SPECIAL REPORT ON THE OTI REGIONAL LAUNCH OF DISTRICT ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME (DRIP)
The Oti Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the J A Plant Pool handed over road equipment to the various districts in Oti Region on Wednesday 28 August, 2024 at Lapaz park Dambai.
The Oti Regional Minister, Daniel Machator on Wednesday announced that about 270 direct jobs would be created in the region through the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), an initiative of the government through the J A Pool, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies.Read More
He made the statement when addressing the audience during the regional launch of the DRIP initiative in Dambai, the capital of the region.
“The programme is expected to create direct jobs, stimulate local economic development and reduce post-harvest losses since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to the market and improve general service delivery across the country,” he said.
Distribution
Mr Machator mentioned that under the DRIP initiative, every Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies within the region will receive equipment such as Shackman Dump truck, Backhoe, Concrete Mixer, Roller, Bulldozer and Motor Grader among others.
The equipment, he said were procured by the government in collaboration with J. A Plant Pool to improve the road network across the country.
This, he said J A Plant Pool is expected to play a key role in providing maintenance support to the Assemblies unlike other models in the past.
Accountability
“To ensure there is efficiency and value for money for the MDAs in particular and the state as a whole, every MDA is required to submit a management committee for the equipment to eliminate completely the misuse of the machines. I would like to urge all traditional leaders to take keen interest in what happens to these machines,” he stated.
Mr Machator charged the MDAs to ensure proper usage of the equipment for the intended purpose and demanded for a good maintenance culture by the managers or engineers of the machines across the region.
“Permit me to indicate that the DRIP is the President’s initiative with the aim of enhancing the country’s road network by decentralizing road infrastructure development to the MMDAs,” he said.
He cautioned MDCEs and other stakeholders against the use of the machines for their personal gains, adding that government will not hesitate to deal ruthlessly with the perpetrators if caught in the act.
For his part, the Oti Regional Coordinator for J. A Pool, Abdulai Safian, said the project is expected to create over 5,000 jobs nationwide for the benefit of the citizenry.
He added that the about 32 mobile service vans have been deployed across the country to provide a 24/7 maintenance for the equipment.
According to him, as part of J. A Pool’s mandate, it seek to install tracking devices on the machines to ensure its effective usage and fuel management.
Personalities present were Oti Reginal Minister, all the nine MDCEs, Regional NPP Party Executives, the Chiefs, Regional and Municipal heads of departments.