Delta State governor, Mr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has challenged leaders not to be afraid of allowing independent assessors to take critical look at their activities while in office, saying that same was why he took what he described as a “bold step” by inviting the United Nations, UN, to assess his administration.
The governor said this while speaking at a preparatory workshop for the UN assessment of key sectors of the Delta State economy in Asaba, adding that such assessments will enable leaders to know their achievements, challenges and areas they can improve upon.
“We have taken a bold and courageous step to invite the United Nations to assess us on how far we have gone in our policies and programmes in bringing development to the people.
“There is the need to assess how far we have gone because this assessment will help us in moving forward in developmental indices. It will also show us how to achieve desired goals, especially the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.”
UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Daouda Toure, in his goodwill message at the workshop, noted with delight the decision of the state government as the first in the country to subject its performance in key sectors: health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation, for assessment with regard to the attainment of the MDGs by the global body.
Toure, who was represented by Ambassador Louise Sethswaelo, Head of Food and Agricultural Organisation, FAO, in Nigeria, said: “Monitoring performance and progress of development is one powerful tool which leads to positive transformation and provision of evidence-based planning in a state or nation.”
