Ogun State Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives, Alhaji Ademola Balogun has applauded the Board of the State Community and Social Development Agency (OGCSDA) for its commitment to facilitating support for communities to achieve their priority projects for the socio-economic well-being of the people at the grassroots.
The Commissioner said this while hosting the Board members of the Agency, who paid him a courtesy visit in his Office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, adding that activities of the Agency had brought about desired development to the rural dwellers.
Alhaji Balogun urged the Board to be more committed and ensure that its work plan is in tandem with the Ministry’s objective so as to touch more lives across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State, assuring that efforts would be made to proffer solutions to challenges put before the Ministry.
Earlier in his presentation, the Board Chairman, OGCSDA, Pastor Oladipupo Odeyemi, said the visit of the Board members to the Commissioner was imperative especially to familiarise themselves with him on assumption of office and also to discuss the state of the Board activities among other germane issues that would further enhance the performance and sustainability of the agency.
The Board Chairman stated that the Agency which was established by law, is an autonomous body with the mandate to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people at the grassroots through a demand-driven approach to support the selected projects of the benefiting communities in the state.
He highlighted some of the agency’s achievements since 2019 including successful support for over nineteen (19) Communities in six 6 Local Government Areas of Abeokuta North, Ado Odo-Ota, Ipokia, Odeda, Remo North, and Yewa North.
He said the board also bankrolled 90 percent of the project’s cost of (38) prioritized micro projects under the World Bank assisted Programmes, provided support for target intervention in 34 communities across the 20 LG areas under the two-year short intervention programme tag Ogun State COVID- 19 Action, a recovery and economic stimulus package for communities known as (OG CARES) among others.
Pastor Odeyemi thereafter sought for Commissioner’s assistance in addressing the challenges of staff, prompt payment of the Board’s outstanding allowances, and timely release of funds through the State CARES Steering Committee to attend to the requests of more communities in the state.
He assured the Commissioner of the Board’s continuous commitment to carrying out its statutory duties at promoting the well-being of the people at the grassroots through prioritised developmental projects.