PIB chairperson frowns at stake-holders’ apathy

The Chairperson of the follow-up committee for the 2014 execution of the Public Investment Budget, PIB for Fako division, Hon Etombi Gladys Ikomi, has frowned at the laxity and care-free manner of stakeholders in handling contracts.

Hon Etombi, during the Third Quarter Participatory Divisional Committee meeting which held in Limbe on Thursday, October 9, expressed disappointment with the level of the execution rate, and especially the fact that many stakeholders like mayors, delegates and contractors were absent at the meeting.

According to the Chairperson, government is doing everything to bring meaningful development to the division in line with its Vision 2035 programme, but the unpatriotic attitude of a majority of stakeholders is worrisome and a cause for concern.

A summary of the execution rate shows that, of the 28 projects below 5million under the administration, 21 has been executed, while 7 are in progress, while of the 35 under councils, 26 have been executed and 9 still in progress.

For projects above 5 million, of the 15 under the administration, 7 are in award procedure, 2 have been executed and 6 are on-going, while under councils, of the 29 projects, 7 have been executed, 5 on-going, 9 under award procedure and 8 in progress. For the 9 priority projects, 2 are under award procedure and 7 have been awarded.

According to statistics, at present both the physical and financial execution rates, stand at 36.01% and 4.02% without priority projects, but including priority projects, it stands at 23.35% and 2.02% respectively.

Though this present rate surpasses that of last year at same period, which stood at 12.80% and 0.79%, it is still very low, compared to that of 2012, which was 74.32% and 62.78% respectively.

The Chairperson who was very displeased with the record but especially the attitude of stakeholders, warned that it is high time, everyone gets to work, as the committee will relent no effort in ensuring that stakeholders play their role effectively.

“If we do not attend follow-up meetings, how do we analyse and solve the problems on the field? Government is doing its best, but we are not taking our job seriously. Even those who are suppose to control the contracts; do they start the follow-up from the inception? We have to take our job seriously.

We are going to have a roll-call during the next meeting, because it appears people do not take the meeting seriously. Is it that they undermine the role of this committee? If they think that this committee cannot control them, they will tell us who they think is fit, because nobody is above the law”, the Chairperson said, as she closed the meeting.