Delta Approves over N1.4bn for UN Projects

The Delta State Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday approved a total of N1.409 billion as the state government counterpart funds for various United Nations agencies projects across the state. The state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, who stated this at a post-EXCO meeting media briefing at the Government in Asaba, said the payment of the counterpart funds would open new windows of opportunity to the government in its ‘Stronger Delta’ development drive.

Specifically, Aniagwu said N600 million of the aforementioned amount would go into several projects under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) schedule while the sum of N809 million would be towards completing various ongoing projects by the UNESCO and other international development agencies working in the state. The information commissioner noted that Delta State had benefited immensely from the prompt payment of such counterpart funds to UN development agencies in the past, hence the state government was keying into the different intervention programmes of the UN agencies and other international donor bodies. For instance, he said the Okowa administration was able to attract N6 billion into its various infrastructural projects in the education sector following the payment of N2 billion as counterpart funds.

The meeting also approved the engagement of two consultants to investigate and reconcile the books on payment of the 13 percent Derivation Fund to the state by the federal government, Aniagwu, who was flanked by the CPS to the governor, Mr. Olisa Ifeajika and media aide to the governor, Mr Nduka Omodon, said.