Traditional rulers
in Cross River State are pushing for a law which will empower them to
monitor government projects under construction in their domains to
ensure that such projects are executed to specification.
Apart from projects
under execution, the envisaged law will also enable them to protect
projects sited in their domains and also on regular basis keep
government informed of the state of such development projects.
Such legal
backing, the traditional ruler of Calabar Municipal Council and Ndidem
of the Quas, Ndidem Thomas Ika-Ika Oqua, explained will make
contractors to be up and doing and thus bring to an end the regime of
shoddy jobs and abandonment of contracts after collecting mobilisation
fees.
While receiving
Governor Liyel Imoke who led members of the state PDP campaign team to
his palace for consultation and royal blessings, the traditional ruler
said government projects in these days of due process and price
intelligence are still being abandoned or executed out of
specifications because there is nobody on ground to monitor the
contractors and report to government accordingly.
According to him,
most of the traditional rulers in the state are educated and should be
involved in the monitoring of projects to ensure that contractors do
not short-change government, considering the current high cost of
implementing government policies and programmes today.
Ready to help
He revealed that
clan heads in his council were prepared to liaise with the state Board
of Internal Revenue to identify taxable areas in their domains to
enable the state improve on its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), to
supplement what comes from Abuja monthly as statutory allocation.
The royal father
said since 2007, he has been watching with keen interest what the
PDP-led government has been doing in the state and was glad by its
achievements, hence it deserves the support of the people. He noted
that the party has been able to give the people the dividends of
democracy.
He commended Mr.
Imoke for his respect for royal fathers in the state as well as his
appointment as Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Coordinator for the South-South
zone, but expressed regret that though funds earmarked for ecological
problems were inadequate, the agency saddled with the task should get
to work to save the erosion-ravaged sites in the area.
Mr. Imoke, in his
speech, described the traditional ruler as a “great pillar of strength
a lot of people respect and honour,” saying Calabar Municipality is one
of the key local government areas in the state where its headquarters
is located.
