Obaseki to establish intervention fund, school feeding programme for Edo council

AS part of measures to develop the infrastructural base of Uhunmwode local government area, Edo state government is to set aside a special intervention fund that will be used for the development of infrastructure in the local council.

Governor Godwin Obaseki who made disclosed this yesterday during an interactive session with indigenes and residents of the area.

He said that the special fund will be expended in developing basic education, healthcare system, roads, and rural electrification.

He explained: “I have decided to have in place a master plan for the development of Uhunmwode Local Council Area. A certain amount of money will be set aside as special intervention fund which will be used for the development of Uhunmwode local council in the next three years.”

According to him, the objectives of the master plan are to make the council area attractive for investors and assist the council’s administration to improve its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) receipts to meet its financial obligations.

He remarked that n the next six months, all the 90 primary schools in the area will be refurbished, adding that teachers will be assigned to teach in all the schools. The schools will be automatically integrated into the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EDO-Best) programme. We will introduce the school feeding programme across the state.”

Obaseki disclosed that “We have commenced work on the designs for the old roads that will be reconstructed in the area. The reconstruction will be carried out in the next 18 months to link communities and open the area to more economic activities.”

He said the state is working with the Federal Government on rural electrification which will be extended to the council, noting that since the area has the highest number of rural communities in the state without electricity, with the plan in place, the government hope to change the narrative.

The governor assured the people that a security arrangement will be in place to protect life and property in the area, which will make the area more attractive to investors.

On road construction, Obaseki explained that a committee will be set-up at the ward level with members drawn from the community to include religious and political leaders.

He said that the state will work with the committee to ensure completion of the designs for roads, appointment of contractors and supervision of the contractors to meet deadlines project delivery.