The Borno State Government has appealed to the European Union (EU) grant extension for the implementation partners to complete their projects in the Northeast. The projects’ extension demand was made by the Commissioner of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), Mustapha Gubio at the Technical Implementation Committee meeting held at the weekend in Maiduguri. Gubio, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Egnr. Abba Yusuf, disclosed that; “We’re planning for possible extension and completion of various projects in the state,” adding inputs be provided by the programme steering committee.
While reviewing the implementation progress, he said: “Today’s meeting was to review the challenges and determine our outstanding activities in the state.” He thanked the EU and implementation partners for supporting the State Government with various intervention projects to save people’s lives and property. Yusuf also acknowledged the challenges partners are facing, while implementing their projects; pledging that; “Government will continue with its commitments in overcoming the challenges faced by the partners. In his assurance to the EU, he said: “We’re working with all partners in addressing the challenges on security and safety of field workers.”
Other challenges include inaccessibility to project sites and farmlands, approval delays with restrictions of farm inputs, multiple layers of conditions, attacks on infrastructural facilities, mistrust and the misconceptions on EU’s interventions to save people’s lives. The team leader Support to Coordination of EU funded intervention in Borno state (SCEUB), Kabiru Abass disclosed: “Inaccessibility to project locations caused by security challenges have also contributed to delays in the implementation process.” Yusuf, therefore, appealed to the EU to grant extension to the implementation process to complete the projects.
“We at the MRRR noted the need for extension to complete the ongoing projects,” he said, adding that the support to the coordination of EU interventions has improved relationship and communication between the state government and implementation partners. The relationship, according to him, has quickly detected issues and support for the technical challenges experienced by the partners. He said military clearance is demanded for the movement of goods and equipment to reduce duplications of projects.
On the handover of completed projects, he said: “I’m appealing to the partners to fully handover all completed projects to the state government,” adding that Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are to take over and sustain all the projects. The state government and implementation partners called for a strategic action to access Local Government Areas (LGAs) for more interventions. He said that the EU Borno package will contribute to the implementation of the 25-year Development Plant of the state.
