Iloke Egbe MIDC
The United Nations Population Funds Cross River State Office has urged implementing partners to adopt due diligence in the execution of their projects and to cultivate timely reporting culture as a way of enhancing their delivery credibility. The Head of office and program coordinator Cross River Dr Andrew Kirima represented by program specialist Reproductive Health Dr Yakubu Aliyu asserted this during a one day second quarter State-Level Quarterly Program Coordination and Review Meeting held at the conference Hall Ministry of Women Affairs Calabar.
Mr. Kirima alluded that for over a decade of their operations in Cross River this is the first they have received canterpart funds to support their interventions in the State therefore they are encouraged to do more for the State and no implementing partners should be found cutting corners which will dents the image of the State.
He informed that Cross River State has received above the trachhold $100.000 and necessitate external auditor's visit from the national office to assess the level of compliance to financial rules and United Nations protocol. Emphasizing that some of the expectations from a meeting are recommendations and next steps for actions which revolves around new ideas and used the occasion to appreciate MIDC for a wonderful coordination of development partners ecosystem.
In his remarks the Commissioner Ministry of International Donor Coordination Elder Hippolatus Lukpata made it clear that UNFPA is interested in a system that will help scale up development using sectorwide approach to leverage moneys and support from a wide range of stakeholders to implement programmes.
He called on implementing MDAs to bear in mind that accountability supported by timely reports is very important as UNFPA value timelines in each projects. Adding that delay in meeting up process is an indication of incompetence on the parts of implementing MDA.
The Commissioner expressed his appreciation to UNFPA reiterating that the Governor His Excellency Apostle Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu is ready to address any perceived challenges of development partners even beyond the payment of canterpart funds for projects that require it, while advising participants to take the deliberations very serious.
Highlights of meeting was paper presentations on topics which include overview of UNFPA CRS workplan for 2025, implementation of 2025 activities - compliance, retirements and reporting with supporting documents. Prevention of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, questions and answers and group photograph.
Dignitaries in attendance were the State Statistician General Dr. Josephat Ogar, Mrs. Ekaete Oku Director of Administration MIDC while Jacque Karungi, UNFPA gender specialist, Dr. Sola Toye Cross River State Programme officer and FP/RH specialist and Mr Richard Idiong of MIDC served as resource persons. Others in attendance were participants from implementing MDAs which includes Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women Affairs, State Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of International Donor Coordination, Ministry of Education, National Population Commission, State Primary HealthCare Development Agency, Humanity Without Border a Non-governmental Organizations Operating in the State etc.
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