ODSG SET TO MAP OUT DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE STATE.

The State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan has disclosed that the present administration in Ondo State is set to map out a long term development plans for the state in its bid to ensure rapid development of the economy of the state, which he said would emanate from the people in the society and would outlive the present administration.

Speaking while playing host to some Officials of the Partnership Initiative in Niger Delta (PIND), in his office in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Pastor Igbasan said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that people participated and contribute to the development of the state, adding that the plans would outlive the present administration and subsequent governments would like to key into it because it was people's oriented.

He stated  further that the state is also planning to have a joint technical board with the all the eighteen local governments in the state, where programmes and policies of each council area would be harmonised with the state government in order to be in the same direction in taking the state to a greater height.

The Commissioner noted that all developmental plans from the previous administrations lack the long term effect and the present government looked into some of it and upgraded the identified plans to meet long term need of the state, stressing that the present administration in the state led by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN is committed at changing the narrative from the old order by providing participatory system of governance, where  everybody in the society would contributes to the development plans of state.

He said "We are going to change that narrative, we want to actually have a long term development plan that will emanate from the people from all strata of the society, students, organized private sectors, professional bodies, and we need to engage them to craft a common agenda where we want to be in the next twenty five years."

Pastor Igbasan added that the signing of the Fiscal Responsibility Act into law by the Governor has empowered the government to have a long term development plan for at least twenty years.

The Economic and Budget Commissioner explained further that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) on 2019 budget has been concluded.

He, therefore, solicited for the support and collaboration of the organisation in the area of technical assistance, also urged them to look into how to make maximum impact for sustainable development of the Niger Delta region where oil exploration is affecting people of the areas.

Earlier in his address, the leader of the team who is also the PIND Partnership and Engagement Manager, Mr Chuks Ofulue, explained that the organization focus on four areas which include, economic development, capacity building, peace building initiative and advocacy analysis.

Mr. Chuks stressed that PIND has been very active in the state in all these areas, noting that the ministry of Economy Planning plays a strategic role for any development partner.

The team leader also appealed to the management of the ministry to appoint a desk officer for PIND because of the numerous activities to be carried out by the organization.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Bunmi Alade affirmed the readiness of the ministry to collaborate with the organisation in order to achieve the desire goals of government in its developmental thrive of the state.

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