 under the D-CARES implementation programme of the state government.

That makes it the second reimbursement from the World Bank.

Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Sonny Ekedayen, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists on some of the decisions reached at the state executive meeting presided over by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

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 believe 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 exercises.

“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, Emomotimi Guwor, the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, and members of the House for the speedy passage of the budget.

Ekedayen said the increase in the appropriation bill by N10 billion before it was signed 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 meeting, Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads) Charles Aniagwu said approval has been 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 a heavily built-up area, is about a 3.47-kilometre stretch.

He said: “You will recall that about two weeks ago, I had the 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 the Effurun roundabout.

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

He said the executive council 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, motorable road”, he added.