Uduaghan Calls for Independent Assessment of Leaders

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has challenged leaders not to be afraid of allowing independent assessors to take critical look at their activities while in office.

Dr. Uduaghan stated this in Asaba at a preparatory workshop for the United Nations assessment of key sectors of the Delta State economy, saying that such assessment will enable leaders to know their achievements, challenges and areas they can improve on.

He noted that the State have taken a bold and courageous step to invite the United Nations for assessment in order to ascertain how far its policies and programmes had brought development to the people, disclosing that it will also show how to achieve desired goals, especially in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Governor described the MDGs as “very key” to the administration’s policies and programmes, noting that when achieved, the standard of living of the people would improve drastically.

He used the occasion to state that his greatest legacy was not in the construction of an international airport and infrastructural development but in policies and programmes that impact directly on the people’s life such as the provision of free maternal and child care, free education and empowering the very poor in the society.

Governor Uduaghan noted that bringing experts to assess what his adminstration have done since 2007 in critical areas of education, water and sanitation, health and agriculture will enable them see their  achievements, challenges and prepare them for the post-MDGs years.

Earlier in a goodwill message, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Daouda Toure who was represented by Ambassador Louise Sethswaelo who is the head of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Nigeria said that monitoring performance and progress of development, is one powerful tool, which leads to positive transformation and provision of evidence based planning in a state or nation.

Furthermore, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria said that the UN System commends Delta State Governor for signing up Delta State for this objective basis performance assessment of key sectors of agriculture, water and sanitation, education and health, as well as the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr Toure admitted that the assessment is an indication of the State’s commitment to the broad ideals of good and accountable governance, democracy, peace and security, among others, adding that they were happy to assess the development performance of the State and believed that the outcome will form the basis for planning and moving forward.

In a welcome address, the Senior Adviser to the Governor on Foreign Relations, Mr. Oma Djebah said that the workshop is to measure the achievements in the key sectors of the State economy and know the areas to improve on in the transformation of the State.

Delta State Government Press Release