Bauchi  Pays N636m as Counterpart  Fund for  SDGs Projects

By Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
 

As part of effort to improve the living condition and wellbeing of the citizenry, the Bauchi State Government has paid N636,000,000,000 as counterpart fund for the implementation of a number of projects benefited  under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the State.

 The state Director General, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Halilu who disclosed this to newsmen in her office yesterday while reviewing 2015 activities of  the SDGs projects in the state  explained that some of the projects under construction include 19 units of Primary Health Clinics(PHCs),19 units of staff Accommodation and renovation of one PHC, all spread across the 20 Local Government Areas(LGAs) of the state.

 Others are Drilling and Installation of 33 units of Solar Powered Boreholes, Drilling and Installation of 57 units of Hand Pump Fitted Boreholes, construction of 19 units of VIP Toilets, purchase of six Ambulances as well as supply of Medical Equipment for the 19 Primary Health Centres, among others.

 According to her, the state government paid a cash counterpart contribution of the sum of N6million and subsequent payment of equal amount by office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, (OSSAP) for the implementation of the 2015 MDGs – CGS state track projects in the areas of health, water, and sanitation.

She explained  that the Bauchi Sate Governor, Mohammed Abubakar had granted approval for  the award of contracts in tandem with the policies of the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on SDGs (OSSAP).

She further said Bauchi state government also paid N36million counterpart fund for the take-off of and implementation of  world Bank Assisted Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) ‎through the Conditional Cash Transfer CCT component, which was about to be implemented under the world Bank programme.

 The DG pointed out that the state was among the 10 states selected  to benefit  from implementation of the National Cash Transfer of the Federal government under the office of the Vice President office as palliative measures to most vulnerable in the society.

Fatima explained that the Scheme under the Conditional Grants scheme was currently going on in eight LGAs of Zaki, Misau, Dambam, Gamawa, Warji , Jam mare, Dass, and Tafawa Balewa with 10 beneficiaries each from the LGAs and placed on N18, 000 monthly allowance for the period of 2 years.

According to her, The Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, was built on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of issues that included slashing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water and sanitation.