Jonathan calls for elimination of financial waste

Goodluck Jonathan
The Nigerian President

Jonathan calls for elimination of financial waste
Lawan Hamidu- Abuja

Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, has tasked the Federal, State and Local Governments to eliminate waste and fashion out ways of generating more income in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

President Jonathan made the call in Abuja, while launching the MDGs Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS) to Local Governments.

Represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Jonathan said: “we have two choices here: to continue with the way we have always managed our resources and not achieve the Millennium Development Goals or to make painful adjustments at all levels of government so that we can accommodate those expenditures that have a direct bearing to the masses that the MDGs are targeted to uplift.”

According to the President the MDGs had provided a veritable means of collaboration between the three tiers of government in meeting the nation’s developmental objectives devoid of friction.

Conditional Grant Scheme

He noted that the Conditional Grant Scheme being launched at the Local Government level was a vehicle of choice which brings the three tiers of government closer to share experiences.

The President then charged all stakeholders to ensure that the conditions of accountability transparency and community engagement were complied with and monitored towards the realisations of the objectives of the Scheme, stressing that “this administration was built on the strict observance of the rule of law.”

In her Presentation, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precocious Gbeneol noted that the CGS was meant to accelerate government’s efforts at meeting the MDGs before 2015, by empowering the selected LGAs to carry out their constitutional responsibilities that would impact on over 25 million people.

Strengthening intergovernmental collaboration

She further stated that the Scheme would strengthen intergovernmental collaboration, adding that “The Scheme had been described by International Partners as the highest MDGs National Government scale up intervention in the world.”

Dr. Gbeneol said that the first phase of the Scheme would cover 113 LGs from the 36 States including the FCT and would be extended to the other LGs in phases from next year.

Goodwill messages came from the National Assembly, United Nations System in Nigeria, DFID and the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on MDGs, Professor Jeffery Sachs. They all commended government’s effort to the attainment of the MDGs by 2015.

During the event Vice President Sambo presented cheques to six LGAs selected across the six geopolitical zones of the country and launched pick-up vans for the MDGs.

Williams