Project Execution: Report What You See, Gov Kefas Tells NEC’s Team

Taraba State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, has urged members of the National Economic Council (NEC) Implementation Monitoring Committee to present an objective and factual assessment of projects executed by his administration.He said truthful reporting would help the government accelerate development and improve service delivery to the people.

The governor, who stated this during the committee’s visit to the TY Danjuma House in Jalingo, said the essence of the exercise was to enable the federal government and states to evaluate the implementation of NEC resolutions and identify areas for improvement.

Represented by his chief of staff, Dr Jeji Williams, the governor said the assessment reflected a new era of collaboration between the federal and states governments.

He stressed that governance had gone beyond policy formulation to practical evaluation of projects on the ground.

“You need to see things for yourselves and report exactly what you have seen.

If you report the truth, we shall make the necessary amendments and move to the next level of development,” the governor said.

He maintained that, the state government remained committed to implementing its development blueprint and ensuring that public resources translated into tangible projects that improve the lives of citizens.

The governor commended the NEC for instituting the nationwide monitoring exercise, describing it as a positive step towards strengthening accountability, transparency and effective governance.

He assured the committee that, his administration would carefully study its recommendations and address any gaps identified during the assessment.

Earlier, the leader of the North-East NEC Implementation Monitoring Committee, Dr. Maina Yaumi, said the delegation was mandated by the National Economic Council to assess the level of implementation of key resolutions and strategic projects across the 36 states of the federation.

Dr. Yaumi said, the team inspected several projects in Taraba, including the ultra-modern abattoir, Demonstration farm, Modern Veterinary Hospital, Greenhouse facilities, Agricultural mechanisation centre, Specialist hospital rehabilitation, livestock development centre, Okowa Hostel at the Taraba State University, Government House Banquet Hall, over 57 kilometres township roads and housing project for personnel of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army.

He described the projects as impressive, particularly the investments in agriculture, healthcare and security, noting that they aligned with the objectives of the National Economic Council to promote sustainable development.

According to Dr.Yaumi, the committee’s report would be submitted to the National Economic Council to support policy decisions and improve project implementation across the country.

Also speaking, Deputy Director at the National Economic Council Secretariat, Bala Musa Giade, emphasised that the monitoring exercise was designed to assess implementation of NEC resolutions and encourage healthy competition among states.

He said the committee was also documenting legacy projects executed by states to ensure comprehensive reporting to the council.

Giade, who disclosed that he participated in last year’s assessment, said the committee observed significant progress in projects that were at early stages during the previous visit.

“I was here last year and the projects we saw then have advanced significantly. Some have been completed, while others are nearing completion. We are impressed with the progress and hope the state sustains the momentum,” he said.

He added that the committee’s findings would be compiled into a comprehensive report for submission to the National Economic Council at the end of the nationwide monitoring exercise.

Speaking after inspection of projects in Jalingo, the Permanent Secretary, Budget, Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Saigudu, said the monitoring exercise confirmed that the state was making remarkable progress in implementing resolutions adopted by the National Economic Council.

According to him, members of the monitoring team, including its leadership and technical officials, expressed satisfaction with projects inspected during the visit.

“You have been part of the inspection since yesterday and you have seen what is on ground. The team leader and the technical team appreciated the projects executed by the state government,” he said.

Mr. Saigudu noted that, although the committee was only able to inspect projects within the state capital due to time constraints, many more projects were being executed across the state.

He explained that the essence of the exercise was to verify the implementation of decisions reached by governors under the National Economic Council.

“The team has testified that the state government is on course. We have made remarkable progress in implementing the council’s resolutions and we will carefully study their report and address any observations or recommendations they may make,” he added.

The permanent secretary said, Governor Agbu Kefas remained committed to delivering people-oriented projects despite limited financial resources, assuring that more developmental projects would be executed across the state.

He said the administration had prioritised infrastructure and security, noting that while many security interventions could not be publicly disclosed, the government had invested significantly in improving safety across the state.

Saigudu urged residents to continue to support the administration, saying ongoing investments in roads and other infrastructure were already improving access, reducing travel time and lowering vehicle maintenance costs.

The Permanent Secretary also assured Tarabans that, more projects would be delivered as the government continued to prudently utilise available resources to address the state’s developmental needs.