By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The North East State Governors have appealed to the World Bank Country Director , Mr. Shubham Chaudri, to expedite action in the implementation of intervention projects under the Multi Sectoral Crisis Recovery Projects (MCRP) in the North Eastern states.
The Governors said, “the only way to meet Terms of Reference (ToR) according to the Work Plan, and to recover the 15 months earlier lost in the implementation process, is to hasten up”.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, who is the Chairman, North East State Governors Forum led other state governors from Yobe state, Hon Mai Mala Buni, Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Seth Crowther to the World Bank office for the meeting in Abuja yesterday.
“We are here to appreciate the good works the World Bank through the MCRP is doing in our post-insurgency situation. Alot of our people who were hitherto displaced by the crisis have relocated back to their ancestral homes to pick up livelihood, and there are more areas that need our collective intervention to restore hope to these hopeless people.
“The only way to do that is to speed up the MCRP implementation process. On behalf of the North Eadt states, i urge the bank, to speed up completion of all MCRP projects in the three states, as delay in releasing funds for the projects will only attract inflation due to increase in foreign Exchange.” Zulum said
It will be recalled that MCRP is a World Bank funded project which supports the governments of the Northeast states towards rehabilitating and improving critical service delivery, infrastructure, livelihood communities, and strengthening social cohesion in the region.
Responding, the World Bank Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chaudri promised to forward the complaints and appeals of the MCRP implementing states to the World Bank Headquarters with a view to ensure speedy implementation of the MCRP projects as well effect changes on the issues frustrating smooth Implementation of the projects.
The Borno State State Commissioner of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties, Engr Mohammed Kabir Wanori, and that of Yobe Commissioner of Finance , Alh. Musa Mustapha attended the meeting.
Others include; Special Adviser to the Borno state Governor and Coordinator of Sustainable Development Partnership and Humanitarian Support, Dr Mairo Mandara and the Chief of Staff to Yobe state governor, Alh. Abdullahi Yusuf Gashua also were at the meeting which lasted for more than two hours.
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