By Timothy Ekpo
UYO
The Akwa Ibom Government has said that it will provide the necessary assistance and support that will enable the Nigeria For Women Project to execute programmes that would be beneficial to the people of the state.
The deputy governor Mr Moses Ekpo, stated this when the project led by its national coordinator, Mr Ruth Michelia paid him a courtesy call in his office at Government House, Uyo.
The deputy governor who described the visit of the group as a welcomed development because of what it seeks to do for the women, noted that the activities of the project would definitely rub positively on the men and children who the women take care of them.
Mr Moses Ekpo, explained that since the activities of the Nigeria For Women Project, centred on improving the quality of live of the women, the Akwa Ibom Government under the leadership of Mr Udom Emmanuel, embraces such projects to move the state and county forward.
He said that although Akwa Ibom would be partnering the project three years after it has started work in the country, it was better to be late than never, and stressed that the state would increase the speed to allow it catch up with what appeared to have been left behind.
The deputy governor, told the project that the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, was an efficient ministry capable of supervising the programmes of the Nigeria For Women Project in the state, adding that whatever the government would do to guarantee the smooth take off of the scheme, would be done.
Ekpo assured that to show the commitment of Akwa Ibom Government on the project, the implementation committee, would be inaugurated next week and thanked the World Bank, the Ministry for Humanitarian Services and that of Women Affairs for collaborating to initiate the project in the state and gave the assurance that since the Nigeria For Women Project was ready to kick start the scheme in Akwa Ibom, the state was also ready and willing to ensure it success.
“Whatever is needed as government assistance and support, will be quickly done to enable us get to where we want to go”. The deputy governor assured.
Earlier, the national coordinator of the project, Mrs Ruth Michelia, said the Nigeria For Women Project programme has come to the state through the support of the Akwa Ibom State Government state with objective to support the livelihood of women from 18 years and above as well as those who are under serve or economically active and should be doing one economic activity at the grassroots.
Michelia explained that in composition, the state should have a steering committee, the structure and the technical committee. She said the project was working on the subsidiary loan agreement and the legal opinion to be signed by the Commissioner for Finance and the Attorney General respectively.
She told the deputy governor that the subsidiary loan agreement had been signed and there was need to provide the needed human resources comprising the project accountant and the project coordinator to obtain the clearance to have the account opened.
Michilia said funds for the execution of the projects were available and the state needed to expedite action to kick start the programme in earnest since it has missed out in the past three years that the project commenced in the country.
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