The Niger state Government has given the sum of N822m to each of the 274 wards in the state for the execution of ward development projects, each ward is to get N3m under the arrangement.
Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu who announced this? at an interactive session organised for the Ward Development Project committees in Minna on yesterday said more money will be released to the committees depending on their rate of performance.
The governor? initiated Ward Development Projects aimed at? solving the problem of infrastructures development? in 2008.
Aliyu? said that the government has in reserve about N2.8b for the exercise.
In line with the law of the project he stated that? each committee is to meet to determine the project to be executed while a monitoring committee made up of some Civil Commissioners and Special Advisers will go round the wards to assess the job done.
The governor said that since the ward development project was initiated over N3b had been committed to the execution of more than 4000 projects.
He maintained that the success recorded by the scheme was partly responsible for the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2011 governorship and other elections.
Governor Aliyu advised each of the ward committee to draw up a three year development plan which they will follow for the execution of projects during the period.
He called for transparency and accountability on the part of those charged with the management of the funds released warning that government will not hesitate to prosecute anyone that divert the money to other use.
The Commissioner for Local Government Alhaji Yusuf Tagwai in address challenged the committees to be responsive to the people because the programme is aimed at solving? infrastructure problems? in the rural areas.