Governor Imoke lauds UNDP (3/6/08)

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has lauded the United Nation Development Programmes (UNDP) intervention in the areas of good governance, environment, HIV/AIDs and poverty reduction, saying that they are relevant to the development of the state.

While receiving the UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Mary Symmonds on a courtesy visit in Calabar, Tuesday, Imoke stated that having settled down as an administration, the state has no excuse what so ever to fully implement the programmes which are meant to improve on the living conditions of its citizenry.

He noted that one of the challenges he facing him is the protection and preservation of the tropical rainforest, adding that though government has reacted to public procurement by implementing due process, the needed manpower to drive the process is yet to be put in place

The Governor thanked the UNDP for considering the state in its just concluded intervention programme which he noted has strengthened the institution of government and appealed that the state be reconsidered in the next phase of its programme which is due for 2009.

Imoke called on the resident representative to get the state involved in its activities to enable it make the necessary budgetary provision to meet its mandatory counterpart funding.

Earlier, the State Resident Representative of the United Nation Development programme (UNDP), Ms. Mary Symmonds said the intervention programme, were selected after the State Economic empowerment Development Strategy (SEEDS) had submitted its 2006 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to popularize its bench mark.

She maintained that the next phase of the programme which is built for 2009 will only accommodate areas that would deliver effectively in the last programme that is rounding off this year, adding that the new programmes shall include, electoral reforms, main stream of HIV/Aids planning, capacity building, governance, environmental planning and policy as well as energy.

Ms Symmonds commended the collaborative effort of the Imoke’s administration to support the successful and fruitful implementation of the programmes they initiated and lauded him for his leadership style.

Government House Press