THE Delta State Government says that the philosophy behind its highly acclaimed social protection programmes is to cushion the effects of the harsh economic realities on Deltans, who are on the lower rungs of the economic ladder and give them a helping hand in navigating through the difficult period.
Speaking in an exclusive media chat in his office in Asaba, Delta State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen, revealed that over 247 Deltans have so far benefitted from the state government’s flagship intervention programme, D-CARES (Delta Community Action for Resilience and Stimulus, World Bank initiative), under its various delivery platforms such as the Direct Cash Transfers, the Livelihood Support, FADAMA project, Public Works and Micro-Community project being executed in the most remote parts of the state that ordinarily would not have government presence due to paucity of funding within the past 18 months of the administration.
Mr. Ekedayen stated that as the “first clearinghouse” of all the state government’s expenditure, including the management of the budget implementation process in the state, the Ministry of Economic planning stands out as the engineroom of the state government’s financial activities and helps to implement the broad objectives of the government’s vision as encapsulated in the MORE agenda of the present administration.
While reeling out a list of the administration’s achievements through the Ministry of Economic planning within the first 18 months of the Oborevwori administration, Mr. Ekedayen emphasized that Governor Oborevwori’s overarching governance philosophy was to ensure that citizens benefit from a people-centred government, fiscal discipline, consistency in debt repayment, frugality, resourcefulness and transparency in the management of public funds, as well as extracting value for money spent on development projects and services.
Ekedayen said the state government had also taken strategic steps to ramp up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue without increasing or imposing any additional taxes.
He said at the inception of the administration in 2023, projected annual IGR was at N83bn, a figure which he said would potentially climb the N165bn mark by the end of the current year.
The commissioner lauded the Delta State Internal Revenue Service for its creativity and ingenuity in consistently raising the state’s IGR.
As part of the government’s overall strategy to promote food security in the state, Commissioner Ekedayen revealed that the state government was proceeding in a deliberate and strategic manner to promote agriculture by investing heavily in the sector.
The commissioner listed the empowerment programmes run by the Ministries of Humanitarian Services and Girl Child Empowerment (MORE Grant), Women Affairs and Social Development (Gender-centred empowerment initiative), and the office of the Chief Job Creation Officer (MORE Biz-Up) as visible examples of the deliberate effort of the state government to bring succour to citizens.
He noted that most of the beneficiaries were doing well and had graduated from a level of poverty to self-sustainability.
As the government inches closer to its second anniversary on May 29, the Administration continues to ensure that citizens of the state benefit from promises made, and promises being kept.
