by By Admin
In furtherance to the directives of His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade for BORDERCOM to undertake a baseline assessment of all border communities in the state, the Director General of BODERCOM, Mr. Noel Ugbong led other members and staff of the commission as they visit Obanliku local government area.
The exercise was held at the council secretariat on the 3rd of August, 2020.
Speaking during the visit, the DG noted that, His Excellency has approved the baseline assessment/survey which will evolve a strategic five years development plan.
Speaking further, he maintained that “Obanliku is one of the local governments in the state that has both national and International borders. The Eastern high hills stretching from the East climax around the Oshie ridge, plummeting in the Obudu plateau rolling hills, giving Obanliku very unique features.
“Over the years, BORDERCOM has been carrying out projects in various local governments that have border communities. We often have issues where projects are misappropriated or duplicated, wherefore a community is dire need of a school but will have a hospital, or a community that is I’m a dire of water will have abundant of schools etc. The baseline survey and needs assessment is to help us prioritize what government should do for these border communities.
“BOREDCOM dwell on border regions because there are issues of crisis either with other states or country and until government takes ownership of these communities by building schools, health centers and providing water to show that these communities belong to cross river state and Nigeria at large. This will definitely make other states very difficult to encroach into our state.
“BORDERCOM was set up with the core mandate on; education, health, water and sanitation, security and economic empowerment. It is an intervening commission, all of these things have mandate in other ministries- education is supposed to build schools, health is to build hospitals and water and sanitation is to provide water.
“Where there is need, BOORDERCOM steps in. It is our desire that all border communities in Obanliku local government area have ample government presence so that if any state or country wants to encroach, they will know that such a community belongs to cross river state government and that the state has her presence there.
“The essence of this baseline survey/needs assessment is generate data for budgeting. Budgeting is very cumbersome if you want to do the ideal thing, but for people who don’t have the nak for due process, they do copy and paste which results in not giving the communities their desires. We will share this data with the federal government.
“You have observed that Red Cross is carrying out a lots of projects in border communities, this is because of the data we share with them and we need to update this data from time to time.
“It will take another five years before the next exercise is carried out, we urge you to be of good spirit, take ownership of the survey, we will provide you with instruments that will generate data from your communities to enable us fast track development in your communities”
Ugbong noted the consultation and awareness meeting is the first phase of the exercise and mentioned data analysis, physical verification, engineering measurement as other phases of the survey.
On his part, the Head of Procurement, Research and Statistics, Mr. Ibita Inimmong stated that since the inception of BORDERCOM in the state, a total of 14 projects have been completed in Obanliku in areas of education, health, water and sanitation and security.
He added that “this assessment is to enable us know the communities that have not been captured as well as the needs of the communities. We have a total of 25 border communities in Obanliku”
Responding on behalf of the local government chairman, Evangelist Mrs. Margate Inde, the Head of Local Government Administration HOLGA, Mrs. Agnes Ogah thanked the governor of cross river state, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade for the initiative and pledged council’s support to the commission in the discharge of its duties especially the baseline survey/needs assessment in Obanliku local government area.
