By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Calabar

Cross River State Government has been commended for being the first out of 26 states in the country to implement the World Bank-assisted Community and Social Development Project, CSDP.

Chairman, Board of Directors of the Community and Social Development Agency, Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong who made the commendation in a workshop in Calabar, the state capital said that since the inception of the project over two years ago, the state has witnessed phenomenal development in rural communities.

Chief Ekpenyong who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Cross River State, Dr. Effenji Odey said that the agency had approved 85 community development plans with a total of 21 CSDP comprising 92 micro projects that had been completed.

He explained that the objective of the project which centered on the reduction of poverty to the barest minimum through the provision of infrastructure to the deprived rural dwellers in the state had been realised.

Also speaking, Special Adviser to Governor Liyel Imoke on Economic Matters, Prof. Ndem Ayara-Ndiyo represented by the Secretary, State Planning Commission, Mr. Charles Achu said that the mid-term review workshop was crucial in an organisation that was focused like the CSDP to enable it deliver on its mandate.

Prof. Ndiyo said that CSDP had affected development in all sectors of the economy which he said was made possible in the state through the determined and purposeful leadership of Imoke, adding that the governor had given to the agency all the financial support.

General Manager of the agency, Pastor Victor Ovat said the review workshop was crucial as it had afforded the agency and the state an opportunity to identify all the progress made as well as effecting corrections where necessary.